On the heels of 20-plus inches of snow that landed in some parts of Colorado between Sunday and Monday afternoon, another round of snow is on the way – and while previous forecasts had mentioned that this might bring big totals to the Centennial State, too, new mapping indicates that it could have some major impacts along the Front Range.

For a bit of context, when a snowstorm is headed to Colorado, the National Weather Service releases a series of maps that show the expected total (80 percent chance), the ‘high-end’ snowfall forecast (10 percent chance), and the ‘low-end’ snowfall forecast (10 percent chance).

Let’s start with the most likely ‘expected’ snowfall forecast, with the totals mentioned below set to fall between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning –

In this scenario, parts of Colorado get up to 24 inches of snow from Tuesday to Thursday, favoring the Sangre de Cristos found to the west of Westcliffe. Other central and southern mountains could get up to 18 inches, with up to a foot being widespread in this region of the state.

In this most likely scenario, Colorado Springs gets about three to four inches of snow, Denver gets about two to three inches, and Castle Rock gets about six to eight.

The ‘high-end’ snowfall forecast (seen at the top of this article), however, is where things get really interesting.

In this scenario, totals in that 12 to 18-inch range are much more widespread – and they’re not restricted to the mountains. The highly-trafficked area between Colorado Springs and Castle Rock could end up getting totals in this range, with up to nine inches of snow expected in the city of Colorado Springs, up to 11 inches expected in Castle Rock, and up to six inches expected in Denver. Walsenburg could get up to 14 inches, with peaks northwest of this southern Colorado town having a chance of getting up to 30.

If this ‘high-end’ scenario unfolds, travel impacts will be likely. With more than a foot possible on I-25, that’s a recipe for chaos. It’s also worth noting that this ‘high-end’ scenario shows a lot of snow on a large portion of I-70 east of Denver. Travel could be dicey in this part of the state, too. Be prepared for lengthy commutes and pack your vehicle with survival essentials for winter travel.

And then of course, there’s the ‘low-end’ forecast, too. In this scenario, some mountains get eight to 12 inches, though not many peaks get more than that. The most populated areas along the Front Range are mostly missed.

So, there you have it – big snow could be rolling into Colorado over the next few days with some big potential impacts. Follow along with the changing forecast on the National Weather Service website.