Snow to blanket High Plains, Rockies before bitterly cold Arctic blast
As the coldest air of the winter begins a southward push into the central United States, snow and a quick freeze-up will create hazardous travel beginning late this week and continuing this weekend along Interstate 25.
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A wall of snow will push southward across the Rockies and High Plains as the coldest air of the season so far sweeps southward this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The combination of accumulating snow and plunging temperatures will create dangerous conditions.
A mass of Siberian air crossed the North Pole at midweek, dove southward across central Canada late this week and will finally enter the central United States this weekend. Accumulating snow will break out and move southward as the air moves over the western Plains and eastern slopes of the Rockies.
Snow in Montana and northern Idaho wash pushing southward into Wyoming, affecting the Interstate 15, 25 and 94 corridors.
The ridges and peaks of the Rockies will act as a marker for the western edge of the snow as it moves southward across Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The snow will fall mainly on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, Foothills and adjacent High Plains of the I-25 corridor.
"Depending on where the snow is intermittent or is able to fall at a heavy rate for a few hours because of local terrain, a couple of inches to as much as a foot of snow can fall," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jacob Hinson said.
From Friday night to Saturday morning, metro Denver may receive 4 to perhaps 8 inches of snow, with greater amounts possible toward the foothills to the west and the Palmer Divide to the south.
Other cities in the region, from north to south that are likely to pick up at least some accumulating snow from the storm include Great Falls, Montana; Casper, Wyoming; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Lubbock, Texas.
Snow may reach as far south as the border between western Texas and Mexico although it will be spotty in nature compared to the steadier snow expected in Colorado and Wyoming.
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In many cases, the snow may melt initially on roads and sidewalks due to preceding mild air, but plummeting temperatures at least as far south as Colorado and northeastern New Mexico will then create a rapid freeze-up condition. A layer of ice may form beneath the snow, leading to exceptionally slippery conditions.
Temperatures will plummet as the Arctic air arrives.
In Denver and many other areas over the central High Plains and Foothills, the temperature has not yet been below zero Fahrenheit this winter. That will change this weekend. After a high in the 50s on Thursday, temperatures will reach around 40 on Friday before the frigid air takes root. During Friday night, temperatures will crash through the 10s and remain there or fall slowly on Saturday.
Low temperatures are forecast to be below zero Saturday night and Sunday night in Denver and high temperatures may be no higher than the single digits on Monday.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures can be 10-20 degrees lower than the actual temperature at peak.
The coldest air of the season so far will race southward across the eastern slopes of the Rockies and Plains from this weekend to early next week.
Temperatures may dip into the 10s F on at least one night early next week as far south as Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
After lunging southward over the Rockies and Great Plains states, the frigid air will then turn east.
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