Winter Storm Warning for 3 States With Intense Snow Forecast

Winter storm warnings are in place for parts of three states as a storm that brought several feet of mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest moves into the Rockies on Wednesday, bringing heavy, blowing snow to the region.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued alerts for Colorado, Montana and Wyoming, warning of treacherous travel conditions and reduced visibility due to areas of blowing snow in places.

In its latest forecast, the NWS said the front from the Pacific, extending from the northern High Plains to the Great Basin, would merge with another descending from the Great Lakes, moving into the southern Plains and the Southwest into Thursday morning.

Thunderstorms will produce rain and snow over the Cascades, while snow will develop over the Intermountain region on Wednesday morning before moving into the central Rockies in the afternoon and into the evening.

"Furthermore, the significant and long-duration winter storm will develop across the Central and Southern Rockies beginning Wednesday, followed by a round of heavy snow for the Southern Rockies and Four Corners region Thursday night," the weather agency said.

The Colorado Rockies are predicted to see at least a foot of snow, with localized totals potentially exceeding two feet. The second wave is expected to bring localized accumulations of more than another foot, with snow rates of up to 2 inches an hour at times.

In the San Juan and La Garita mountains, up to 20 inches of snow could fall, rising to as much as 25 inches in the Sangre de Cristo and Wet mountains. A foot of snowfall is predicted for the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges.

The highest snow totals for the state are expected in the Rocky Mountain National Park, Medicine Bow and Mosquito ranges, as well as the Indian Peaks and Front Range foothills, where up to 3 feet of snow are possible, with localized amounts potentially reaching 4 feet.

Boulder and the western suburbs of Denver are set to receive up to 20 inches of snow, with localized amounts reaching two feet. Travel is expected to be very difficult to impossible.

In Wyoming, the Green Mountains and Rattlesnake range are set to see up to a foot of snowfall, while 15 inches are expected in the Wind River Mountains, with the heaviest snow over the southern half of the range.

Up to 20 inches of snow are predicted for Casper Mountain, and as much as 2 feet in the Snowy Range.

In southwest Montana, up to 6 inches of snow are expected across the Gallatin and Madison County mountains, as well as the Centennial range, reaching as much as nine inches over higher terrain. The heaviest snow is anticipated to end for the region by Wednesday morning.

Earlier in the month, a powerful winter storm from the Pacific brought in excess of 12 feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada range, as well as several feet of snow and blizzard conditions to higher-elevation regions of neighboring states.

Another winter storm made landfall earlier the same week before moving into the Intermountain West, bringing intense snowfall from Utah to Wyoming and Colorado.