Severe winter weather brings snow and high winds to Colorado

On Friday, March 21, 2025, Colorado experienced a weather pattern that mirrored the previous day, marked by high temperatures reaching the mid to upper 50s. Winds gusted up to 25 mph across the Denver metropolitan area, with a blend of sunny and cloudy skies. As the day progressed, a storm system approached, leading to a mixture of light flurries in the mountains, with increased snowfall expected by nightfall. A Winter Weather Advisory was set for the higher elevations to take effect from midnight Saturday, predicting significant snow accumulation. Snowfall peaked overnight into Saturday morning, with expectations of 6 to 10 inches of snow, with some regions potentially receiving up to a foot of snow. Meanwhile, strong winds were forecasted, with gusts reaching as high as 60 mph, contributing to challenging travel conditions along major roadways, particularly Interstate 70, as drivers contended with slick surfaces due to accumulating snow and blowing winds. The increasing winds and decreasing humidity levels also led to heightened fire weather conditions, prompting fire weather watches across the Denver metro area and other parts of southeastern Colorado. The temperatures were expected to rise into the 60s and 70s across eastern Colorado later in the weekend, creating rapid fire spread risks due to the warm and windy scenarios. These elements combined on Saturday manifested in a First Alert Weather Day warning, emphasizing the danger of rapid fire spread. As winter weather transitioned into warm, breezy conditions, travel advisories and fire warnings underscored the volatile weather fluctuations in Colorado.