Arctic air settles in for the Front Range today. Temperatures will be in the single digits early, and with a breeze, wind chills will be below zero on the plains. It’s a dry cold to start the day, but it’s the kind that stings your face if you’re out early. A cold weather advisory is in effect for the eastern plains from now- through Sunday morning for wind chills around -20.
By Friday afternoon and evening, we’ll start to see some light snow develop across the eastern plains, including the I-25 corridor. This will be on and off and generally pretty light, but it could coat roads just enough to cause issues for the evening commute. Most lower-elevation spots should pick up around an inch, maybe two inches in a few isolated areas (Friday into Saturday), so we’re not talking about a big snowstorm. It looks like it’ll be just enough to slow things down and make roads slick late Friday, early Saturday morning.
The mountains are a different story. Snow ramps up Friday morning in southwest Colorado and spreads into the central mountains through the day. By Friday evening and overnight, mountain roads, especially along and south of I-70, will become slick and snow covered as pavement temperatures drop quickly. From Friday through Saturday, totals in the mountains will range from about 4 inches on the lower end to as much as 12 inches in the favored spots, making travel over passes slow and occasionally difficult. Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect for our central and southern mountains through Sunday morning.
Saturday will be the coldest day of the stretch. Highs on the plains will struggle to get out of the teens, and morning lows will dip into the low single digits or even below zero. Any snow that falls Friday night will stick around, so expect icy patches on roads all day, especially in shaded areas. Light snow may linger into Saturday morning before tapering off, but even after it ends, the cold will keep road conditions from improving much.
Sunday is still a bit uncertain. Temperatures may come up a couple of degrees compared to Saturday, but it won’t feel like much of a warm-up. There’s also a chance for a few additional light snow showers, though nothing major looks likely. By the time the Bronco game starts we should have partly cloudy skies and temperatures near 20 degrees, so bundle up if you are heading to the game in person!
The deep freeze backs off by Monday, when temperatures are expected to rebound closer to normal, with highs back into the 40s for many spots along I-25. Most of next week looks quieter and drier, giving us a break after a very cold and wintry weekend.
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Stacey Donaldson
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