Heavy snow warning: Which states are bracing for up to 2 feet of snow this weekend

The National Weather Service has issued winter weather advisories for Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana as a cold front pushes through the Northern Rockies this weekend and into early next week. For some areas, the forecast calls for up to two feet of snow, the kind of accumulation more commonly associated with January than late April.

The system started over California on Saturday and is expected to track northeast, reaching the Upper Midwest by Monday evening. Along the way it will drag heavy, wet snow across mountain ranges and high-elevation communities that, in some cases, are still digging out from earlier storms this season.

Wyoming: Battle Pass Could See 24 Inches

The Cheyenne office of the National Weather Service put out a heavy snow warning covering the Sierra Madre Range and Snowy Range, including the communities of Albany and Centennial. Those areas are looking at around 12 inches of heavy, wet snow.

Battle Pass takes the top spot in Wyoming's forecast, with up to 24 inches of accumulation possible before the system moves on.

Authorities are urging people to stay out of the backcountry while conditions are at their worst. The NWS specifically called out hunters, hikers, and snowmobilers, warning that low visibility from falling and blowing snow could leave people disoriented and lost in dangerous terrain.

Colorado: Wind and Snow Hit Dozens of Communities

Colorado is facing a similar situation. The Grand Junction office issued warnings stretching across a long list of locations including Crested Butte, Monarch Pass, McClure Pass, Silverton, Molas Pass, Coal Bank Pass, Marble, Rico, Hesperus, Taylor Park, Buford, Trappers Lake, and Skyway, among others.

Most of those areas are expected to see up to 12 inches of snow paired with winds reaching 45 miles per hour. Grand Mesa sits at the top of Colorado's forecast, matching Wyoming's Battle Pass with up to 24 inches of potential accumulation.

Montana: A Brief Break

Montana has been dealing with heavy snowfall over the past several days and gets a slight reprieve this weekend, though not a full one. An additional six inches of accumulation was expected through Sunday morning, with the winter weather advisory for the state set to expire at noon on Sunday.

The Bigger Picture

The NWS noted that the storm system will also bring rain and embedded thunderstorms to parts of Northern California and Nevada through the weekend, while lighter late-season snow is expected across higher elevations in the Northern Rockies, Northern Intermountain Region, Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Central Rockies.

For residents in the warned areas, forecasters are recommending preparation for hazardous conditions and urging caution on mountain roads and trails for the remainder of the weekend.

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