It has been 10 days since we have seen a mercury reading at or above normal. The good news is that today we may finally break that streak. The bad news is that from there, it is all downhill with very cold temperatures on the horizon.

For Friday, we will have partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies above. High temperatures should top out right near the average of 45 degrees for the date. Winds will be breezy, particularly this afternoon, so it probably won’t feel that warm. Tonight, skies will be partly cloudy with lows around 20 degrees.

Saturday is going to see colder air drawn in from the north. This will result in highs that likely fail to reach the freezing mark. We do see a bit of a chance for some freezing drizzle / light snow in the afternoon and evening but it isn’t expected to amount to much, if anything. Saturday night, a few flurries may be seen and lows will be dropping well into the single digits.

Sunday is when the cold begins to make itself felt. Cloudy skies will be above and high temperatures will only be in the teens. Sunday night, some light snow may be seen and lows will be dropping to below zero.

Be sure to do what you can to prepare for the cold and be careful if you venture out once the worst of it hits. Have a good weekend!

A bit of an improvement in the weather for today as we finally see fewer clouds and temperatures warm slightly. There will, however, also be some wind.

Mostly sunny to sunny skies will be above through the daytime hours. High temperatures will climb to the mid to upper 30s. That is still cooler than normal but at least some improvement. Winds will be light this morning then become pretty breezy in the afternoon.

Tonight, winds remain breezy for most of the period. Cloud cover will increase and we will see overnight lows in the low 20s.

Another kind of ‘blah’ day for Thornton. We will see a good bit of cloud cover, cold temps and some snow that amounts to pretty much nothing.

Mostly cloudy skies will be above for the majority of the day with maybe a bit of a break in coverage mid-day. High temperatures will top out near freezing with slightly breezy north winds making it feel colder.

As for snow, we have some chances through the morning with less opportunity in the afternoon. If any does fall, accumulation should be quite minimal, a trace to a half inch.

Tonight, skies remain mostly cloudy. Any snow will end in the evening. Overnight lows will dip well into the teens.

Another less than stellar day for Thornton and the Front Range. The morning and early afternoon will be calm but with a good bit of cloud cover then we will see a few flurries through the overnight hours.

We start out the day with partly sunny skies then become mostly cloudy in the afternoon. High temperatures will top out near the freezing mark. After 3:00pm, some flurries / light snow may be seen.

Tonight, some snow will continue but only minimal accumulations, if any. From 6:00pm through 9:00am tomorrow morning, we will be lucky to receive an inch. Overnight lows will be in the teens.

Back to work today and given the weather, that isn’t all bad since it won’t be particularly nice today. Look for lots of clouds, cold temps and a bit of a chance for snow.

Cloudy skies will be above throughout most of the day. High temperatures will top out around 30 degrees. This morning we may see some flurries / light snow. No real accumulation is expected, a trace to a half inch. Any snow will end by mid-afternoon.

Tonight, skies remain mostly cloudy and low temperatures will dip to the teens.

Ready for a break from the cold? If so, this forecast probably won’t please you.

Tomorrow will see some light snow in the morning but it won’t be widespread and won’t amount to much (maybe a half inch). Beyond that, we see Tuesday and Wednesday with a good bit of cloud cover but with highs only near freezing. Thursday should see the sun return but we remain cold. Finally, on Friday, we do see a warm up with temps close to normal. However, a storm system next weekend looks to chill us right back out.

Protracted cold spells, damaging and injuring winds and heavy snowfall mark our look back at this week in Denver weather history.

From the National Weather Service:

15-23

In 1962…a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week. From the 15th thru the 23rd…low temperatures were zero or below for 9 consecutive days…but a daily record low was set only on the 22nd when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero. A record low maximum for the date was also set on the 22nd when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees. The coldest high temperature was 3 degrees above zero on the 21st…which did not break the record. The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the 20th when Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening. The severe cold caused much damage to water systems. A woman was frozen to death at Morrison. There were other deaths attributable to the weather…including traffic deaths and heart attacks from overexertion.

