Like a guest showing up late to the holiday party, winter is about to make its appearance in metro Denver Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Winter officially arrived on Dec. 21, but dry conditions and record warm temperatures, including readings that reached 70 degrees in Denver on Christmas Day, have held it in check. But delayed doesn’t mean denied, and the region can expect a short-lived shift to more seasonal conditions.
Denver should see a high temperature near 60 degrees on Saturday before winds out of the west start picking up, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service in Boulder. Wind gusts could reach 20 miles per hour in the afternoon. A rain and snow mix is expected in the area between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., shifting to snow as temperatures drop into the low 20s.
There is a 70% chance of precipitation, but warm ground temperatures will limit the amount that stays around. Evergreen could see 4 to 6 inches of snow, while Boulder could get up to 3 inches. An inch or two is expected to fall in most metro areas, with some locations further east seeing only trace amounts.
Skies should start clearing after 8 a.m., with the high temperature on Sunday expected to reach 34 degrees, marking the region’s coldest stretch since Nov. 30. Temperatures will dip into the mid-teens Sunday night before a warming trend pushes them back to above average levels next week. Wednesday’s high should be in the mid-50s.
Although the storm won’t be extreme, it may catch some people who have grown accustomed to the warm and dry conditions off guard, and shelters are being activated in Denver and Jefferson counties and other locations.
Denver Parks and Recreation will open all currently operating recreation centers as daytime warming centers during regular business hours on Sunday. Denver Public Library locations that are normally open on Sunday will also be made available to those seeking shelter. More information on warming centers is available at 720-865-5444.
The heaviest snowfall from the weekend storm is expected in the Park and Gore ranges, with up to a foot or more forecast at higher elevations. Travel could become difficult on U.S. 40, especially through Rabbit Ears Pass. Snowfall is expected to move southward on Saturday, with Summit County and the I-70 corridor seeing conditions deteriorate by late afternoon. Drivers on U.S. 285 may also encounter high winds and icy patches.
“Be prepared for slick and hazardous travel conditions for the mountains, especially Saturday night and Sunday morning,” the National Weather Service warned in an advisory.
Skiers, however, should have some fresh powder to explore on Sunday, including at the Winter Park and Eldora Mountain ski resorts.