Strong spring rain storm hits Colorado Tuesday

The National Weather Service predicts up to 20 inches of snow in Colorado on Tuesday

The strongest wave of a three-day spring storm is set to hit Colorado on Tuesday, with the National Weather Service forecasting up to 20 inches of snow in the mountains and up to 4 inches of rain in lower elevations.

The foothills west of Denver and southeastern Colorado are expected to receive the most rain, with the weather service noting that one inch of rain is equivalent to about 13 inches of snow.

Here are the rain forecasts for various areas in Colorado as of Tuesday morning:

• Between 2 and 3 inches of rain in the foothills west of Boulder
• Between 1 and 1 1/2 inches of rain in the Denver area
• Between 2 and 3 inches of rain in Colorado Springs and Woodland Park
• Up to 4 inches of rain west of Colorado Springs
• Between 1 and 1 1/2 inches of rain near Denver International Airport and parts of the Eastern Plains, including Limon and Bennett
• Up to 1 inch of rain in northern Colorado, including Estes Park and Red Feather Lakes
• Between 3 and 4 inches of rain from Canon City to Rye in southern Colorado
• Between 2 and 3 inches of rain in Pueblo, Trinidad, Walsenburg, La Junta, and Springfield
• Between one-fourth and one-half inch of rain east of the Interstate 25 corridor in southern Colorado
• Less than one-fourth inch in the northeastern plains

Travel may be challenging Tuesday afternoon and evening in Colorado’s mountains, including along Interstate 70 east of the Eisenhower Tunnel, U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass, Kenosha Pass, and along the higher elevations of the Peak to Peak Highway, according to a NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook.

The outlook also predicts 10 to 20 inches of snow for the Front Range mountains above 8,000 feet, with the heaviest snowfall expected above 9,000 feet.