Rain Or Snow. It Doesn't Matter. We Need It!

DENVER (CBS4) - Whether you see rain, snow, or a combination of both in your neighborhood on Friday, it really doesn't matter from a drought prospective. All that matters is we are finally wet!

The latest drought outlook released on Thursday shows every community along the Front Range experiencing either "abnormally dry" conditions (the precursor to official drought) or moderate drought which includes the entire City and County Denver and almost all of Jefferson, Arapahoe and Douglas Counties.

The Denver area finished 2018 with only 8.53 inches of rain which is nearly 6 inches below normal. For snow through early Friday morning we had only officially received 8.2 inches this season which is almost 15 inches below normal through January 11.

Snow -- mixed with rain below about 6,000 feet -- will continue through Friday night.

Totals will vary greatly due to the rain but generally speaking most areas around Denver and Boulder will see 3-7 inches of snow mainly on the grass. Less snow is expected farther north including around Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley.

Meanwhile areas farther south including the Palmer Divide (which is most of Douglas and Elbert Counties) and the higher terrain of Jefferson County are under a Winter Storm Warning for 6-12+ inches of snow by late Friday night.

And it's not just the Front Range seeing snow on Friday.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been posted through midnight for the I-70 mountain corridor for 4-8 inches of snow. Expect 5-10" inches around Nederland, Estes Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park, 6-12 inches for the Sangre de Cristo Mountains including La Veta Pass, 4-8 inches from Salida to Walsenburg to Trinidad, and 2-5 inches along I-70 on Eastern Plains including around Limon and Burlington.

CBS4 has partnered with the Denver Rescue Mission to Spread the Warmth this winter. We're bringing the community together for Coloradans experiencing homelessness. Find out how to help at CBSDenver.com/SpreadtheWarmth.