18-24

In 2005…a week of mid-winter unseasonably warm weather pushed high temperatures into the 60’s or more on all but one day. During the period…the highest temperature of 70 degrees on the 20th was a new record maximum for the date. Low temperatures remained above freezing on 4 of the days.

20-22

In 1937…a second incursion of cold arctic in less than two weeks kept temperatures in the deep freeze for three days… Even though only one temperature record was set during the period. Temperatures were below zero for an estimated 53 consecutive hours. The below zero period would have been longer had the temperatures on the 20th not climbed to a high of 1 degree after a low of 8 degrees below zero. On the 21st…the high temperature of 1 degree below zero was a record low maximum for the date. Low readings on both the 21st and 22nd were 9 degrees below zero.

In 1971…high winds raked Boulder. Wind gusts to 77 mph were recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Winds gusted to 83 mph in south Boulder and to 68 mph in downtown Boulder. Minor personal injuries occurred…and reported damage to structures totaled 15 thousand dollars. On the 21st…northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 69 degrees on the 20th…which equaled the record for the date.

In 1993…sporadic high winds along the east slopes of the Front Range during the early morning hours of the 20th moved onto the foothills and plains by the 22nd. Wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph were common. Some significant wind reports included 82 mph at Rollinsville and atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver…and 75 mph on Rocky Flats. At Stapleton International Airport…west winds gusted to 35 mph on the 20th…44 mph on the 21st…and 55 mph on the 22nd.

21-22

In 1972…wind gusts to 74 mph were recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder…while in downtown Boulder wind gusts to 56 mph were measured. The strong winds overturned a plane at the Arapahoe County airport. A motorcyclist died of injuries when he was blown off a Boulder County road. Northwest winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 21st.

In 1999…heavy snow developed across portions of metro Denver and in the foothills. Snowfall totals included: 8 inches in Golden Gate Canyon…Intercanyon…Rollinsville… And Parker; 7 inches at Aspen Springs…Gross Reservoir… Pine Junction…and 5 miles south of Sedalia; 6 inches at Highlands Ranch; and 5 inches at Eaglecrest…Eldorado Springs…and Louisville. Snowfall totaled 2.6 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. On the 21st…north-northwest winds gusted to 31 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2019…a winter storm system brought a mix of strong winds with pockets of moderate to heavy snow to the southern Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide; with blizzard conditions observed along Interstate 70 east of Aurora. I-70 was closed in the morning through early afternoon on the 22nd…from the exit at Denver International Airport to the Kansas state line. Parts of major highways including I-25 south of Denver toward Monument and Highway 24 were also closed for several hours. Numerous accidents along I-70 were reported due to strong winds and low visibility of a quarter mile or less. Strong northerly winds gusting from 45 to 55 mph were observed. The heaviest snowfall occurred in the southern Front Range Foothills and the Palmer Divide south of Denver. Storm totals in those areas included: 15 inches at Shaffers Crossing; 10 inches in Conifer; 9 inches near Ponderosa Park with 6.5 inches in Brookvale. In addition…5.5 inches was observed at Castle Pines with 1 to 4 inches elsewhere. The official snowfall measurement at Denver International Aiport was 1.3 inches with a peak wind gust of 38 mph from the north.

22

In 1899…a cold front produced northeast sustained winds to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph in the city.

In 1951…a heavy windstorm struck Boulder. Minor damage was reported. Strong post-frontal east winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1990…strong winds of 50 to 90 mph buffeted the foothills. No significant damage was reported. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1992…strong winds raked the eastern foothills with a wind gust to 58 mph recorded at Rocky Flats just northwest of Denver. West winds gusted to only 25 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2003…only a trace of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. This along with a trace of snow on the 1st was the only snow of the month…which equaled the record for the least snowiest January first set in 1934.

