SNOW WILL INCREASE OVER THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND RAPIDLY EXPAND NORTHWARD AS A STRENGTHENING WINTER STORM GETS ORGANIZED OVER NEVADA AND UTAH. STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BRING THE HEAVIEST SNOW TO SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST FACING MOUNTAIN ASPECTS INCLUDING THE SOUTHWESTERN SAN JUAN...LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS...THE GRAND MESA...THE FLAT TOPS...THE ELK AND WEST ELK MOUNTAINS...THE EASTERN UINTAS...THE ROAN/TAVAPUTS...THE UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND THE PARK/GORE RANGES. ONCE THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING...
WINDS WILL BECOME WESTERLY AND HEAVY SNOW WILL TAKE AIM AT THE NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND THE HIGH COUNTRY ADJACENT TO THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR.
ACCOMPANYING THE SNOW WILL BE STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ABOVE TIMBERLINE AND EXPOSED AREAS. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW MAY BE SIGNIFICANT OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. TRAVELERS GOING INTO THE HIGH COUNTRY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT MST TUESDAY NIGHT...
* TIMING...FROM MID-AFTERNOON TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING.
* SNOW ACCUMULATION...10 TO 20 INCHES WITH LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS
REACHING 2 FEET OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.
* WINDS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL BE COMMON.
FREQUENT WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL OCCUR ABOVE
TIMBERLINE...EXPOSED AREAS...AND MOUNTAIN PASSES WITH
SUBSTANTIAL BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
* VISIBILITY...BELOW 1 MILE IN SNOW AND WIND ESPECIALLY MONDAY
NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING WHEN THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS
EXPECTED TO OCCUR.
* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS AS ROADS BECOME SNOW PACKED
AND VISIBILITY DROPS DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. EXPECT
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ABOVE 9000 FEET AND OVER THE
MOUNTAIN PASSES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.