Winter Storm System Continues to Approach S.E. Colorado

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK -/-  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO -/-  
LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY-
UPDATED AS OF 314 PM MST THU FEB 2, 2012 -/-  

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL…EAST
CENTRAL…SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO.

.DAY ONE…THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD MUCH OF SOUTHEAST COLORADO LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THIS EVENING. RAIN HAS ALREADY CHANGED TO SNOW ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50. RAIN OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS EAST AND SOUTH OF PUEBLO WILL CHANGE TO SNOW
LATER THIS EVENING.

NORTH WINDS WILL SPREAD SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE PALMER DIVIDE AND
SOUTHEAST PLAINS AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.  THIS WILL CAUSE WIND
DRIVEN SNOW TO SPREAD ACROSS NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY…AS WELL AS
CROWLEY AND KIOWA COUNTIES…WHERE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT. WHITE OUT CONDITIONS…WITH
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO TRAVEL MAY OCCUR ACROSS THESE REGION.

THIS REMAINS A VERY DYNAMIC AND COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM…AND
FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS MAY CHANGE AS THE STORM SLOWLY MOVES
EASTWARD THROUGH NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES FOR SPECIFIC STORM SNOW
FORECAST INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

SNOWFALL…MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES…WILL BE ONGOING ACROSS
MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO FRIDAY MORNING…AS
A WINTER STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE STATE. PERIODS
OF HEAVY WIND DRIVEN SNOWFALL TO PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN
PLAINS…GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50…WHERE
SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE.

IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW…STRONG NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH
AT TIMES…WILL CAUSE AREAS OF POOR VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW…ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. THIS WILL
LIKELY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL IMPACTS ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN
COLORADO ON FRIDAY.

GRADUALLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY AS THE STORM SYSTEM SLOWLY PULLS AWAY FROM THE AREA.