Blizzard!

Well, in typical Colorado fashion, March just couldn't end with a big snowstorm. After weeks of 70 degree weather and three months without snow, it is coming down good. I'll let the national weather service comment on this one:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1125 AM MDT THU MAR 26 2009

...MAJOR WINTER-LIKE STORM POUNDING NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
COLORADO...

MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED ACROSS THE
PLAINS AND OVER EAST FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES OF NORTH CENTRAL AND
NORTHEAST COLORADO LATE THIS MORNING. THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION REPORTS NUMEROUS ROADS EITHER SNOW PACKED OR CLOSED
AS OF 11 AM MDT. TIRE CHAINS OR ADEQUATE SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED
ON MANY AREA ROADWAYS INCLUDING U.S. HIGHWAY 36 BETWEEN DENVER AND
BOULDER.

MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD EAST OF
THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF A
STRONG COLD FRONT AROUND MIDDAY. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES
PER HOUR WILL BE COMMON THIS AFTERNOON...WITH RATES AS HIGH AS
3 INCHES PER HOURS UP AGAINST THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER AND
BOULDER AND OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE PALMER DIVIDE. IN
ADDITION...NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTS TO
AROUND 40 MPH WILL ALSO PRODUCE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...
PARTICULARLY IN OPEN AREAS EAST OF I-25 FROM FORT LUPTON
NORTHEAST OF DENVER TO THE THE EL PASO COUNTY LINE.

CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE THIS EVENING IN THE NORTHERN
PART OF THE AREA...BUT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
PERSIST IN AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 MUCH OF THE NIGHT.

SNOWFALL TOTALS BY FRIDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 6 INCHES
IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE TO BETWEEN 8 AND 16 INCHES
IN THE DENVER METRO AREA...WITH UP TO TWO FEET OF SNOW IN AREAS
SOUTH AND WEST OF DENVER. THE SNOWFALL COMBINED WITH PROLONGED
WINDS WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING OF SNOW ON THE PLAINS.


A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM MDT FRIDAY.

SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES OVER THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING.
NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND
40 MPH WILL PRODUCE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERABLE DRIFTING
SNOW ON THE PLAINS BY AFTERNOON. THE WORST CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE IN AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BOULDER TO AKRON.

TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT WILL RANGE FROM
6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS...WITH 8 TO 16 INCHES
OF SNOW FROM THE DENVER METRO AREA TO LIMON...AND ONE TO TWO FEET
IN DOUGLAS AND WESTERN ELBERT COUNTIES. THE SNOW AND PROLONGED
WINDS WILL ALSO PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE DRIFTING OF SNOW.