CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Douglas County is gearing up for what could be a decent winter storm starting Thursday morning.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Boulder say the system could bring between 5 to 10 inches of snow to the area.
At the county’s public works building along Industrial Way in Castle Rock, Denver7 got a behind-the-scenes look at final preparations before plows hit the road. Assistant Director Dan Roberts oversees the operations.
“What we anticipate is this is going to feel like the first snow storm of the year to a lot of people,” Roberts said.
Anaya Salcedo, Denver7 Photojournalist
Pictured: Dan Roberts, assistant director of operations at Douglas County Public Works
All of the county’s 76 plows are ready to deploy for the incoming weather system, according to Roberts. Maintenance crews performed some checks Wednesday afternoon to make sure everything was running smoothly.
“They’re going to be out there all night, tomorrow night, plowing the roads while it’s snowing, to make sure that when you come into work on Friday morning that the roads are in as good a condition as we can make them,” Roberts said.
While the county waits for flakes to fall, Denver7 spoke with several residents looking forward to return of winter weather.
“I’m kind of excited,” Karina Olguin said.
“I’m super stoked about it. We need the weather for sure,” said Zach Ketelsen, another Douglas County resident.
Anaya Salcedo, Denver7 Photojournalist
Back at public works, Roberts explained crews have been busy patching potholes and grading roads with the lack of recent snowfall.
He said they’re looking forward to not only this storm, but what future ones will bring.
“They love to plow snow, but the Super Bowl is when you get about three feet of snow,” laughed Roberts. “That’s when they really love their job.”
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Claire Lavezzorio
Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio covers topics that have an impact across Colorado, but specializes in reporting on stories in the military and veteran communities. If you’d like to get in touch with Claire, fill out the form below to send her an email.
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — The lack of snow in Colorado’s high country is not only slowing ski season and making resorts work harder to open terrain.
It’s on everyone’s mind in mountain towns as the New Year approaches.
“Everyone in town is talking about it, from workers to tourists alike,” said Kerry O’Connor with the Breckenridge Tourism Office. “Feel like I see everyone refreshing their phones, looking at the forecast, just looking for any ounce of snow that’s coming.
“When you live in a mountain town, snow just sets the flow of the winter. And when it’s missing, you can feel it.”
Towns like Breckenridge are starting to feel it financially. O’Connor says bookings through the holiday season, including New Year’s Eve, are strong and similar to last winter, but that appears to be changing in the coming months.
“Looking into January and February, we’re about 6% down for nights on the books,” she told Denver7. “So that tells us that people are cautious. They’re waiting maybe a little bit longer to book their trips. They’re waiting for the snow to come.”
Denver7
Kerry O’Connor
That being said, O’Connor says it’s actually led some who would normally be skiing to spend more time in town.
“There are still people walking around Main Street, and you can feel that, and that energy is very fun, so that has kind of helped us stay positive, too,” she said. “Every single visit to one of our local shops matters and makes a difference. Every dollar counts.”
New shop sees opportunity
Denver7
Ramblin Ma’am on Main Street in Breckenridge
Ramblin Ma’am is a new shop in Breckenridge that opened this October.
Manager Tanner Vincent describes it as not only a boutique, but one that focuses on books and also holds community events. He says while the fall season was predictably slow, the shop has seen more guests than expected this winter, despite the unseasonable warmth and disappointing ski season.
“Even through these struggling times that the mountain is facing, the mountain town is still able to thrive,” Vincent said. “For some of us here on Main Street, [this is] a blessing in disguise that we do have the opportunity to interact with people that are going to be typically out on mountains, now just in our businesses, walking through.”
Vincent, who has lived in Summit County for nearly a decade, says while Front Range locals traffic is noticeably slower this year, many out-of-state visitors have stuck to their holiday travel plans and given the town’s businesses foot traffic and hope for the rest of the season.
Denver7
Tanner Vincent
“There’s still so much strength in our community, whether it be all of the businesses that have been here forever, or businesses such as us that are just getting started,” Vincent said. “Breckenridge and Summit County in general, still has so much to offer outside of just the mountains, outside of just the slopes. The true beauty that you get here on a day-to-day basis is something that you’re not able to see everywhere else in the world.”
