A onslaught of winter weather may cause issues for ranchers heading westward for the National Western Stock Show, which unofficially starts with today’s parade at noon downtown Denver and officially kicks off with opening day 9 a.m. Saturday at the National Western Center and Denver Coliseum. 

The northeastern part of the state — including Weld County, Larimer County and Washington County — is under winter weather and dense fog advisories going into Thursday morning, just hours before the annual parade begins in Denver at noon.

The National Weather Boulder service is calling for light snow Thursday afternoon and evening that will spread across the southern part of the state. The Palmer Divide and higher mountain ridges will see 1-4 inches of snow. Less than an inch of snow is expected from Denver northward to the Wyoming border.

The northeast section of the state, specifically including I-76, is experiencing freezing rain and dense, freezing fog. Current visibility Thursday morning sits at less than a quarter of a mile in foggy areas and raised surfaces are slick with ice, according to the National Weather Service. 

The eastern plains of Colorado, stretching in to Nebraska and Kansas, sit as the epicenter of the state’s livestock ranches, with a plethora of dairy farms and other cattle. Those ranchers are expected to head in to Denver for the National Western Stock Show. 

With an estimation of over 700,000 visitors and a $171 million economic impact, according to a study released this week by the Common Sense Institute, it’s easy to believe that those ranchers will find their way to the National Western Stock Show grounds, regardless of icy fog.

“We are so excited to open our doors for the 118th edition of Stock Show,” said Paul Andrews, president & CEO of the National Western Stock Show, in a news release. “Based on our livestock entries, rodeo, and event ticket sales, and the sheer excitement around our state, Stock Show is the place to be this month.”

The show runs for 16 days, through Jan. 21, “celebrating Colorado’s iconic western heritage, action-packed pro rodeos, horse shows, family events, acres of shopping, 300 events and activities and the ‘Super Bowl’ of livestock shows,” according to the release

For more information, a schedule and tickets visit nationalwestern.com.