Blizzard conditions may hit Thursday rush hour

Colorado Springs is joining most of Colorado in bracing for what meteorologists predict could be the largest amount of snowfall in a 24-hour period seen all winter.

"All our computer simulations are showing the same thing, and we all agree: a significant winter storm is on the way," Steve Hodanish, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's office in Pueblo, said this morning.

Northern El Paso County is expected to get 15 to 20 inches of snow between Thursday and Friday.

The winter storm watch in effect today for Colorado Springs will be upgraded to a winter storm warning for northern El Paso County at 10 a.m. Thursday, and at noon for the rest of the county, the weather service said.

The warning is expected to be in effect until 6 p.m. Friday.

A watch means forecasters believe hazardous storms are possible, while an upgrade to a warning means a dangerous storm is imminent.

Northern Colorado Springs is expected to receive 10 inches of snow; the southern part, 6 to 8 inches.

Flurries are expected to begin at rush hour Thursday morning, with snow becoming steady by midmorning, Hodanish said.

As the day progresses, conditions will deteriorate and possibly elevate to blizzard status, he said. By rush hour, roads could be extremely hazardous.

"We're pretty confident about this one. The tough part is predicting just how bad it's going to be," he said. "But I'll be shocked if I-25 doesn't get closed. If you're traveling north Thursday, you probably won't get back to Colorado Springs."

The storm is traveling from Idaho to the Four Corners and across New Mexico, according to the weather service.

March typically delivers the area's most active winter weather, Hondanish said, and with an unusually dry start to the year, more moisture is needed.

Today's weather will be mostly cloudy and highs in the mid-40s. Thursday's temperatures will be in the mid-20s with gusty winds.

"Be careful," Hondanish cautions.

Writer Carlyn Mitchell contributed to this story