That being said, more snow would make everything a bit easier and bring more people to town.
“We definitely are praying for that snow,” Vincent admitted.
Colorado ski resorts await snow, but Breckenridge once endured 79 straight days of it!
Ski resorts adjust
Breckenridge Resort is currently running its alpine roller coaster track, typically a popular summer activity, as the lack of snow persists.
Gold Runner Coaster from noon to 4 p.m. each day through Sunday. After that, the resort said it will “assess which days of the week it will be open.”
The coaster is near the base of Peak 8, and guests can purchase tickets at the Peak 8 ticket office.
Despite not much help from Mother Nature, nearby Keystone Resort is opening its third and final peak, The Outback, on Wednesday. The move will open nine runs and 240 acres, taking the resort total to 708 acres.
“Our teams have been working overnight, throughout the night,” said Sarah Mclear, the resort’s senior manager of communications. “We had that warm spell, and we were only able to make snow overnight, but then the last 48 hours or so, we were able to make snow all day as well. With these colder temps that we’re seeing, anytime it’s under 28 degrees wet bulb, we can crank those snow guns… This year, especially, it’s been super important that our mountain ops team gets creative and uses all their resources to figure out how to best expand our footprint.”
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Ryan Fish
Denver7’s Ryan Fish covers stories that have an impact in all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in covering artificial intelligence, technology, aviation and space. If you’d like to get in touch with Ryan, fill out the form below to send him an email.
BERTHOUD, Colo. — At Los Rios Farm just south of Berthoud, the only thing growing this winter season is uncertainty.
Owner Larry Lempka tends to hundreds of animals while grappling with worries about the ongoing drought.
“We’re always concerned we never have enough water to begin with,” Lempka said.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of northern Colorado are experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions.
The combination of minimal snowfall and record-setting temperatures this season is taking a significant toll on the state’s farmers and ranchers.
Denver7
Los Rios Farm in Larimer County, Colorado
“We just don’t have the feed available that we should have,” explained Lempka. “The ground should be covered with something green or growing right now, and we just don’t have that.”
The drought has forced Los Rios Farm to reduce the number of animals in their care because there isn’t enough feed.
And for a farm that specializes in grass-fed beef and free-range chickens, the lack of vegetation is impacting product quality as well. Lempka’s chickens don’t have access to the greens they typically consume, which he said affects the quality of eggs they produce.
“It’s just not good. I mean, you need moisture for life to survive, and right now, as dry as it is, things are either having to migrate down or just die,” Lempka said.
Denver7
Inside one of the chicken coops at Los Rios Farm
The dry conditions are also increasing the risk of disease among animals, something Lempka monitors closely.
“It’s a lot more serious when it is dry versus having snow on the ground,” he said.
As the calendar approaches the new year, Lempka remains hopeful but realistic about the challenges ahead.
“I’m a farmer. Next year is going to be better, right?” Lempka said with a chuckle.
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Claire Lavezzorio
Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio covers topics that have an impact across Colorado, but specializes in reporting on stories in the military and veteran communities. If you’d like to get in touch with Claire, fill out the form below to send her an email.
EVERGREEN, Colo. — Some of Evergreen’s most beloved holiday traditions are being put on ice due to unseasonably warm temperatures.
The Evergreen Parks and Recreation Department is postponing Icefest on New Year’s Eve and the Active4All New Year’s Day Lake Plunge because officials say the ice on Evergreen Lake just isn’t thick enough.
Typically, the lake would be teeming with ice skaters and hockey players this time of year.
Instead, the ice skate rental hut sits boarded up, with “thin ice” signs warning visitors to stay off the lake’s surface.
In fact, it looked more like springtime at Evergreen Lake on Saturday morning as visitors took pictures, dog walkers made their rounds, and runners soaked up the sunshine.
Denver7
The ice audibly groaned and cracked as the sun’s rays grew stronger through the morning.
