Sharp blast of cold air to bring late-summer snowfall to Rockies
By
Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Sep 3, 2020 3:27 PM EST
Cities across the U.S. endured their warmest meteorological summer on record. Here’s an overlook at which cities broke records with soaring temperatures.
By early next week, the swath from Montana to Colorado will wonder what happened to summer as not only will temperatures plummet but snowflakes will also be flying in some areas and piling up over the Rockies.
A blast of cold air will plummet into the north-central United States and unleash temperatures 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit below normal that will challenge some long-standing records along with early-season snowfall to the Rockies early next week.
A dip in the jet stream will allow cold air from Canada to rush southward and bring record-challenging low temperatures in cities like Billings, Montana, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Denver Monday night.
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"The massive heat wave that will engulf the Rockies [this weekend] is on borrowed time. The strongest cold front of the season will bring it to an abrupt end early next week," Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson explained.
Cities like Minneapolis, Kansas City and Chicago can also expect a taste of fall early next week as midday temperatures will dip into the 60s.
This surge of winterlike air will bring a stark temperature contrast from Monday into Tuesday. It will feel about 50 degrees cooler Tuesday morning, compared to the midday hours Monday in cities like Billings, Cheyenne and Denver.
After the high is expected to climb to 101 F in Billings on Saturday, the mercury will not eclipse 50 F on Monday. Monday night's low will plummet to near the record of 32 F set back in 1962.
Denver is forecast to have a high of 90 F Monday and a low of 34 F on Monday night with a high of 40 F on Tuesday. The forecast low on Monday night will be just 3 degrees shy of the record low of 31 F, which was recorded back in 1962.
Following a high temperature near 80 F during the day Monday, Cheyenne's low on Monday night is projected to bottom out near 30 F. The city's record low is 25 F set in 1962.
Temperatures this low have not been felt in these areas since early May in most locations.
"In addition to the drastic turn to colder weather, there will likely be accumulating snow in the mountains and foothills from Montana all the way down to northern New Mexico," Anderson said.
In the northern Rockies, snow is forecast to fall early next week, including portions of the Front Range in Colorado, including Denver on Tuesday. September snow is common for these locations with the earliest date of first snow on record in Denver being Sept. 3.
Ski resorts in Montana have had a few snow showers already this year. Big Sky Resort in southwestern Montana got a few flakes on the last day of meteorological summer, Aug. 31.
But, a significant snowfall is in store above 7,000 feet, on average, with the potential for 6-12 inches and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches in portions of Colorado and Wyoming. Up to a few inches of snow can fall, mainly on non-paved surfaces at elevations of 5,000-7,000 feet from western Montana to northern New Mexico. Snowfall levels will tend to be lower across the northern part of the Rockies and higher farther south.
More areas in lower elevations could get at least a few snowflakes. Any precipitation in the form of rain that falls during the day Monday or Tuesday will likely freeze overnight on elevated surfaces as temperatures plummet below freezing. Motorists should watch for slick spots on roadways, especially on bridges and overpasses.
The weight of the snowfall on fully leafed trees could cause limbs and branches to break.
Snowfall will range from little to no accumulation over the High Plains east of Denver to several inches over the foothills to the west of the downtown area.
Cold air will continue to rush southward through the middle of next week into New Mexico, northern Texas and Oklahoma. A blast of air this drastically cool is unusual for the South Central states for so early in the season. A charge of cool air in this manner in over the southern High Plains is often called a "blue norther."
"Farther east, conditions will also turn sharply colder down through the lower Plains with the potential for a steady, soaking rain from Monday night through early Wednesday over the central and southern Plains," Anderson said.
As the leading edge of cooler air arrives, gusty winds can be strong enough to kick up dust in dry areas, break tree limbs and lead to sporadic power outages.
By Wednesday, places in northern Texas will have afternoon high temperatures in the middle to lower 60s. Conditions this cool have not been felt in these areas since late March.
Taking a look back at August, areas from Montana to New Mexico experienced sizzling temperatures. Many locations experienced above- to much-above-normal warmth.
Denver's average temperature soared about 4 degrees above normal for the month of August, while Albuquerque, New Mexico, experienced temperatures about 5 degrees above normal.
