DENVER — Snow and bitter cold temperatures — in many cases falling below zero — is set to hit Colorado Friday through early next week. This system will also bring the threat of a flash freeze, which is not common in Colorado.
The Denver metro area will fall below freezing on Friday afternoon and will stay there until Tuesday afternoon at the earliest, according to the National Weather Service. Overnight lows in Denver, not including wind chill, will drop to about -2 degrees early Sunday, about -5 early Monday, and -6 on Tuesday morning. Wind chill values on the eastern plains may reach as low as -30 degrees. Denver could see between 4 and 6 inches of snow this weekend too.
Today's Forecast
Denver weather: Potentially dangerous cold temps will settle in for several days
The possibility of a flash freeze will begin Friday evening around 5 p.m., according to the NWS.
But what exactly is a flash freeze?
This happens when precipitation falls as the temperature is around or at freezing, and then there is a sharp drop in temperature that results in that precipitation rapidly freezing, creating slick surfaces and black ice, the NWS said. That can happen within just a few hours.
Any standing water on the road or bridges will likely freeze faster than water on the ground, which is typically a bit warmer. And if it snows, drivers may even find it challenging to open their car door.
During these quick drops in temperatures, wet roads can freeze faster than normal, turning them into sheets of ice if they have not been treated, the NWS said. In these conditions, NOAA recommends driving slower and giving other vehicles plenty of space.
Denver7 went live on Facebook with Chief Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo earlier today to ask her more about the flash freeze, as well as the other wintry weather headed our way.
Watch our chat with Chief Meteorologist Hidalgo in the video below.
"Just due to the icy nature of what's going to happen, I'd say, stay inside if you can — just for that purpose of not getting out on the roadways," she warned.
Hidalgo said Colorado doesn't see flash freezes often.
"What will happen here is we're at, say, 38 degrees and a cold front comes through, it starts to snow heavy and we have a good layer of snow on there," she explained. "But in this scenario, what could happen is that you get a wave of snow coming through and the ground is relatively still pretty warm. So, that snow would melt and then we would drastically see a drop in temperature."
That drop can go from something like 38 degrees to just 25 degrees very quickly, she said.
"So that layer of water on there is going to freeze in a hurry," she said.
She has a good tip for drivers: "If it looks wet over the next couple of days, I would assume it was ice, if I were you."
And Hidalgo is also offering some reassurance about the storm.
"Honestly, for 99.99% of us, this cold snap will be here, it will be gone and you will be just fine," she said. "There will be the situations where we do get potential car accidents, we do get broken pipes — we do see that here and there. But this is not really that abnormal for us. We usually do see one really good cold snap every season. It usually is in late January into early February, so timing-wise, this is about right."
Colorado, unlike spots like Dallas and Atlanta that are also expecting upcoming cold temperatures, has the infrastructure to deal with this wintry weather, she continued.
As with many types of winter hazards, state officials and the NWS recommends that you keep blankets (or a sleeping bag), an extra phone charger, food and water in your car in case you get stuck for an extended period of time. It's also a good idea to have a First-Aid kit, cat litter for tire traction and a flashlight with extra batteries.
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