Denver Arctic Cold Front to Bring Sub-Zero Temps

Traffic is expected to be impacted along major highways, with northern Colorado towns even more likely to experience bitter cold conditions.

By Catie Cheshire

January 15, 2025

Image: The statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in City Park by Ed Dwight

The statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in City Park by Ed Dwight gathers snow in freezing temperatures in 2024. Evan Semón Photography

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An arctic blast is expected to bring winter weather to Denver on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

Temperatures are projected to drop starting Friday, January 17, and remain low through Monday, January 20, with some predictions of temperatures 20 to 40 degrees below seasonal averages. Temperatures could get as low as -20 degrees when factoring in wind chill, with predicted high temperatures in the low teens.

The National Weather Service rates Denver’s chance of having a temperature below 0 at 80 percent on Monday, January 20. Traffic is expected to be impacted along major highways, like Interstate 25 and Interstate 70, with northern Colorado towns like Fort Collins and Greeley even more likely to experience bitter cold conditions.

🥶Bitter cold arrives this weekend!🥶

It's never too early to start preparing. Possible impacts will include frostbite, hypothermia, broken water pipes, and slick travel❄️Friday evening - Saturday.

Table shows probabilities of below zero temperatures each day. #COwx pic.twitter.com/HTAk9UijKh
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) January 14, 2025

Meteorologists suggest temperatures will reach levels similar to those in December 2022, when the lowest temperature of a cold snap in Denver was recorded at -24 degrees on December 22.

Snow totals in Denver are projected to reach between two and six inches, though the snow number is less assured than the freezing temperatures.

The story this weekend - zero doubt - will be the cold.

-20° to 30° wind chills in Denver possible Saturday (stronger winds), Sunday + Monday (colder air temps).

This'll rival, if not 'eclipse' the MLK Day 2024 cold snap, and perhaps the Dec 2022 cold outbreak. #COwx pic.twitter.com/6eUujVjMmI
— Chris Bianchi (@BianchiWeather) January 14, 2025

Catie Cheshire is a staff writer at Westword, where she has primarily reported on news since September 2021. Her prior work experience includes contributing to Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, the Regis University Highlander and AZ Big Media. Catie holds a master's degree from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and an undergraduate degree from Regis University in Denver.

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