Evan Semon Photography
Audio By Carbonatix
It’s been a mild winter in Denver so far, but this week is about to get cold.
Local and national forecasts are throwing around terms like “polar vortex,” “arctic cold front” and “major winter storm” to describe freezing cold weather across much of the country this weekend. Regions are expected to see sub-zero temperatures, snow, freezing rain and more, and much of Colorado is located in the cold zone. From snow predictions and low temperatures to wind gusts, here’s what people are Denver should expect this week:
Freezing Temps Through the Weekend
Denver is going to start creeping toward extreme cold on Thursday, January 22, with forecasts for high temperatures ranging from 35 to 40 degrees. Freezing temperatures are likely to hit after the sun goes down and stay there through the weekend, however. The high temp on Friday, January 23, will be around 22 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, and it’ll get colder from there.
Saturday, January 24, will top out anywhere from 16 to 20 degrees, and Sunday’s high is expected to hit 30 or 31 degrees, which is still below freezing. Nightly low temperatures could hover near or fall below zero for three straight nights, with the coldest temperatures expected early Saturday and Sunday.
As next week starts, high temperatures will return to the 40s, forecasts show.
Chances of Snow in Denver
Denver shouldn’t brace for a blizzard, but forecasts do show a good chance of snow at least one day. According to the NWS, there is a “slight chance” of snow near Denver International Airport on Thursday night, at around 20 percent, but forecasts from 9News, AccuWeather and the Weather Channel don’t show chances of precipitation in the city on Thursday.
Friday could bring scattered snow showers around Denver, most likely at night. There are also strong chances of snow early Saturday morning, according to 9News, AccuWeather, the NWS and the Weather Channel.
None of these upcoming showers are expected to bring more than one inch of snow to Denver, although other parts of the metro could get more.
Red Flag Warnings for Colorado Wind
Parts of the Denver area and northern Colorado have been dealing with extremely high wind gusts — some over 80 and 105 miles per hour — and the days-long power blackouts by Xcel Energy that come with them. According to the NWS, some parts of southern and southeastern Colorado are under Red Flag Warnings for dry weather and wind gusts over 30 miles per hour. The NWS predictions for Colorado show winds are expected to die down across the state by the time Friday’s cold front comes in.