In contrast to August's atypical warmth, this blast of cold air will leave residents wondering by the middle of next week what season it is and if they should start dusting off their skis.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Sharp blast of cold air to bring late-summer snowfall to Rockies
By Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Sep 3, 2020 3:27 PM EST
Cities across the U.S. endured their warmest meteorological summer on record. Here’s an overlook at which cities broke records with soaring temperatures.
By early next week, the swath from Montana to Colorado will wonder what happened to summer as not only will temperatures plummet but snowflakes will also be flying in some areas and piling up over the Rockies.
A blast of cold air will plummet into the north-central United States and unleash temperatures 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit below normal that will challenge some long-standing records along with early-season snowfall to the Rockies early next week.
A dip in the jet stream will allow cold air from Canada to rush southward and bring record-challenging low temperatures in cities like Billings, Montana, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Denver Monday night.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"The massive heat wave that will engulf the Rockies [this weekend] is on borrowed time. The strongest cold front of the season will bring it to an abrupt end early next week," Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson explained.
Cities like Minneapolis, Kansas City and Chicago can also expect a taste of fall early next week as midday temperatures will dip into the 60s.
Related:
This surge of winterlike air will bring a stark temperature contrast from Monday into Tuesday. It will feel about 50 degrees cooler Tuesday morning, compared to the midday hours Monday in cities like Billings, Cheyenne and Denver.
After the high is expected to climb to 101 F in Billings on Saturday, the mercury will not eclipse 50 F on Monday. Monday night's low will plummet to near the record of 32 F set back in 1962.
Denver is forecast to have a high of 90 F Monday and a low of 34 F on Monday night with a high of 40 F on Tuesday. The forecast low on Monday night will be just 3 degrees shy of the record low of 31 F, which was recorded back in 1962.
Following a high temperature near 80 F during the day Monday, Cheyenne's low on Monday night is projected to bottom out near 30 F. The city's record low is 25 F set in 1962.
Temperatures this low have not been felt in these areas since early May in most locations.
"In addition to the drastic turn to colder weather, there will likely be accumulating snow in the mountains and foothills from Montana all the way down to northern New Mexico," Anderson said.
In the northern Rockies, snow is forecast to fall early next week, including portions of the Front Range in Colorado, including Denver on Tuesday. September snow is common for these locations with the earliest date of first snow on record in Denver being Sept. 3.
Ski resorts in Montana have had a few snow showers already this year. Big Sky Resort in southwestern Montana got a few flakes on the last day of meteorological summer, Aug. 31.
But, a significant snowfall is in store above 7,000 feet, on average, with the potential for 6-12 inches and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches in portions of Colorado and Wyoming. Up to a few inches of snow can fall, mainly on non-paved surfaces at elevations of 5,000-7,000 feet from western Montana to northern New Mexico. Snowfall levels will tend to be lower across the northern part of the Rockies and higher farther south.
More areas in lower elevations could get at least a few snowflakes. Any precipitation in the form of rain that falls during the day Monday or Tuesday will likely freeze overnight on elevated surfaces as temperatures plummet below freezing. Motorists should watch for slick spots on roadways, especially on bridges and overpasses.
The weight of the snowfall on fully leafed trees could cause limbs and branches to break.
Snowfall will range from little to no accumulation over the High Plains east of Denver to several inches over the foothills to the west of the downtown area.
Cold air will continue to rush southward through the middle of next week into New Mexico, northern Texas and Oklahoma. A blast of air this drastically cool is unusual for the South Central states for so early in the season. A charge of cool air in this manner in over the southern High Plains is often called a "blue norther."
"Farther east, conditions will also turn sharply colder down through the lower Plains with the potential for a steady, soaking rain from Monday night through early Wednesday over the central and southern Plains," Anderson said.
As the leading edge of cooler air arrives, gusty winds can be strong enough to kick up dust in dry areas, break tree limbs and lead to sporadic power outages.
By Wednesday, places in northern Texas will have afternoon high temperatures in the middle to lower 60s. Conditions this cool have not been felt in these areas since late March.
Taking a look back at August, areas from Montana to New Mexico experienced sizzling temperatures. Many locations experienced above- to much-above-normal warmth.
Denver's average temperature soared about 4 degrees above normal for the month of August, while Albuquerque, New Mexico, experienced temperatures about 5 degrees above normal.
In contrast to August's atypical warmth, this blast of cold air will leave residents wondering by the middle of next week what season it is and if they should start dusting off their skis.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo