Upslope+Snow+Storms

Earth Science Home Earth Science News ** An upslope snowstorm is the common name given to a storm in Colorado that produces winds from the east, northeast, or southeast. As these winds blow from Nebraska and Kansas into the mountains of Colorado, they move "up-slope" from 3,500ft in elevation at the Kansas/Colorado border to 14,000ft at the height of the continental divide. ** As this air goes upslope, it cools, moisture in the air condenses, and if the air is cold enough, this condensed moisture falls as snow. Technically, all mountain snowstorms are upslope storms because air will run into //some// mountain, rise, and create snow. However in Colorado, the "upslope" vernacular is applied exclusively to storms with low-level winds from the east. The deepest snow will accumulate on the eastern side of the mountain, with much less (or no) snow on the leeward side of the mountain. Much of the moisture gets "used up" on the eastern side, leaving much less on the other side. Also, air that downslopes warms and dries, which decreases (or stops) snowfall. This means that upslope storms are usually big snow producers for the Denver metro area and east of the divide, with just a little bit of snow "spilling over" into Keystone and Breckenridge. Usually, very little or no snow falls on Vail and Beaver Creek.

=Denver's biggest snowstorm of season piling more than first forecast (2013)=

Posted: 02/24/2013 09:40:42 AM MST Updated: 02/24/2013 05:55:47 PM MST **By Tom McGhee and Ryan Parker** //The Denver Post//

Snow will continue to fall into the evening in the Denver metro region, with the addition of high winds early Sunday evening, the National Weather Service warns. Initial forecasts had put the storm's total at 10 inches, but by 5:30 p.m. as much as 8.5 inches had already fallen in Denver, according to Jim Kalina, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Boulder. The foothills west of Denver had received as much as 21 inches by late Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The storm, which is expected to end Sunday night and bring with it bitter cold, has caused icy conditions on roads and highways — leading to some accidents — and forced delays and cancellations at Denver International

Read more: [|Denver's biggest snowstorm of season piling more than first forecast - The Denver Post] [|http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22658921/denver-blanketed-its-biggest-snowstorm-winter#ixzz2M1eQQytz]

=Heavy snowstorm hits Colorado on its way east (2012)= By STEVEN K. PAULSON Associated Press Posted: 02/03/2012 06:44:48 AM PST

DENVER—The most powerful storm of the winter season pounded Colorado and parts of neighboring states on Friday, creating whiteout conditions on the eastern plains, cancelling more than 600 flights in Denver and closing hundreds of miles of highway between major Colorado cities and the Kansas border.Snow piled up to 6 feet on some Rocky Mountain foothills—and it was a welcome boost to several ski resorts that have suffered below-average snowfall this season. But while Echo Mountain and other resorts close to Denver celebrated up to 40 inches of powder, the storm only dusted larger resorts, like Vail, with a few inches in central Colorado's Rockies. "It's been fantastic," said Scott Gales, a spokesman for Echo Mountain A powerful winter storm swept across Colorado on Friday as it headed east, bringing blizzard warnings to eastern Colorado and western Kansas, and winter storm warnings for southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska. ((AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)) about 25 miles west of Denver. "We only had about 26 or 27 inches this morning. Now we're over 40 and it's still snowing at the rate of an inch or two an hour."The Colorado Avalanche Information Center issued warnings for slopes east of the Continental Divide until noon Saturday, saying 2 feet or more of new snow could easily overrun the weak, existing snow pack. Blizzard conditions hit Colorado's eastern plains, with 5-foot drifts in parts of Elbert County. Severe weather struck parts of southeast Wyoming, western Kansas and Nebraska, where a band of heavy snow stalled, dumping nearly 13 inches in some spots.