22-23

In 1982…wind gusts up to 101 mph were clocked at Wondervu. Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph were common along the Front Range foothills from Boulder north.

22-26

In 1948…the longest period of snowfall on record (92 hours and 3 minutes) occurred in downtown Denver where a total of 13.6 inches of snow fell. At Stapleton Airport…19.0 inches of snow fell…making it the heaviest snow in January and the 5th heaviest snow of record at that time. North winds were sustained to a velocity of 23 mph on the 25th…but generally the winds were light throughout the storm. The snow disrupted traffic…but street clearing was begun soon after it became apparent that the snow would be heavy. Over the 5 days…temperatures ranged from a high of 48 degrees on the 22nd to a low of 1 degree on the 26th. Most readings were in the teens and 20’s during the storm.

23

In 1872…a brisk northerly wind set in about noon…blew almost a gale about 6:00 pm…and continued brisk until night. A light snow commenced during the late afternoon and continued all night.

In 1886…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph in the city around sunrise. A cold wave accompanied the strong winds.

In 1897…a vigorous cold front produced northeast winds sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Temperatures plunged from a high of 59 degrees to a low of 11 degrees in the evening. The very cold temperatures persisted through the 28th.

In 1934…the date marked the last day of the longest period of consecutive days without measurable precipitation in the city. The 52 day period began on December 3…1933.

In 1988…one of the strongest windstorms in several years pounded the Front Range foothills from Colorado Springs north to the Wyoming border. The highest wind gust at lower elevations was 105 mph recorded at Table Mesa in Boulder. Other sections of Boulder recorded wind gusts of 80 to 90 mph. In Boulder…the high winds broke windows and damaged power lines and transformers. Power outages were widespread and traffic lights were downed. The winds blew down a partially constructed viaduct in east Boulder. Nine unanchored concrete girders…each weighing 45 tons…were blown off their supports. Cars were blown off I-70 near Morrison…and a tractor trailer and a mobile home were knocked over. In Lakewood…an electric company crewman was burned while replacing a power line. Wind gusts to 92 mph were clocked at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield before the site anemometer was blown down by the wind. The strong winds spread over all the metro area with a northwest wind gust to 52 mph recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1992…high winds buffeted the eastern foothills. A wind gust to 63 mph was recorded at Rocky Flats northwest of Denver. West winds gusted to 40 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2002…low level upslope flow combined with an upper level jet stream created bands of heavy snow over portions of the Front Range foothills and metro Denver. The areas hardest hit were the foothills of Jefferson and Douglas counties and the I-25 corridor from the southern suburbs of Denver to around Castle Rock. Snow totals included: 9 inches at Intercanyon…Roxborough State Park…and near Sedalia; 8.5 inches atop Crow Hill and near Tiny Town; 8 inches at Ken Caryl and near Castle Rock; 7 inches in Lakewood; 6.5 inches at Littleton; and 6 inches in Castle Rock. Only 3.6 inches of snow were measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. » Click here to read the rest of January 22 to January 28: This Week in Denver Weather History

We are going to continue the unsettled weather through the weekend and, in fact, it will likely continue through much of next week. For the next few days, look for temps below normal and some chances for snow.

For Friday, we won’t be seeing much blue above and it will remain cold with highs struggling to reach freezing. A few flurries may be seen in the afternoon and then in the evening chances increase. Minimal accumulations, if any at all, are expected. Tonight, any snow will end in the early morning hours and lows will dip to the teens.

Saturday will be dry and calm but chilly without a lot of sun. Look for partly sunny skies and highs in the mid-30s. Saturday night, skies will see some clearing and lows again dip to the teens.

The daytime hours on Sunday will be much like Saturday. Highs again reach the mid-30s under partly sunny skies.

