Seven Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect Friday morning across Colorado and New Mexico as a multi-day mountain snowstorm enters its final hours, with the National Weather Service timing the bulk of warnings to expire by noon MDT.
The storm’s footprint has narrowed since Thursday, when alerts stretched into Alaska. Friday’s warnings are concentrated entirely across the southern Rocky Mountain terrain — the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Wet Mountains, Rampart Range, and Mosquito Range in Colorado, along with the Tusas Mountains and Raton Pass corridor in northern New Mexico.
Additional accumulations vary by elevation and location. The National Weather Service is forecasting 4 to 8 more inches for higher terrain including Northwestern Fremont County above 8,500 feet, the Western Mosquito Range above 9,000 feet in Chaffee County, and the Western Mosquito Range above 11,000 feet in Lake County. Lower-elevation zones are seeing lighter totals: the Wet Mountain Valley is expected to receive an additional 2 to 4 inches, while Teller County and the Rampart Range — including Pikes Peak — are forecast to pick up 3 to 6 more inches before warnings lift.
The primary concern through midmorning is travel. The National Weather Service warns of wet, slushy, and snowpacked roads across all warned areas, with mountain passes carrying the highest risk. Motorists who must travel are advised to carry emergency supplies and to dial 511 for current road conditions in their state.
For Denver weather and the Front Range, the immediate alpine hazard is the story — urban impacts have been secondary, but drivers heading into the mountains for the weekend should expect residual snowpack on approach roads even after warnings expire.
Further south, the Sangre de Cristo corridor from southern Colorado into northern New Mexico — including the East Slopes of the Sangre de Cristos and the Tusas Mountains near Chama — remains under warning through midday. Travelers using Raton Pass on I-25 between Colorado and New Mexico should check conditions before departing. Albuquerque weather watchers will note the storm’s northern New Mexico reach has kept mountain roads in the region hazardous through the morning hours.
The National Weather Service has not issued any new warnings beyond the current seven, and no additional winter storm activity is indicated in the data for the region through the weekend. Once warnings expire at noon MDT, the multi-day event that brought significant totals to the Sangre de Cristos and Wet Mountains will be considered complete.