Weather Service storm advisory

708 AM MDT FRI APR 3 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST

CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A STRONG SPRING STORM WILL BRING SNOW SHOWERS AND A FEW AFTERNOON

THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS TODAY. TONIGHT...

SNOWFALL WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD AND HEAVY AT TIMES ALONG THE

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WITH UP TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE BY SATURDAY

MORNING. WESTERLY WINDS AT 15 TO 30 MPH WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF

BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...THE THREAT FOR HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS

WILL EXPAND EASTWARD TO TELLER AND EL PASO COUNTIES...ESPECIALLY THE

NORTHERN PORTION OF EL PASO COUNTY. THIS AREA HAS THE POTENTIAL

TO SEE HEAVY...WIND DRIVEN SNOW AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS DEVELOP BY

EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

THE EASTERN MOUNTAIN RANGES...SOUTH OF TELLER COUNTY...COULD ALSO

SEE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW LATE TONIGHT...BUT FOR THE MOST PART...

ACCUMULATIONS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50 ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN AN

INCH.

ACROSS THE HIGH VALLEYS AND PLAINS...THERE IS A CHANCE OF SNOW

SHOWERS BY SATURDAY MORNING...BUT LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION

IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS ALONG

THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOW

ACCUMULATIONS OF BETWEEN 10 AND 20 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS

THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS

AS WELL AS THE WESTERN MOSQUITO AND EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS...WITH

4 TO 8 INCHES EXPECTED ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS.

HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK

AND PALMER DIVIDE REGIONS WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF BETWEEN 6 AND 12

INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY. IN ADDITION...BLUSTERY

NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH DEVELOPING

ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL KEEP THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY

HAZARDOUS TO IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL...WITH OCCASIONAL WHITEOUT

CONDITIONS IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST

MOUNTAINS AND THE REST OF THE EASTERN PLAINS WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES

POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND A TRACE TO 3 INCHES

OVER THE PLAINS.

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTH

CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS ANOTHER

SPRING STORM SYSTEM TAKES AIM ON THE CENTRAL ROCKIES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL

BE LIKELY TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST

MOUNTAINS...AND POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT OVER EL PASO...TELLER AND

PORTIONS OF FREMONT COUNTY.