Colorado is right on the western edge of some very chilly air that currently covers the Northern Great Plains. Temperatures stayed in the teens across the Dakotas and Minnesota on Monday and a cold week is ahead for those areas. During the next few days, a couple of cold fronts will clip our state and bring brief invasions of that cold air, followed by moderating temperatures.
The result will be a bit of a "Roller Coaster" of temperatures for Denver and the eastern plains. Mild and dry conditions with some high clouds will continue to cover Colorado through Tuesday. Lows tonight will be around freezing in the Denver area with teens in the mountains.
High clouds will cover our skies on Tuesday, providing another stunning sunrise along the Front Range. Temperatures will be mild with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s, not quite record warmth though, as the record for the 30th of January in Denver is 71 degrees, set in 1888.
A cold front will slide into Colorado on Wednesday and will bring some light snow to the northern and central mountains and a chance for flurries on the plains in the evening. Temperatures will not be as warm with highs in the mid-to upper 40s in Denver.
Colder air will spill across the eastern plains by Thursday morning, along with some light snow or flurries. Accumulations are not expected to be significant, but a light dusting of snow could make for a slick and slow commute Thursday morning. Thursday will be colder in the Denver area, with highs in the mid-to upper 30s.
This cold front will mostly impact areas along and east of the Continental Divide. Western and southern Colorado will stay milder with highs in the 30s to low 40s in the mountains and low 50s in the Grand Junction area and around Durango.
The chilly air will drift to the east of Denver on Friday and temperatures will warm back into the 50s. Over the weekend, another shot of colder air will move in from the north late Saturday. Colder temperatures and some light snow can be expected for Sunday.
Colorado will be right on the edge of some very cold air this weekend. Temperatures over the Dakotas and Minnesota will likely hover around zero by Sunday. Good thing the Super Bowl is being played indoors in Minneapolis!