A small snow blower and a snow shoveler work in the early morning to clear the sidewalk in Crested Butte on Monday. (AP | Nathan Bilow)
By Kieran Nicholson
A “relentless” mountain snowstorm has the potential to dump up to 8 feet of snow in some areas before winding down on Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for a wide stretch of the southern and central mountains through midnight on Tuesday, and snow will continue in some mountain areas until Thursday.
The heavy snows and high winds will make mountain travel difficult at best in some areas and “perhaps impossible at times,” the weather service warns.
Mountain travelers should be prepared for passes being shut down by snow. Some areas above 9,000 feet could be pounded with 8 feet of snow by Thursday, the weather service warns.
The weather service described the storm as one of “epic proportions.”
Some mountain areas between 8,000 to 9,000 feet could see up to 3 feet of snow by Thursday.
The highest snow totals are expected over the Grand Mesa and the Elk and San Juan mountains, the weather service reports. Residents in isolated towns, including Silverton and Crested Butte, should be prepared for the storm and stock up on food supplies and other necessary items, the weather service said.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center has issued an avalanche watch for mountains throughout the state.
Many mountain areas have received more than a foot of snow over the past 24 hours, and the oncoming storm will “overload a weak snowpack creating avalanche conditions.”
Mountain elevations between 7,000 and 8,000 feet could see a snow and rain mix today and tonight and some areas in this range could see up to one foot of snow by Thursday.
Denver’s weather should remain mild compared to the mountains.
Denver will be partly sunny this afternoon with a high temperature of about 54 degrees. Skies over Denver should be mostly cloudy to partly sunny on Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs in the mid 40s.
There’s a slight chance – 20 percent – of rain or snow in Denver on Thursday.
Aftermath News 
