A winter weather advisory for moderate to locally heavy snow will be in effect from 3 a.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday for the higher elevations of Southwest Colorado.
Snow is expected to begin early Thursday morning and continue through Friday morning, with at least 4 inches of snow in the mountains, including the towns of Telluride, Rico, Hesperus and Silverton. Up to 12 inches is possible in some areas, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
Initially, the strong Pacific storm is expected to dump snow at 9,000 feet elevation on Thursday, and at 6,000 to 7,000 feet early Friday. Winds of 10-20 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph, are also expected. Rainfall is expected below 6,500 feet, including most of Montezuma County.
The strong Pacific storm is expected to drop high temperatures into the upper 20s on Thursday night. On Friday afternoon and Saturday, expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 55 degrees.
If you plan to travel through the mountains this week, be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions, with hazardous winter driving possible through Friday morning.