SNOW DRIFTS IN EXCESS OF 3 FEET (1 m) WILL NOT BE UNUSUAL.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
JAN 11 2014
…LONG DURATION WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH MONDAY BRINGING HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS…
ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS-FLATTOPS-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF… COLUMBINE… TOPONAS… ASPEN… VAIL… SNOWMASS… BUFORD… TRAPPERS LAKE
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW… FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 PM MST MONDAY.
* TIMING: SNOW WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE ALL DAY SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO OCCASIONAL SNOW ON MONDAY. THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW AND SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS.
* SNOW ACCUMULATION…HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED WITH THE NEXT WINTER STORM. WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL IN THE RANGE OF 1 TO 2 FEET IS EXPECTED…WITH UPWARDS TO 30 INCHES (2½ FT) ABOVE 9000 FEET FOR EXPOSED WEST FACING SLOPES. SNOW DRIFTS IN EXCESS OF 3 FEET WILL NOT BE UNUSUAL.
* WINDS: SNOW WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS…REACHING 45 MPH ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
* VISIBILITY: WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES DUE TO SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.
* IMPACTS: ROADWAYS WILL BE ICY AND SNOW PACKED. SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL OCCUR OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES…THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 40 TOWARDS RABBIT EARS PASS AND INTERSTATE 70 OVER VAIL PASS.
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link
