Winter Storm Coats Rockies, High Plains With Fresh Snow | WeatherBug
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Winter Storm Coats Rockies, High Plains With Fresh Snow

May 21, 2022
By WeatherBug's Richard Romkee
Heavy, wet snow plans to coat the Rockies this weekend, with cooler air settling in behind the system responsible across the High Plains.

An upper-level weather system will deliver fresh late-spring snow to the Mountain West today with cooler air filtering in along with it. The cold front associated with this system has begun to move southward over the Rockies and High Plains and will continue this motion throughout this weekend. This will bring a sudden wind shift, gusty winds and a 20-to-30-degree temperature drop to places like Omaha, Neb., Rapid City, S.D., Riverton, Wyo., Denver, and Salt Lake City.  After highs near 90 degrees in central Colorado, temperatures will struggle to reach the 40s with snowflakes flying in Denver.

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the Interstate 25 corridor and Rockies in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. This includes the Denver metro area, as well as Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as the passes along Interstates 70 and 80. Additionally, Hard Freeze and Freeze Warnings are active from the Rockies to the High Plains, including parts of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Additionally, Frost Advisories can be found from northwestern Kansas through central Nebraska into the Minnesota Arrowhead. 

The Front Range mountains west of Denver may receive anywhere from 12 to 18 inches of snow from this system, with 4 to 10 inches of accumulation likely for the other mountain ranges of Wyoming and northwestern Colorado. Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo., and Cheyenne, Wyo., can expect 3 to 7 inches of wet snow. Locations below 5,000 feet will generally see more rain than snow with this event, but some accumulation is possible. Ares that receive snow may experience numerous broken tree branches and scattered power outages in addition to wet, slushy roads.

By this afternoon, snowfall should come to a close regionwide. A weaker storm system will likely impact the region Sunday into Monday before a gradual warming trend next week.

If you live in the Rockies, be sure to check WeatherBug often to keep up with the latest weather conditions. It’s also never too early to have a supply kit packed in case of inclement weather. A simple kit including a weather radio, water, blankets, batteries and non-perishable food items will go a long way in the event of a power outage. It’s always best to avoid travel in rough weather as the roads will be dangerous.