October is off to a snowy start in Colorado.

Light flurries Tuesday are expected to turn into heavy snow with 6 to 14 inches expected in the mountains by Thursday afternoon. Lower elevations are likely to see snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches. Extreme winds are also expected to sweep across higher elevations producing gusts up to 35 mph.

Several Winter Storm Watches have been issued for many parts of the state from Wednesday evening into Thursday afternoon.

Here’s a quick look at forecasted snowfall totals from the National Weather Service:

1 to 3 inches: Southeast plains, San Luis Valley, and southwest mountains

2 to 5 inches: Central mountains

2 to 8 inches: I-25 corridor, Wet Mountain Valley, Palmer Divide, Raton Ridge, and Western and Central Fremont County

6 to 14 inches: Pikes Peak region, Sangre De Cristo Mountains, Wet Mountains, and Western Las Animas Counties

Please note that all weather statements and snow accumulations are subject to change. We recommend visiting OpenSnow for a full in-depth forecast throughout the winter season.

Make sure you and your vehicle are ready for winter driving conditions. New traction laws are currently in place on I-70. Travel is expected to be very difficult due to poor visibility and snow-covered roadways. For travel alerts and updated road conditions, visit COtrip.org.

Itching to hit the slopes? Here’s a list of all the opening and closing dates for all of Colorado’s ski resorts. Arapahoe Basin earned bragging rights over Keystone Resort as first the ski resort to open for the 2019-20 season in North America.