More than a foot of snow possible in high country, rain in Denver

More than a foot of snow is expected to fall on Colorado’s highest Front Range mountains during Tuesday’s fall storm, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter weather advisory issued Monday will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday for elevations above 9,000 feet, according to the weather service. The advisory includes parts of Jackson, Larimer, Grand, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit and Park counties.

Four to 10 inches of snow are expected on the state’s high mountain passes, and more than a foot is possible on the tallest peaks along the Front Range, forecasters said in the advisory.

As of Tuesday morning, snow forecasts from the weather service included up to:

• 3 inches at Copper Mountain, Winter Park and Vail Pass;
• 5 inches at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park;
• 6 inches on Hoosier Pass, between Fairplay and Breckenridge;
• 7 inches on Cameron Pass, between Fort Collins and Walden;
• 8 inches at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel on Interstate 70 and Loveland Pass on U.S. 6;
• 9 inches on Berthoud Pass, on the border of Clear Creek and Grand counties;
• 10 inches on Milner Pass along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park;
• And 14 inches on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Drivers traveling to the mountains on Tuesday should be cautious on snowy roads, the weather service said. Colorado drivers and passengers are 2.5 times more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a crash during winter weather, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

No snow will fall Tuesday in the Denver area, but the city is expected to see more than an inch of rain before midnight, according to hourly forecasts from the weather service.