Deborah Murphy, visiting from Oregon, wasn’t totally surprised by the lake’s conditions but made the most of it anyway.
“Well, I was not sure, just because I know it’s been so warm,” said Murphy. “The kids are really having fun, you know, throwing the chopped-up pieces of ice, watching them skitter, scatter.”
Across the street, Renee Renken watched visitors enjoying the sunshine all morning from behind the counter at EverBean Coffee Company.
Renken is the owner of the coffee shop, which is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
“We love it here. Love our community,” Renken said. “We get to see all of the fun people who are experiencing Evergreen for the first time, or, you know, coming up to have a fun day at the lake.”
This time of year, Renken would typically be selling hot chocolate to skaters looking to warm up after a day on the lake.
However, the unseasonably warm weather has created different demands.
“Here today, we’ve sold a lot of iced drinks,” Renken said. “Everyone’s in such a happy mood because of this beautiful sunshine.”
Even with ice skating on hold, businesses like Everbean are not slowing down.
“We are just as busy as we were last year, if not busier,” Renken said. “I think this nice weather is not really deterring people from coming to Evergreen, which is awesome for the businesses that are here.”
It may not have been a white Christmas this year, but visitors continue to find the beauty in this mountain community’s landscape.
“It’s kind of beautiful how the bubbles are freezing [on the lake],” Murphy observed. “It’s kind of neat. Still beautiful.”
Though New Year’s celebrations may look a little different this year, the Evergreen community continues to find ways to make spirits bright.
“I love that we’re still seeing, you know, everybody coming to Evergreen, regardless of the lake being open. It just brings a different vibe,” said Renken.
Warm weather forces Evergreen to postpone New Year’s events at Evergreen Lake
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
Although it is common for ski resorts to make their own snow this early in the season, one of the challenges is having the perfect conditions to make the snow.
The temperature has to be just right, and there hasn’t been too many windows to make snow recently because of the warmer weather.
“We can only make snow when it’s below freezing. And as you know, there haven’t been too many below freezing stretches yet this early winter,” Marketing Director at Eldora Sam Bass explained. “But we’ve been seizing the moment, as it were, and just trying to grab every hour we can of snow, making weather.”
For opening day, Eldora has enough snow to cover 1,000 vertical feet of terrain from top to bottom.
“There isn’t a whole lot of terrain open, but what we’ve got open is really well covered,” Bass said.
Eldora opens for ski season Friday despite one of the driest starts in CO
With the lack of snow, Eldora has not seen any changes to trips or interest from skiers. Bass described Eldora as a “backyard” local ski area that doesn’t see a lot of out-of-state destination traffic.
“We do not have any lodging, so we don’t see any hotel bookings or, you know, cancellations or anything like that,” Bass said. “Judging by the response to what we’ve been posting on social media, we’ve got a core crew of very, very excited local skiers and riders that are going to be here tomorrow (Friday) and through opening weekend.”
Bass said there’s about 8-6 inches of snow, depending on where skiers stand on the mountain. Bass doesn’t anticipate Eldora will run out of snow.
However, Bass did say Eldora plans on using man-made snow for the next few weeks.
“If we don’t get natural snow, we’re prepared to make all the snow we need to get basically the whole mountain open, as long as we get some below freezing temperatures. And it does look like we’re going to get those temperatures fairly soon,” Bass added with some optimism.
Denver7
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Lauren Lennon
Denver7 morning reporter Lauren Lennon tells stories that impact all of Colorado’s communities. If you’d like to get in touch with Lauren, fill out the form below to send her an email.
DENVER — It’s November, and Denver’s weather is shifting toward more winter-like temperatures and winter-like moisture (snow) as the month holds the distinction of being the Mile High City’s second snowiest.
After a warmer and drier-than-normal October, November is coming in with a bang. The season’s first significant snowfall, up to 3 inches, is expected to arrive in the metro area Monday morning.
Denver7 Meteorologist Danielle Grant has a 30-day outlook in the player below:
November weather outlook
The average high temperature for the month is 52.9 degrees, with an average low temperature of 26 degrees. The month begins with a daily normal high of 59 degrees. By the end of the month, the normal high is 46 degrees.
