WASHINGTON COUNTY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK

 ...MAJOR WINTER STORM BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS AND THIS EVENING IN THE DENVER METRO AREA...  This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado.  .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight  Heavy snow will develop over the mountains and in the Front Range foothills this afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms will spread off the mountains onto the nearby plains in the late afternoon hours. Initially, the snow level will be between 6 and 7 thousand feet. Road conditions will deteriorate quickly in the Front Range mountains and foothills in the mid to late afternoon hours. Lower elevations will start with rain, but the snow level will lower to 5000 feet by mid evening. In Denver, Douglas county, and in areas near the foothills, rain will change to heavy snow over a few hours during the evening, with roads becoming slushy due to heavy snowfall rates of up to 3 inches per hour. Overnight a steady moderate to heavy snow is expected in and near the foothills, with rain changing to light snow in area further east.  Plan on difficult to impossible travel after late afternoon in the Front Range mountains and foothills, and after mid evening along the I-25 Corridor. After these times, only travel in and emergency, and be sure to take along a winter survival kit in case you become stranded.  .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday  The winter storm will impact the region through Thursday night, then a gradual improvement is expected on Friday. This storm will bring very heavy snowfall to to the Front Range mountains and foothills with anywhere from 18 inches to as much as 4 feet of snow expected. Travel will likely be impossible on side roads and very difficult on main highways in the Front Range mountains and foothills.  Heavy snow will impact the Denver metro, Palmer Divide, and the rest of the I-25 corridor Thursday into Thursday night. One to two feet of snow is likely over the Palmer Divide, and 8 to 20 inches possible around metro Denver. The snow will taper off early Friday.  On the plains, steady snow is expected Thursday into Thursday evening. While it will mostly be light, a period of heavier snow is possible from the afternoon into the evening. East of Fort Morgan and Limon, total accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are expected, with a strong gradient into heavier amounts going west towards the I-25 corridor.  .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...  Snowfall reports will be appreciated.