AN APPROACHING PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH TO THE VALLEYS OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UPWARDS OF 60 MPH OVER MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY PICK UP DUST AND REDUCE VISIBILITIES ACROSS EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO.
WARM TEMPERATURES AND PLENTY OF INSTABILITY WILL BE IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE FRONT WHICH WILL ALLOW THUNDERSTORMS TO FORM SUNDAY AS THE UNSTABLE AIR MASS AND COLD FRONT COLLIDE. MOUNTAIN SNOWS WILL ALSO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY AS THE COLD FRONT REACHES EASTERN UTAH IN THE MORNING AND WESTERN COLORADO IN THE AFTERNOON.
SNOW LEVELS WILL START AT 8000 TO 9000 FEET SUNDAY MORNING AND LOWER TO THE MOUNTAIN BASES OR AROUND 7500 FEET BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED OVER THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO MONDAY EVENING WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN THE VALLEYS.
COMPUTER MODELS CONTINUE TO PROJECT 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WHILE LESSER SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTH. THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES ESPECIALLY SUNDAY NIGHT WHEN THE BRUNT OF THE WINTER STORM MARCHES ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO.
SNOWFALL AND MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL LINGER OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN UTAH AND COLORADO INTO TUESDAY.