Parts of the Rockies could see feet of snow this weekend

Snow this time of year isn’t uncommon in the Rockies

Weekend snowstorm in the Rockies (Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.)

ROANOKE, Va. – Denver, Colorado averages about a foot of snow each March. This weekend, however, they could wind up with that and then some. Some of the foothills and the Front Range could even see several feet of snow, depending on the storm’s track and overall speed. That potential extends northward into parts of Wyoming.

A strong area of low pressure will develop near the Rockies, which is also quite common.

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What we're tracking - Sunday, 3/14/2021

The stronger an area of low pressure is, the more cold air can be drawn into it. That, and the high altitude of the Rockies, makes for a lot of snow - especially if the system can move slowly.

Outside of the Rockies, we’ll need to track this system as well. With high pressure to our north bringing down some colder air, the arrival of this system could be the difference between rain and a wintry mix next Monday.

What we're tracking by Monday, 3/15/2021

If the storm arrives earlier, we’ll have more cold air to play with and the chance for a wintry mix Monday. If it arrives later, temperatures will likely be in the 40s and too “warm” for anything wintry.

Two possible scenarios - Monday, 3/15/2021

Keep checking back for updates as we go through the next few days. We’ll keep you posted on just what types of precipitation we’ll see.

If we do see anything during the daylight hours Monday, it’s unlikely that anything major comes of it. Precipitation would have to come down very heavily given how high in the sky the sun is this time of year and how warm we’ve been recently.


About the Author

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.