DENVER – An active weather pattern will move through Colorado this weekend bringing a taste of autumn in Denver for the official first day of fall and the first accumulating snow of the season — up to 9 inches — in the mountains.
Following Friday’s dry and warm conditions in Denver, the afternoon high temps are expected to take a nearly 30-degree drop by Sunday, as wet weather settles in for the first half of the weekend.
“If your kids have any games tomorrow, practice or any event you’re headed to, we’re going to see nice and dry conditions. It’s not until the afternoon – right around 4 p.m. that things will get a little more hectic in the weather world,” said Denver7 meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo. “Rain and snow developing Saturday night into Sunday and temperature-wise, it’s going to be about 30 degrees colder by Sunday versus the highs we’re going to see today.”
Denver will not see snow, just rain – but some of Colorado’s mountain communities will go under a winter weather advisory starting on Saturday morning where up to 9 inches of snow is possible in the higher elevations.
Expect rain and a few thunderstorms to move through Saturday afternoon in Denver and temps, after reaching the upper 60s, will “really cool down from there,” said Hidalgo.
“One concern will be the game Saturday at Folsom Field if you’re headed up to Boulder for the Buffs game, expect scattered showers and storms by about 5 to 6 o’clock with temps dropping to the low 60s at that point,” she said. “And then low 50s – some cool and wet weather unfortunately for that game.”
Hidalgo said most of the shower activity for Denver will happen overnight into Sunday morning through the midday hours.
As for Colorado’s first accumulating snow of the season, Hidalgo said: “A good 3 to potentially 9 inches of snow, but those higher totals are going to be above around 11,000 feet.”
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The first winter weather advisory of the snow season goes into effect noon on Saturday through noon Sunday for the Western Mosquito Range and East Lake County area above 11,000 feet, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder.
Pikes Peak above 11,000 feet will also be under a winter weather advisory. The NWS warned driving or hiking in these higher elevations could become difficult.
“If you’re headed down to Colorado Springs, it’s going to be a very different scene on Pikes Peak by Sunday midday,” said Hidalgo.
While not all mountain communties will be impacted with this blast of snow, some travel could be impacted.
“The majority of the snow should fall Saturday night. If you have travel plans, remember to check cotrip.org for the latest road conditions,” said the NWS.
Sunday’s high temperature will only reach 57 degrees but most of the rain should move through the Denver metro area by Sunday afternoon.
Temperatures quickly rebound by the start of next week as Denver’s high temperature on Monday returns to the mid 70s, then drops again to a forecast high of 68 degrees and isolated showers on Tuesday.
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