Heavy snowflakes fell across El Paso County Thursday afternoon with up to 3 inches of accumulation in parts Colorado Springs, the National Weather Service in Pueblo reported.
The area near Peterson Air Force Base received about 3 inches of snowfall as of 4 p.m., but the heaviest weather bands appeared to be moving toward Palmer Divide and north El Paso County, the weather service said.
Forecasts earlier in the day predicted little to no accumulation but, similar to last week’s storm, parts of the county saw more buildup than forecast, the agency said.
The last two days I was walking around in shorts. Not today. #coloradosprings #colorado #weather #snow ❄️ pic.twitter.com/lQPcJW0RJd
— Terry Terrones (@terryterrones)
Residents in parts of Woodland Park reported 2.5 inches of snow and large flakes fell steadily across the region from southern Colorado Springs to northern parts of Monument.
Teller County, which saw about 5 inches during the midday storm, could get an additional 2-4 inches overnight, the weather service stated.
“Roads conditions in Teller County continue to worsen,” Teller County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Greg Couch tweeted. “Slow down please.”
Temperatures hovered in the low 30s Thursday afternoon and visibility remained poor as clouds of snow set in across the Interstate 25 corridor, the agency said.
Road conditions inn Teller County have deteriorated quickly Thursday afternoon. Photo courtesy Teller County Sheriff’s Office.
Matthew Whitehead walks his dog Tifa along Tutt Blvd. during near white out conditions on Thursday, March 4, 2021. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)
Matthew Whitehead walks his dog Tifa along Tutt Blvd. during near white out conditions on Thursday, March 4, 2021. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)
In the late afternoon and early evening, commuters on I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs should benefit from the spring-like temperatures of the past two days as the snowfall melts on the warmed-up roads, according to the weather service. But road conditions may worsen as the temperature cools.
“As we get into the evening, and the temperatures cool down a few degrees, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see some ice and slush on the roads,” said Zach Hyris, a forecaster for NWS Boulder.
Winds were also expected to pick up to between 20 to 30 mph, the weather service tweeted.
Snow could reach or surpass 1 to 1.5 inches per hour, Shaun Lucero, one of the city’s snow manger, said in an email.
City operations manager Jack Ladley said the roadways in the northern part of the city and northern El Paso County are the most likely to be affected by snow and slush tonight. He said his crews were on full call-out “until we are confident the worst of the snow has passed.”
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