Chinook winds begin big melt

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DENVER - Westerly winds in the mountains and foothills in and near the Front Range will warm temperatures and help melt snow more quickly.
- Colorado snow totals

Westerly winds pushed temperatures into the 50s in many parts of the Denver area Friday so the melt is on! The official high at DIA was 45 degrees.

Light snow along and west of the Continental Divide in the northern mountains will be ending by sunrise with only an additional inch or so of accumulation.

9NEWS Meteorologist Ashton Altieri says Denver officially received 14.2 inches of snow from Tuesday through Friday morning. But he points out that most metro area neighborhoods saw more than the official measurement site at DIA. For example, Highlands Ranch received 24.5 inches, Boulder had 18.8 inches, and Aurora received 16 inches.

A warmup will start this weekend along the Front Range with temperatures climbing near 60 degrees in Denver on Saturday and again on Sunday. Depending on how quickly the snow melts, temperatures could be even warmer.

Temperatures will be near 55 degrees under partly cloudy skies for Trick-or-Treaters at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Plan on 40s by 8 p.m.

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Colorado snow totals for October 28, 2009

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