With a blast of cold weather moving in from the west, snow is in the forecast for Summit County Thursday and into the weekend.
The higher elevations could get 2-4 inches of snow Thursday, while the valleys will likely see a rain/snow mix starting Thursday afternoon, according to weather forecasters at the National Weather Service in Boulder.
After dark, there could be some accumulation on the roads at Loveland Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel as the storm continues to move through the area, but there likely won't be more than a light dusting at lower elevations by Thursday night.
There is a 70 percent chance of precipitation Thursday, and temperatures are expected to sink into the 20s overnight tonight.
Friday is expected to be cool, with highs in the 40s, but dry before the next wave of wintry weather moves in this weekend.
More snow may fall Friday night and into Saturday with possible accumulation of less than 3 inches in the lower elevations and 3-6 inches on the peaks, according to forecasts.
Temperatures likely won't reach 40 degrees on Saturday.
While Summit County is only expected to see cold temperatures and limited precipitation, the storm is expected to hit other parts of the state hard.
Southwestern Colorado is under a winter storm warning and could see up to 12 inches of snow by Thursday night.
Hikers and motorists are encouraged to be ready for quickly changing conditions over the next few days.
Next week the weather may clear out and warm up again with “no storms on the horizon that we see right now,” said NWS meteorologist Bernie Meier.
So far, only the highest peaks around Summit have seen short-lived dustings of snow.
With good news in the forecast, Arapahoe Basin is gearing up for its annual race to opening day with Loveland. The ski area is shooting to start the season sometime in mid to late October.
The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.
