For more than 20 years Earth Networks has operated the world’s largest and most comprehensive weather observation, lightning detection, and climate networks.
We are now leveraging our big data smarts to deliver on the promise of IoT. By integrating our hyper-local weather data with Smart Home connected devices we are delievering predictive energy efficiency insight to homeowners and Utility companies.
Major Multi-Day Winter Storm Eyes Rockies, Four Corners
March 13, 2024
Updated By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Rob Miller
Mother Nature is about to throw a haymaker, with a major, multi-day winter storm expected to leave parts of the Rocky Front Range and Four Corners a winter wonderland. A yardstick will be needed to measure snow by Saturday even in some of the lower elevations.
An upper-level disturbance will become cutoff from typical west to east flow, budging little from near the intersection of Nevada-California-Arizona from midweek until Saturday. Lingering Pacific moisture and a supply of cold, western Canadian air will gradually filter south throughout tonight and Thursday, such that rain in the Denver metro area to the northeastern Colorado will switch from rain to heavy snow.
Meanwhile, sub-freezing air will mean moisture will be squeezed out as snow across the taller mountains in Utah, northern Arizona’s Mogollon Rim, and northern and northwestern New Mexico’s Rocky Front Range. Colorado and Wyoming’s Rocky Front Range, particularly the Palmer Divide just south of Denver, will likely be digging out from feet of snow by the time the storm wraps up late this week.
Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect from near the Wyoming and Montana border to northern New Mexico, central and northern Utah, and northern and northeastern parts of Arizona. Denver, Boulder, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs, Colo., Las Vegas, N.M., Flagstaff, Ariz., Alta, Utah, and Casper, Wyo., are included. Winter Storm Watches blanket eastern Colorado, northern New Mexico, and northern Arizona.
Absurd snowfall totals will be measured, essentially rendering travel extremely difficult or even impossible across large parts of Interstates 15, 25, 40, 70, 76, and 80 from the Rocky Front Range through the Four Corners. Make sure to check ahead about chain requirements or road closures, as 1 to 3 feet with locally higher totals will be commonplace. Even the Denver metro area will receive 8 to 16 inches of heavy, wet snow between tonight and Thursday night.
Snowfall totals will be much lighter across the northeastern Colorado Plains north of Interstate 76. Here, a coating to 2 inches near the Wyoming-Colorado border will increase to 3 to 6 inches near Greeley, Colo. Accumulation will vary widely across Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, ranging from 2 to 3 inches around Salt Lake City’s southern suburbs, to locally more than 2 feet in Utah’s southern Wasatch Range. Similar totals will materialize by Friday night and early Saturday in northern Arizona and New Mexico.
Gusty winds up to 40 to 45 mph will significantly reduce visibility, blowing the snow about. This, combined with the weight of the heavy, wet snow, could lead to scattered power outages, especially near the Denver metro area.
If you cannot avoid travel, make sure to carry a winter survival kit in case you become stranded. Bottled water, perishable food, warm blankets, fresh batteries, a fully charged phone, and a weather radio would be a few items to keep in your emergency kit. Travelers flying into and out of Denver International Airport should be prepared for potential flight delays, or a worst case scenario, an airport shutdown.
Be sure to have multiple ways to get the latest weather information from local TV, weather radio, or the WeatherBug app. WeatherBug Meteorologists will be keeping an eye on this progressing situation and continuing to track the latest.