Colorado Weather: Big Snow In the Mountains This Weekend, Denver Could Get Flurries

DENVER (CBS4) - Much needed snow will fall across virtually all mountain ranges in Colorado this weekend creating delightful conditions for skiers and snowboarders. Almost all of the moisture will stop short of reaching Denver and the Front Range.

The National Weather Service has issued several Winter Weather Advisories mainly for mountain ranges west of the Continental Divide. The advisories start Friday evening and continue through Sunday afternoon. The heaviest snowfall in most areas will be Friday night and Saturday.

The highest snow totals will be found in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. Ski areas such as Telluride, Purgatory, Silverton, and Wolf Creek will get at least 6 to 15 inches of snow. Farther north, ski areas such as Crested Butte, Powderhorn, and Sunlight will get 6 to 12. And then north of I-70 Steamboat is under a Winter Weather Advisory for 4 to 10 inches on the mountain.

All eight river basins in Colorado are running below normal with snow so far this season and statewide snowpack is 72% of average. So this is very welcomed snow!

The I-70 corridor itself is not under an advisory but there will be snow for the mountains of Summit and Eagle Counties as well as the Winter Park area. Ski areas near I-70 will likely see at least 4 to 8 inches of snow through the weekend.

Meanwhile, because the storm is coming from the west and will never produce strong upslope flow along the Front Range, the likelihood of any significant moisture in the metro area is near zero. That said, a few flurries will be possible in the metro area just as the cold front associated with the storm arrives Saturday evening. It's also possible there could be brief period of freezing drizzle. No ice accumulation is expected.

It will also turn colder for the second half of the weekend with highs in the upper 30s in the Denver metro area on Sunday. The next chance for any snow in Denver will be on Tuesday morning. Any accumulation in the metro area should be limited. If the Front Range misses snow again on Tuesday, it will likely be at least another 7 to 10 days before there is any chance for snow again.