Biggest snowstorm of season may be headed for Denver

AccuWeather forecasters expect the Colorado Rockies to be the site of another helping of heavy snow this week, with the potential for wintry weather and blizzard conditions to snarl travel.

Mild conditions are forecast to start the week, with afternoon high temperatures expected to soar into the 60s through Tuesday, a level more typical of late March. In typical spring fashion, a pattern change is set to bring a return to more wintry conditions soon.

A storm bringing coastal rain and mountain snow to the Northwest early this week is forecast to dive southeastward as the week progresses, delivering a round of plowable snow to the Rockies by the middle of the week.

Snow is set to begin across Utah late Tuesday and Tuesday night, before spreading south and east into Arizona, southern Wyoming and Colorado into Wednesday.

"Widespread snow amounts of 6-12 inches are expected as the second half of the week progresses," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.

The forecast for over half a foot of snow also includes the Denver Metro area, which is currently forecast to have 6-10 inches of snow from late Wednesday into Friday. Higher snowfall amounts, climbing to over a foot, are most likely in the mountainous terrain of Colorado west and south of the city.

The exact track of the storm could cause the areas of heaviest snow to fluctuate slightly in the coming days. However, should more than 5.5 inches of snow fall at Denver International Airport, this storm would become the snowiest storm of the winter. Downtown Denver's largest snowfall this season was in late October when 8 inches of snow was reported.

"The snow from this storm is expected to be wet, heavy and clingy, which may result in power outages and down trees, especially in areas where a foot or more snow accumulates," Duff warned.

As the storm progresses, the snow may turn to a more powdery consistency. The powdery snow, in addition to gusty winds, can lead to reduced visibility and even blizzard conditions, from eastern Wyoming through eastern Colorado.

Both the heavy snow and the blowing snow are likely to slow travel for people at Denver International Airport and motorists on local roads and highways like Interstate 25 and 70.