Snowfal map from now through Wed pm (first potent wave)

03/31/25 2pm: Hot off the press! I decided to make a snowfall map for you during lunch today based on the very latest 12z and 18z models runs. This map is just for the first potent wave expected to impact the state primarily from 9pm tonight through 9am Wed (with snow totals through 12pm Wed generally).

I'll let the map mostly speak for itself as I posted a more detailed update for the week this morning. But you can see some very heavy snow in spots by Wed pm. For the north-central mountains wide-spread totals of 9-18" at the ski areas by mid-day Wed (heaviest snow expected between 6am-6pm Tue).

Some rain/snow for Den/Bou and the front-range Tue afternoon / evening but much less with the expected strong westerly downslope flow.

The other big story will be the strong wind expected today and tomorrow. For tonight strongest winds will be over western and southern CO as the trough approaches (southwest wind-gusts of 30-50 mph).

Then more strong wind expected over the north-central mountains especially from 8am Tue through 8am Wed: westerl wind-gusts of 30-70 mph, with strongest wind over the Front Range mountains (along/east of the Cont. Divide tomorrow afternoon evening as the main jet-stream wave moves overhead).

First image is my snowfall forecast from now through 12pm Wed. Images 2 and 3 compare forecast total snowfall from now through 12pm Wed (or 6pm Wed) from latest CAIC WRF-2km model and the latest 18z HRRR. Image 4 shows forecast wind-gusts over the next 48hrs (from 12pm today through 12pm Wed) from latest HRRR (static image valid 1pm Tue).