After heavy snowfall overnight in the Colorado mountains, the bulk of the storm is moving toward the Denver area Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

NWS meteorologists said 1 1/2 to 2 feet of snow fell overnight in Colorado’s mountains above 10,000 feet, closing roads and creating dangerous travel conditions.

According to NWS forecasters, heavy snowfall in the mountains will ease around midday Wednesday and end in the evening, but not before another 2 to 6 inches of snow accumulates.

“A period of snow resulting in slick roads is expected for the Denver metro and urban corridor during the morning rush hour,” NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook. “Outside the Palmer Divide, accumulations will be mostly small.”

According to forecasters, snow showers in the metropolitan area as well as in the mountains will weaken throughout the day and end in the afternoon or early evening.

According to Wednesday morning forecasts, expected snowfall totals between Wednesday and Thanksgiving morning across the Front Range include:

• Up to 3 inches in Denver, Aurora, Broomfield, Centennial, Colorado Springs, Northglenn and Denver International Airport;
• Up to 4 inches in Arvada, Boulder, Highlands Ranch, Lakewood, Littleton and Parker;
• Up to 5 inches in Castle Rock and Golden;

In the mountains the expected amount of fresh snow is up to:

• 8 inches at Monarch Pass in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where 26 inches of snow has already fallen since the storm began on Monday;
• 4 inches on Copper Mountain and its ski area, where 20 inches of new snow has already accumulated;
• 5 inches of snow on the Breckenridge peaks, which already had 18 inches;
• 4 inches at Vail Pass, where two feet of snow had already fallen, shutting down the road.
• 6 inches in Winter Park, Eldora and Keystone, where between 14 and 17 inches of snow have already fallen each;
• 10 inches in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado, including Cucharas Pass and La Veta Pass;
• 12 inches along Cordova Pass in the San Isabel National Forest.

Forecasters say most mountain roads will be passable and more passable by this evening. Highways exiting Denver, including Interstate 70 and US 285, will improve throughout the morning and will be “much better by later afternoon.”