Winter Storm Watch for Western Park Co/Mountains 1/9/14

Winter Storm Watch

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
321 PM MST WED JAN 8 2014

...A POWERFUL JET STREAM MOVING ONSHORE OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
TONIGHT WILL BRING SNOW AND STRONG WINDS TO NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO
BEGINNING LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME
WIDESPREAD AND POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH
CENTRAL COLORADO THURSDAY NIGHT WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW
POSSIBLE BY MORNING AND MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE. STRONG WEST WINDS MAY ALSO PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW IN AREAS ABOVE TIMBERLINE AND ON THE MOUNTAIN
PASSES...INCLUDING BOTH PORTALS OF THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL. SNOWFALL
IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH SOME ON FRIDAY...BUT STRONG NORTHWEST
WINDS WILL POSSIBLY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW IN THE HIGH COUNTRY CREATING HAZARDOUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS.

COZ031-033-034-090630-
/O.NEW.KBOU.WS.A.0001.140110T0100Z-140111T1300Z/
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...
EAST SLOPES PARK AND NORTHERN GORE RANGES...GORE PASS...
RABBIT EARS PASS...CAMERON PASS...
LARAMIE AND MEDICINE BOW MOUNTAINS...RABBIT EARS RANGE...
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK...WILLOW CREEK PASS...
BERTHOUD PASS...BRECKENRIDGE...EAST SLOPES MOSQUITO RANGE...
EAST SLOPES SOUTHERN GORE RANGE...EISENHOWER TUNNEL...
INDIAN PEAKS...KENOSHA MOUNTAINS...MOUNT EVANS...
WILLIAMS FORK MOUNTAINS...WINTER PARK
321 PM MST WED JAN 8 2014

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE
FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO.

* TIMING...THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...4 TO 8 INCHES BY FRIDAY MORNING AND ANOTHER
2 TO 5 INCHES BY LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...TOTALING 6 TO 13 INCHES.

* WIND/VISIBILITY...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS 30 TO 50 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO AROUND 70 MPH COULD PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW...REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS...HIGH COUNTRY MOTORISTS SHOULD ANTICIPATE DETERIORATING
WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS BEGINNING THURSDAY EVENING. ROADS
WILL BECOME ICY AND SNOW PACKED THURSDAY NIGHT..WITH OFFICIALS
POSSIBLY REQUIRING TIRE CHAINS OR ADEQUATE SNOW TIRES ON MANY
HIGH COUNTRY ROADWAYS SUCH AS OVER THE HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOWFALL AND BLOWING SNOW THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/