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Colorado Weather: Mountains Measure Snow In Feet, Rare Christmas Eve Rain Possible In Denver 

DENVER (CBS4) - Christmas arrived a day early for skiers and snowboarders in Colorado with more than foot of snow on Friday at many ski areas. No snow is expected in Denver but unusual rain showers are possible in the afternoon and early evening.

A Winter Storm Warning continues through 11 a.m. Saturday for most mountain areas in the state. Additional snowfall from Friday morning through Saturday will average 6 to 12 inches for the mountains west of Vail Pass, Rabbit Ears Pass, Monarch Pass, and through the San Juan Mountains. For the mountains closer to Denver including Summit County and the I-70 corridor between Georgetown and Avon, additional snowfall will range from 5 to 10 inches. Farther north the Winter Park area and the Rocky Mountain Nationa Park Region should see an additional 8 to 15 inches.

Winter Storm Warning
(source: CBS)

For Denver and the Front Range, there is a chance for light rain showers mainly after 2 p.m. However, a few showers are possible earlier in the day especially around Fort Collins and Loveland. The overall chance for rain is better for neighborhoods west of Interstate 25 versus east of Interstate 25.

FR FutureCast Ashton
(source: CBS)

Regardless, the chance for any rain along the urban corridor will end after sunset and all areas should be dry at lower elevations long before midnight.

Mountain snow will continue at times Friday night and through the holiday weekend with the best chance returning on Sunday. Any accumulating snow in the mountains on Christmas Day should be minor.

In terms of temperatures, Christmas will be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than normal in the Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins areas with high temperatures in the 50s.

CO Today Highs
(source: CBS)

Looking ahead to next week, there will be daily chances for snow in the mountains through at least New Years Day. It's possible some snow could eventually reach Denver and the Front Range mostly likely on Tuesday and Friday but the likelihood of accumulating snow in the metro area appears small at this time.

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