Winter Storm Warning Issued for Rabbit Ears Pass; Up to 24 Inches of Snow Expected
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for high elevations in Jackson and Grand Counties through Thursday morning, with heavy snow and 55 mph wind gusts forecast.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Winter Storm Warning
- Affected area
- North Central Colorado
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Denver CO
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in North Central Colorado.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Denver CO has issued a Winter Storm Warning for high-elevation regions of North Central Colorado. The alert remains in effect until 5:00 AM MST on Thursday, February 19.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically covers West Jackson and West Grand Counties at elevations above 9,000 feet. This includes Rabbit Ears Pass.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers are advised to take the following precautions:
- If travel is necessary, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
- Be prepared for winter driving conditions when traveling to the mountains.
- Check the latest road conditions and traction laws for Colorado by calling 5-1-1 or visiting www.cotrip.org.
Expected Conditions
- Snow Accumulation: Total snow accumulations are expected to range between 12 and 24 inches.
- Wind Speeds: Winds are forecast to gust as high as 55 mph.
- Visibility: Snow and blowing snow will reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less. Sudden snow squalls may bring quick, intense bursts of snow and rapidly reduced visibility.
- Travel Impacts: Snow and ice-covered roads will make travel very difficult at times.
Timeline
The Winter Storm Warning is currently active and will continue until 5:00 AM MST Thursday. Forecasters highlight a specific period of concern between 4:00 AM and 7:00 AM on Tuesday morning, when a burst of heavy snow and strong winds is expected to drop visibility to less than a quarter mile and cause roads to become snow-covered.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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