Denver7
The warmest temperature ever recorded in Denver for the month is 81 degrees, which occurred on Nov. 27, 2017. According to the National Weather Service, November’s coldest temperature in Denver was -18 on the 29th day of 1877.
Denver7
November is no stranger to snow and can produce some big snowstorms. It’s the second snowiest month in Denver, behind March. The city typically sees 8.7 inches of snow on average in November and sees three days, on average, with an inch or more of snowfall.
The biggest November snowstorm in Denver occurred on Nov. 2, 1946, and lasted three days. It dumped 30.4 inches of snow on the city. The second biggest storm happened on Nov. 26, 1983, and didn’t let up for four days, dropping 22.4 inches of snow before all was said and done.
Denver7
But not every November brings snow to the Mile High City. There have been nine Novembers when only a trace of snow or less fell during the month. It’s a rare event, but the chances of it happening more often are rising.
If you have trouble seeing the graphics in the story, click this link for a full screen experience.
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
DENVER (KDVR) — Temperatures will be closer to seasonal averages on Tuesday, with some spotty afternoon and evening showers along the Front Range in the Denver weather forecast.
Weather today: Extra clouds, evening shower
The Front Range will see extra clouds on Tuesday, with cooler, but more seasonal, highs in the lower 60s.
There could be some spotty afternoon or evening showers, but they won’t linger long.
Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on April 23
Weather tonight: Partly cloudy
After an early shower, there will be extra clouds overnight. Low temperatures will dip into the low 40s with light winds.
Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on April 23
Looking ahead: Spring showers, cooler weekend
Wednesday will be another mild afternoon with warmer highs in the middle 70s and mainly sunny skies.
Thursday has partly to mainly sunny skies with mild highs that make it to the middle 70s. There is a chance for a quick shower later on Thursday.
Pinpoint Weather: Rain accumulation by April 28
Friday brings more clouds into the forecast with highs in the upper 60s. Friday afternoon will have showers later in the afternoon that will linger overnight.
Showers stick around through most of Saturday, as highs are cooler in the upper 50s. This could bring some great moisture to the state.
Pinpoint Weather 7-day forecast for Denver on April 23
Sunday will have clearing skies throughout the day with seasonal highs in the lower 60s.
Plenty of sunshine is back for the start of next week with warmer highs in the lower 70s.
DENVER (KDVR) — After some morning showers in the metro, winds will be breezy through the rest of the day Tuesday with just above-average temperatures in the Denver weather forecast.
Weather today: Breezy winds
Cloudy skies and some morning showers will start the day around the Front Range. Clearing will take place through the afternoon.
Highs will top out in the middle 60s as winds pick up.
Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on April 16
High wind warnings are in effect across the plains until Tuesday evening, with winds at 30-45 mph and even higher gusts.
Pinpoint Weather: High wind warnings on April 16
Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories end in the mountains in the early afternoon with the snow tapering through the evening.
Pinpoint Weather: Winter weather advisories on April 16
Weather tonight: Partly cloudy
A few clouds push in by Tuesday night, giving way to partly cloudy skies and mild lows in the lower 40s.
Winds will be noticeably lighter out of the southwest at 5-10 mph.
Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on April 16
Looking ahead: Temperatures swing up and down, shower chances
Sunshine is back on Wednesday with mild highs in the lower 70s.
Clouds move back in the forecast for Thursday with the chance for a late shower and much cooler highs in the upper 40s.
Friday morning has partly cloudy skies before some showers push in for the evening. Highs on Friday make it to the middle 50s.
Showers linger overnight, and there could be a few snowflakes by Saturday morning.
Pinpoint Weather 7-day forecast for Denver on April 16
Saturday is cooler with highs in the lower 50s with early showers and clouds through the afternoon.
Sunday brings the sunshine back and seasonal temperatures in the middle 60s. Denver gets back to the lower 70s on Monday with mostly sunny skies.
DENVER (KDVR) — Plenty of sunshine will stick around to finish off the workweek as highs climb into the upper 70s in the Denver weather forecast.
