Snow ends early; sunshine in store for weekend

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 14, 2008 at 7:07 a.m.
Updated November 14, 2008 at 12:23 p.m.

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Ken Papaleo © The Rocky

West bound traffic on I-70, near C470, has problems ,due to the snow, Friday morning, November 14, 2008,Golden. This is Denver's first snow of the season.

Photo by Dean Krakel © The Rocky

Snowfall greets morning commuters on Friday, Nov. 14, 2008.

No record, just a white blanket of snow tickling many of the neighborhoods around metro Denver this morning.

The sun broke through the clouds before noon after a band of snow pushed across the southern portions of the Denver metro area this morning. Streets were dry downtown by noon and the snow, heavier in the south metro area, was petering out by mid morning.

The snowfall put to rest dreams of 2008 having the latest snow on record. That was set in 1934 when the first snow didn’t fall until Nov. 21.

Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock and Kiowa were expected to get the most snow out of this storm – a quick half-inch or so.

As the snow ends, things were expected to get windier – with speeds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of around 45 mph.

Today’s high shouldn’t rise above about 39.

It will be chilly tonight, with a low around 21, but Saturday ought to bloom sunny with a high near 52, along with calm winds.

Saturday night should stay above freezing and then Sunday will live up to its name with sunny skies and a way-above-normal high of 65. It will be windy though, with sustained speeds of about 15 mph.

Monday will be mostly sunny with a high of 56, then Tuesday will be a September-like 71.

Things get closer to seasonal on Wednesday, with a high near 55 under sunny skies.

Snow will continue in the high country through about 9 this morning, falling at a rate of about a half-inch an hour. The heaviest snow will be across the mountains and higher foothills from Grand and Boulder counties southward.

Wind gusts will hit 40 mph through a wide swatch, and up to 70 mph above timberline. The strong winds will produce considerable blowing and drifting of snow on the high mountain passes.

Commuters are dealing with wet conditions and light snow around Denver – and worse conditions east and west.

Vail Pass is reporting wet, icy and snowpacked spots. Chain restrictions on Vail and other passes were lifted by late morning.

Similar conditions prevail over Loveland and Berthoud passes, on either side of the Eisenhower Tunnel and on many of the other mountain passes.

Drivers around Limon and through Lincoln and Elbert counties in eastern Colorado are dealing with wet spots and blowing snow.

North winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of up to 45 mph, will prevail across Elbert, Lincoln and Washington counties. Roads will be slushy, and there will be drifting snow in spots.

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