NOON MST, Sunday, November 9, 2014
Yes, the cold wave is still on the way Monday for the Front Range and eastern plains and is expected to last at least through the week. Several periods of snow and maybe a little freezing drizzle are expected throughout the week. The best chance for accumulation is Monday afternoon and evening, and again Tuesday night and Wednesday.
TIMING, THREE COLD FRONTS:
The arctic front will be making its way southward through eastern Wyoming in the predawn hours Monday, and then through eastern Colorado during the day. Cheyenne is likely to be in the cold air by daybreak. Colorado Front Range residents should not be fooled if it’s still mild in the early morning. The front will move through and temperatures will quickly tumble through the 30s and 20s and probably into the teens by evening. This is cold, dense, low-level arctic air, so Nederland might not get the front until several hours after Boulder. West Slope areas will have much less impact.
Another cold front Tuesday night will likely make Tuesday night through Thursday morning the coldest period with temperatures struggling to get into the teens Wednesday, and falling to the single digits Thursday morning. In fact, on Wednesday the high temperature in Denver and Boulder might be colder than the low in Fairbanks, Alaska where they are on the warm side of this weather pattern.
There is likely to be still another cold front in the series by next weekend, but the timing is less certain and temperatures might moderate a bit before it hits. But in any case, it is very likely that temperatures will remain below average through next weekend.
SNOW:
Snow, mainly light, is likely to develop within a few hours of the front, especially near the foothills. Snowfall through Monday evening should be enough to whiten the ground throughout eastern Colorado and Wyoming with about an inch. Some local areas may see 1-3 inches, especially near the foothills.
Another round of snow is likely to bring 1-3 inches more Tuesday night and Wednesday with the second surge of cold air. Although the timing is less certain, it appears that we may be dealing with another round of snow next weekend.