Quick update on Friday afternoon as our next round of snow marches into Colorado. 

Everything is still on track for Friday night. Our winds will become very gusty through the rest of Friday afternoon and into the evening hours. Our first flakes will then begin to fly after 8 pm, followed by periods of moderate to very heavy snow between 10 pm and 2 am. The road surfaces will become icy, slushy, and snow-packed along the mountain corridor and especially over Berthoud, Loveland, and Vail Pass. If you're driving on Friday night, plan to be off the road by 9 pm or you will run the risk of a road closure due to an accident.

I'll keep Thursday's forecast of 1-4 inches through Saturday morning but I would not be surprised to see slightly higher totals if a few areas get caught under a heavier band of snow.

As I mentioned in my Thursday update, please make sure your vehicle is prepared with snow tires or mud/snow tires if you're traveling from late Friday night through Saturday morning. CDOT and the Highway Patrol will be on the lookout for vehicles not prepared for winter driving conditions. 

Following the fun on Friday night, the storm will quickly clear out on Saturday morning. Chilly temperatures but sunny skies will be the story on Saturday, followed by clear skies and milder temperatures on Sunday.

Forecast: https://opensnow.com/location/loveland

The first half of next week will also remain mild and dry. We'll then keep an eye on late next week (Oct. 26/27) for a storm that could sweep down the northern Rockies and bring snow to the northern and eastern mountains. I'll have a full update for this storm on Monday morning. 

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

SAM COLLENTINE 

I-70 Forecast Page: https://opensnow.com/region/denveri70

NOAA Winter Outlook

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released their 2017-2018 winter outlook and I posted all of the details here: http://opsw.co/os_1718noaa

Season Pass Guides

Epic Pass: http://opsw.co/os_epicpassguide

Mountain Collective: http://opsw.co/os_collectiveguide

Rocky Mountain Super Pass: http://opsw.co/os_rmspguide

Snow Tires

Make sure your vehicle is prepared for winter driving conditions. I highly recommend snow tires if you're driving along the mountain corridor from now through May. This is not only for your own safety and peace of mind but for the safety of others. Find all CDOT passenger vehicle traction and chain laws here: http://opsw.co/2fdJDM1