Most states were lucky enough to have a warm winter this year, but the arrival of spring is still something people look forward to. Now, it seems like several states will have to wait for those high temperatures as snow is in the forecast for some parts of the West Coast.
According to the Coloradoan, residents of Colorado cannot get a break when it comes to the weather. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Boulder issued a weekend storm update that is expected to bring intense rain and hail, in addition to freezing-cold temperatures.
While the weather in Boulder is undesired, it’s even worse in the nearby Front Range mountains and the Foothills. Residents in these areas can expect heavy snow over the weekend, with totals potentially reaching two feet in the middle of April.
These conditions pale in comparison to a weather report from Monday and Tuesday that made headlines across the entire state of Colorado. A forecasting model called the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) has predicted a staggering 40 inches of snow in Fort Collins, CO, from April 15 to April 17.
Salt Lake City, Anchorage, and Denver have each seen eight feet of snow or more in their record high seasons, but receiving more than three feet of snow in the middle of spring is almost unheard of.
No other state is expected to receive even a fraction of this snowfall until next winter, but Coloradoans aren’t the only ones who have to deal with snow in the spring. As the Idaho State Journal reported, Eastern Idaho will receive about an inch of snow over the weekend.
Additionally, some states that are known for their sunny year-round weather will have to deal with this unpredictable spring snow for a few days. According to local California news affiliate KCRA, the greater Sacramento area is set to receive about two to five inches of snow between Thursday and Friday.
As for Colorado’s daunting snowfall predictions, it seems as if the initial forecast of 40 inches may have been a bit of an embellishment. Local meteorologist Greg Berman posted screenshots of the ECMWF model on social media, adding that there was not a 100% of this forecast coming to fruition, “or even a 20% chance at this time.”
However, Berman’s tempered prediction for Fort Collins’ weekend snowfall totals was 32 inches, which is still infinitely more than residents would have preferred in the middle of spring.
In other words, Denver residents and those who live in other areas with snow forecasted may want to skip out on heading to their local co-working spaces and complete their freelance work at home instead.