Couple of thoughts:
1.) It's //possible// the primary low drifts into MI and weakens such that we don't get our CAD eroded fast and bootleg our way into a legit wedge of CAD. Then the primary takes over and we get some frozen off that. A scenario like that would feature, mix/snow thump, then mix/ice, then snow. It's a odd way to win and I've seen it happen once or twice, but you need a legit airmass in place.
2.) Ideally, with a setup like this, you want to see the primary go up into Kentucky and die fast, with a quick handoff to a coastal low that deepens and stops the bleeding at the mid levels. IMO, the first step towards this solution would be to see the surface low over Texas instead of Denver.