Fort Collins forecast: Biggest snow of season expected

Let's hope you enjoyed the warmer weather while you could, Fort Collins, because meteorologists are predicting a brisk slap in the face Tuesday and Wednesday when a high chance of snow and wind blows into town.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Larimer County that will remain in effect until Wednesday.

Snow is forecast to begin by 4 or 5 p.m. Tuesday and continue past midnight. There's a 60 to 70 percent chance of snow from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday and a small chance of snow until about 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The snow total forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday in the city is 2-3 inches, according to the NWS, with a high of 26 degrees and low of 5. The windchill will make it feel more like minus 7.

9News predicts between 3 and 6 inches for the Fort Collins area between late Tuesday and early Wednesday. Channel 7 meteorologists Monday morning predicted 3.8 inches of snow for Fort Collins.

It'll be even colder Wednesday, with continued winds and a predicted high of 15. The projected low is minus 8.

If the more generous predictions are accurate, this storm could top the city's only other snow this season, when 2-3 inches fell last month.

NWS also predicts between 3 and 10 inches of snow in the mountains, with 9News saying Rocky Mountain National Park could see from 6-12 inches of snow. That's good news for South Platte Basin snowpack, which sits at 49 percent of average for this time of year.

The sudden burst of winter weather is thanks to a blast of Arctic air shifting into Colorado from the northwest Tuesday. But it will leave as quickly as it arrived: Highs should be back in the upper 30s by Friday.

Wondering if school will stay in session this week?

Poudre School District's procedure is to make a decision to cancel or delay classes by 5:30 a.m. and then begin notifying parents and staff only if schools are closed. Officials consider weather and road conditions when making the call.

Cold weather safety

Here are 10 cold weather safety tips from the American Red Cross:

1. Wear layers, including gloves and a hat.

2. Bring your pets indoors, or make sure they have enough shelter to keep warm.

3. Remember the 3-foot rule: Keep anything flammable at least 3 feet away from space heaters.

4. Turn off space heaters and extinguish fireplace embers before leaving the room.

5. Use a glass or metal fire screen over your fireplace to catch sparks and rolling logs.

6. Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate, but remember to move harmful cleaners out of children’s reach. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

7. Keep the thermostat the same temperature day and night.

8. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

9. Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

10. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. Connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.