Weather today: Warm and sunny
Mostly sunny skies will be seen across a majority of Colorado on Friday before clouds push in from the southwest this evening.
Afternoon highs should be the warmest of the year, hitting the upper 70s.
Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on April 12
Weather tonight: Extra clouds
Clouds will linger overnight with light winds. Low temperatures by Friday night will only dip into the upper 40s.
Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on April 12
Looking ahead: Warm before rain next week
The weekend looks nice with warm temperatures and mostly clear skies.
Saturday looks to be comfortable with highs making it to the upper 70s with a light breeze.
Skies look sunnier on Sunday with a stronger wind and possibly the first 80-degree day of the year.
Pinpoint Weather: Weekend forecast for April 13-14
Monday will still be mild with highs in the low 70s and increasing clouds. Later on Monday evening, rain can move in and linger into the first half of Tuesday.
Tuesday is still above average with highs in the upper 60s and cloudy skies.
Pinpoint Weather 7-day forecast for Denver on April 12
Wednesday is clear in the morning, but clouds build in through the day with highs in the middle 60s. Spotty showers are possible late Wednesday and into Thursday.
Thursday is partly cloudy with below-average highs in the lower 50s.
DENVER (KDVR) — Sunshine moves back into Denver’s weather forecast for the start of the workweek.
This will contribute to a rise in temperatures to the 50s on Monday, then 60s for the rest of the week.
Weather tonight: Cloudy, seasonal
Clouds will linger Sunday night as temperatures fall to the mid to upper 20s, which is right in line with normal for this time of year.
Weather tomorrow: Sunny, seasonal
Monday, sunshine returns to the forecast. This will help to boost high temperatures to the upper 50s.
Looking ahead: Sunny and warmer workweek
Tuesday, the warming trend continues. High temperatures will climb into the 60s alongside plenty of sunshine.
Highs will stay in the mid-60s for the rest of the week and even into the start of the weekend. This will be followed by the next chance for showers, which is on track to move in Saturday and Sunday.
DENVER (KDVR) — A Pinpoint Weather Alert Day continues Thursday for more heavy, wet snow that continues to fall in Denver weather and across Colorado.
Winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings continue until Friday morning. Snowfall totals in the Denver metro are forecast to accumulate to over 10 inches, and 1-3 feet of total snowfall is expected for the foothills and toward the Palmer Divide. This will lead to hazardous driving conditions from Thursday evening through Monday morning.
Weather tonight: Snowfall thinning
Thursday evening, snowfall rates will start to slow down. Low temperatures will stay cool but seasonal and drop to the mid-20s.
Weather tomorrow: Snow clearing
Friday morning, snow showers will wrap up. Denver will be left with a mainly cloudy sky and a high of around 40 degrees.
Looking ahead: Weekend sunshine
Just in time for the weekend, sunshine returns to the forecast. Temperatures on both days will start in the mid-20s and then climb to a high in the upper 40s, which is almost 10 degrees colder than normal for this time of year.
Sunshine continues for the start of the workweek and will help keep a warming trend going. Highs by Monday will be seasonal and reach the upper 50s, ahead of 60s on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
DENVER (KDVR) — Snow will continue to fall over the Front Range and foothills Thursday, impacting travel through Friday morning in the Denver weather forecast.
Weather today: Snow all day long
This snow will stick around through the rest of Thursday with lasting travel impacts. Temperatures will hover right above the freezing mark with a brisk wind at 10-20 mph.
Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on March 14
Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories will remain in effect through 6 a.m. on Friday. The map includes snowstorm totals.
Weather tonight: Snow tapers off
The snow will start to taper off Thursday night with lower snowfall rates after sunset. Lows stay in the upper 20s with winds slowing as well.
Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on March 14
Looking ahead: Clearing and warming over the weekend
The snow will end on Friday in the Front Range at around sunrise with gradual clearing into the mid-afternoon. Highs will be cool in the low 40s, but some melting will begin.
The weekend looks comfortable with more sunshine in the forecast as highs make it into the upper 40s on Saturday and Sunday.
