SPC MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0479 FOR FRONT RANGE OF CO AND SERN WY
CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW AND NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...

VALID 110927Z - 111600Z

HEAVY WET SNOW...WITH RATES UP TO 2 IN/HR WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
11/15Z ACROSS THE DISCUSSION AREA BEFORE RAPIDLY TAPERING OFF.
WINDS OF 30-35 MPH ACCOMPANYING THE SNOW WILL PRODUCE NEAR BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED DEFORMATION ZONE AND STRONG FRONTOGENETIC
FORCING IN NWRN QUADRANT OF INTENSE SURFACE CYCLONE OVER WRN KS IS
FOCUSING HEAVY PRECIPITATION FROM SERN WY ACROSS THE CO FRONT
RANGE. THE 980MB SURFACE LOW IS CREATING STRONG NLY GRADIENT WINDS
WITH RECENT SUSTAINED WINDS EXCEEDING 30KT AT DEN. THE SURFACE
OBSERVATION AT LIC IS INDICATING LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION
RATES IN EXCESS OF 0.15 IN/HR...WHICH SUGGESTS 1-2 IN/HR SNOWS WITH
HIGH REFLECTIVITY BAND FROM CYS SWD TO DEN. SOME CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING CONTINUES ACROSS THE ERN PLAINS OF CO...SUGGESTING
CONVECTIVE SNOWFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING ENHANCING MESOSCALE UVV.

THE UPSLOPE FLOW COMPONENT AND FRONTOGENETIC FORCING WILL GRADUALLY
DIMINISH LATER THIS MORNING AS SYNOPTIC-SCALE CYCLONE MOVES NEWD
INTO S-CENTRAL NEB BY 11/18Z. BACKING LOW-LEVEL FLOW TO NWLY ACROSS
THE FRONT RANGE WILL CREATE DOWNSLOPING WINDS AND THE HEAVY SNOW IS
EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY LATE THIS MORNING. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH
THE 11/06Z ETA AND RUC SOLUTIONS WHICH INDICATE THE STRONG UVV
MOVES NEWD OUT OF THE DISCUSSION AREA BY 11/18Z. WINDS ARE ALSO
EXPECTED TO DECREASE DURING THE LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS.

..BANACOS.. 04/11/01