From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:
…SNOW STORM TO IMPACT THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY…
A WHITE CHRISTMAS WITH IMPACTS TO HOLIDAY TRAVEL LOOKS LIKELY ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO AS THE NEXT WINTER STORM SYSTEM TAKES AIM ON COLORADO. THIS SYSTEM WILL DROP FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO BY MONDAY EVENING…SPREADING MODERATE TO POTENTIALLY HEAVY SNOW INTO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION ON MONDAY…WITH SNOW SPREADING INTO THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS MONDAY NIGHT INTO CHRISTMAS DAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE MOUNTAIN AREAS TO RECEIVE UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW…PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY TUESDAY EVENING.
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS ARE MORE UNCERTAIN. SOME FORECAST MODELS INDICATE THE SYSTEM WILL PICK UP STRENGTH AS IT MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA ON TUESDAY. AS IT STANDS NOW…THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS SHOULD SEE AT LEAST SOME WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS. HOWEVER IF THE STORM STRENGTHENS QUICKLY ENOUGH…AS SOME OF THE FORECAST SIMULATIONS SUGGEST…THEN MODERATE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS.
IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO CHRISTMAS EVE OR CHRISTMAS DAY…BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. SNOWFALL PREDICTIONS ARE LIKELY TO CHANGE AS THE STORM APPROACHES AND THE FORECAST TRACK AND STRENGTH BECOMES MORE CERTAIN. PLEASE MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WINTER STORM.
