DENVER (KDVR) — If you have looked at the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, you might have noticed one thing: The Denver metro area is expected to see mainly rain or flurries with no accumulation, while other areas are slated to get significant snow accumulation.

Why is that?

Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Jessica Lebel said the key is elevation.

Why it is going to snow in some places and rain in others?

Lebel said the higher the elevation, the colder it gets.

Denver sits at around 5,280 feet above sea level, which is certainly higher than most cities across the nation. However, Lebel said to see snow in this storm, you need to be at an elevation of 6,000 feet or higher.

While these higher elevations can most clearly be seen in the mountains, in the area south of the metro — between Denver and Colorado Springs — the elevation is also higher.

For example, in Monument, the elevation is just under 7,000 feet. This means that it is colder than it is at Denver’s elevation of 5,280.

In other places with higher elevations, like the foothills, people may also see some snow accumulation.

Why doesn’t this happen in the winter?

Lebel said while elevation is important in spring storms like this, when temperatures get warmer, in the winter, it is cold everywhere. This means that elevation isn’t an issue, as temperatures will be cold enough for snow accumulation regardless.

Lebel said these sorts of elevation-dependent storms mostly happen in the spring, but will sometimes happen in the fall.

Additionally, even if snow accumulation isn’t in the forecast for Denver, Lebel said people shouldn’t worry about the metro not getting its share of moisture.