Polar air is expected to make its way to Colorado this weekend, likely plunging high temperatures into the single digits and bringing subzero wind chills to the Denver metro.
The coldest air will arrive Monday, when the National Weather Service warns high temperatures could hover between 0 and 5 degrees. Lows could fall as low as minus 10 degrees, with wind chills as low as 20 below.
Some parts of Colorado will flirt with record daily lows, according to the NWS.
Snow is already falling in the mountains. Eastbound Interstate 70 at Eagle was shut down Saturday morning due to a hazmat crash. The highway reopened around 11 a.m. Saturday.
A winter storm warning remains in effect for the central mountains with additional snow accumulations between 4 and 10 inches expected.
Light snow and freezing drizzle are possible across the plains, while the high country is expected to see steady snowfall throughout the weekend.
The NWS forecast discussion lays out a potential timeline for the cold snap:
A cold air mass is expected to move into Colorado’s central plains early Saturday. With it will come chances for snow flurries and freezing drizzle that could impact travel conditions, according to the NWS.
The National Weather Service has more confidence in the chance of light snow vs freezing drizzle by Saturday afternoon in the Denver area, but it could transition back to freezing drizzle and light snow flurries in the evening hours.
There's a better chance of snowfall Sunday night into Monday, but no significant accumulation is expected. Widespread snow is more likely in the mountains throughout the weekend.
Increasing confidence in polar air sweeping through Colorado Sunday into next week #brrr #cold #cowx pic.twitter.com/mUYmsluQFr
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) January 24, 2023
Frigid temperatures are expected to arrive Saturday night, with lows falling into the single digits. High temperatures could struggle to surpass zero degrees Monday, with subzero temps overnight both Sunday and Monday night and into Tuesday morning, according to the NWS.
The cold air will likely stay around until Tuesday before warmer air returns Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday.
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