Pinpoint Weather 7-day forecast on March 14
Denver kicks off the next week with just above-average highs in the upper 50s and sunny skies on Monday.
Tuesday and Wednesday continue the mainly sunny skies with comfy highs in the low 60s.
DENVER (KDVR) — Sunshine and a warming trend move into Denver’s weather just in time for the weekend.
Weather tonight: Clearing, chilly
Lingering snow showers will end Friday evening from north to south. This will be followed by clearing clouds and chilly temperatures falling to a low of around 20 degrees.
Weather tomorrow: Sunny, seasonal
Sunshine returns to the forecast Saturday. This will help temperatures climb to the low-to-mid 50s, which is right in line with normal for this time of year.
Looking ahead: Warmer end to the weekend, next chance for showers
On Sunday, sunshine and an uptick in a southwesterly breeze will keep a warming trend going. Highs will climb to the low-to-mid-60s, which is about 10 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year.
On Monday, a weak system will bring the chance for snow to the high country. This will push in a few more clouds in the Denver area, but westerly flow will aid in keeping temperatures about 10 degrees above average.
The next big change moves in Tuesday night into Wednesday. A cold front will move across the state not only dropping temperatures, but bringing in the next chance for rain and snow.
DENVER (KDVR) — Clouds will increase throughout the day on Wednesday with mild temperatures, however, a change is coming. Rain and snow arrive Thursday into Friday in the Denver weather forecast.
Weather today: Building clouds
Clouds will slowly increase on Wednesday with a small chance for a mountain snow shower and an evening sprinkle along the plains.
Highs on Wednesday will be above average in the upper 50s.
Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on March 6 (KDVR)
Weather tonight: Cloudy skies
Clouds continue to increase through Wednesday night with mild lows that dip into the lower 30s.
Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on March 6
Looking ahead: Rain and snow before a weekend warmup
Thursday has cloudy skies and cooler temperatures in the upper 40s.
Snow will arrive after noon on Thursday in the mountains and foothills, with rain showers in the Front Range in the early evening.
Denver will see a swap to snow overnight and into Friday morning. Snow will then taper off into early Friday afternoon with minimal accumulation in the metro. Denver could see an inch or two, but some of that accumulation will melt.
Pinpoint Weather: Winter weather watch on March 8
The foothills have a winter storm watch in effect and could see 3-11 inches of accumulation.
The Palmer Divide could see 2-4 inches of snow.
The morning commute on Friday could be slick in spots.
Highs in the upper 30s on Friday will also allow for some partial melting.
Pinpoint Weather 7-day forecast for Denver on March 6
More melting continues over the weekend with mostly sunny skies on Saturday as highs hit the low 50s.
Sunday is even warmer with temperatures in the low 60s with mainly sunny skies. Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward on Sunday morning.
The abundant sunshine sticks around for the start of next week with highs staying in the lower 60s.
DENVER (KDVR) – Most of Colorado will see mainly sunny skies on Saturday, helping to melt the snow picked up last night.
Weather today: Mostly sunny, cool
After a few inches of snow last night, all of Colorado will see mainly sunny skies helping to melt some of the snow. Highs are below average in the upper 30s for the Front Range with light winds.
Weather tonight: Clear skies, chilly
The skies will be clear tonight as lows dip back to the 20-degree mark. Winds stay light and there could be some refreezing in a few spots.
Looking ahead: Warming and dry
Clouds will build in for Sunday with light snow in the mountains. Snow totals only look to be an inch or two, but fresh snow is always great for the high country. Highs in Denver on Sunday are above average in the lower 50s. Highs will flirt with 60 degrees on Monday afternoon with mostly sunny skies.
Tuesday is the warmest day of the week with highs in the middle 60s and mainly sunny skies. Clouds will increase on Wednesday with light snow in the mountains. Denver could see an evening rain shower after highs hit the low 60s. We could see a swap to snow into Thursday morning, but it will clear through the day with highs near the 50 degree mark. Friday brings back sunshine with mild highs in the low 50s.
