Forecast This Evening

6 PM: Isolated showers, especially west of I-95 (30%)...70°
9 PM: Widely scattered showers (40%)...66°
12 AM: Scattered showers (50%)...63°

Rain will become likely later tonight after midnight and could be heavy at times. Showers should persist into the first half of Sunday and then slowly taper in the afternoon and evening.

Weekend Rain Potential

A strong storm system is headed toward Virginia this weekend, after causing an early season winter storm in the Rockies and High Plains since Tuesday. Rain should begin moving into the Commonwealth Saturday night and overspread the state into Sunday morning. Here are the projected rain totals Friday into early Sunday as a result of this system:

Virginia could see around an inch of rainfall accumulation.

This system will be cutting it close for the Trick-or-Treaters, but it appears that only a few light showers will be possible in Central Virginia Saturday and into early evening. If you live closer to I-81, though, rain chances will occur earlier. After 9 p.m., rain chances start to go up all along I-95 as the line of rain associated with the upper wave begins sweeping through the state. Richmond's best rain chances will occur from Midnight into Sunday morning. Here is the Richmond Saturday Evening Planner:

Halloween Forecast

Sunset 6:12 p.m.

Mostly Cloudy & Mild

5 p.m.: 76 degrees 20% rain

7 p.m.: 69 degrees 30% rain

9 p.m.: 63 degrees 50% rain

11 p.m.: 61 degrees 50% rain

First Major Snowstorm Of Season

(Photo: KCNC, Heather Michelotti, Greenwood Village, CO, Oct. 28, 2009)
The first major snowstorm of the season has been plowing through the Rockies and parts of the northern Plains this week, dumping more than three feet of snow in parts of Colorado and two feet in Wyoming. This is a bit early in the season to be getting this much snow. Case in point: Cheyenne, WY. Because of this storm and previous snowfall earlier in the month, Cheyenne, WY has now recorded its snowiest October on record. The previous record-holding October was more than a hundred years ago in 1906, when 23.1" of snow fell. This month, more than two feet have fallen, and it's still snowing there Thursday morning. Also, I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne, WY was shut down Wednesday into today because of the snow and traffic accidents occuring in the hazardous weather.

Here are some of the snow totals so far:
Pinecliffe, CO 39"
Nederland, CO 30"
Evergreen, CO 28"
Lander, WY 25"
Boulder, CO 17"
Deadwood, SD 12"
Denver, CO 12"
Chadron, NE 10"
Cheyenne, WY 9"

It's still snowing this morning in the Denver area, and you can watch live cameras from our CBS sister station KCNC.

The storm system responsible for the snow will continue to track slowly to the east, bringing us a chance for rain late Saturday night into Sunday. At this time, it looks like Trick-or-Treat time should be dry!

REMINDER: Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday morning at 2 a.m., so be sure to "Fall Back" those clocks Saturday night before you go to bed!