The next storm system arrives Sunday PM with snow becoming possible in the evening and lasting through the overnight hours. Models are far from agreement on the track of this storm so it is tough to pin down impacts. The potential will be there for a few inches of snow to be on the ground Monday morning. We will keep an eye on it and update throughout the weekend as appropriate.

Have a great weekend!

Our latest storm system is out the door and in its wake we see things clear up and warm up – slightly. We will enjoy a good bit of sun today but temps will remain below normal.

Clear skies start us off then by late morning / early afternoon some cloud cover will build. Overall, conditions will be calm and dry. Look for highs in the mid to upper 30s.

Tonight, lows will drop to the teens with mostly cloudy skies overhead.

January’s reputation of being dry and windy is evidenced in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. While there are some notable events involving snow, high winds have been the most frequent event worthy of mention.

From the National Weather Service:

13-15

In 2021…strong and damaging winds developed across Front Range mountains…foothills and adjacent plains.  A large shed blew over and smashed into a parked car in Gold Hill in the foothills of Boulder County.  Across metro Denver…a fallen tree brought down power lines and sparked a small grass and shed fire; another tree fell into a house in Centennial. No injuries were reported.  In the mountains and foothills… peak gusts included: 94 mph near Crisman…83 mph at Blackhawk… 80 mph near Marshall…and 79 mph near Berthoud Pass.  Across the urban corridor and adjacent plains…peak gusts included: 69 mph near Centennial…64 mph in Broomfield…63 mph near Elizabeth and Northglenn…62 mph at Strasburg…60 mph near Buckley AFB…Castle Pines…Lone Tree and Parker…and 59 mph near Littleton.  At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 58 mph was observed from the west on the 13th…with another gust to 58 mph from the north observed on the 14th.

13-16

In 1888…a cold air mass settled over the city and caused temperatures to plunge well below zero on four consecutive days…but only one temperature record was set. Minimum temperatures dipped to 4 degrees below zero on the 13th… 19 degrees below zero on the 14th…20 degrees below zero on the 15th…and 11 degrees below zero on the 16th. The maximum temperature of only 4 degrees below zero on the 14th was a record low maximum for the date. North winds were sustained to 30 mph on the 13th.

14-15

In 1908…heavy post-frontal snowfall totaled 6.5 inches overnight. North winds were sustained to 32 mph. The temperature dropped 41 degrees in 24 hours from a reading of 48 degrees at 8:00 pm on the 14th to only 7 degrees at 8:00 pm on the 15th.

In 1950…strong winds occurred in Boulder and Louisville. Winds in excess of 60 mph were recorded at Valmont. Minor damage was reported. Southwest winds gusted to 50 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1959…a total of 5.5 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.

In 1992…snow spread from the mountains across metro Denver. The heaviest snow was across the northern portion of the area where 7 inches fell at Thornton. At Stapleton International Airport…only 3.4 inches of snowfall were recorded and northeast winds gusting to 37 mph caused some blowing snow on the 14th.

In 1999…high winds howled across metro Denver. In Commerce City…strong winds toppled 3 utility poles resulting in a power outage to 600 homes. High wind reports included: 108 mph at Wondervu…80 mph at the Hiwan Golf Course in Evergreen…76 mph at Aspen Springs…75 mph at the Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…74 mph in Boulder…and 70 mph at Georgetown. West to northwest winds gusted to 48 mph…the highest wind gust of the month…and warmed the temperature to a high of 60 degrees at Denver International Airport on the 15th.

14-21

In 1930…a protracted cold spell occurred when low temperatures plunged below zero on 8 consecutive days. The coldest low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero on the 17th and 19 degrees below zero on the 16th were record minimums for the dates. High temperatures during the period ranged from 18 on the 18th to zero on the 20th. Two degrees on the 15th was a record low maximum temperature for the date.

15

In 1875…the wind backed from the southwest to the northeast before noon. The temperature fell 48 degrees in one hour… From a high of 52 degrees to only 4 degrees between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm…as cold arctic air surged back over the city.

In 1888…the low temperature dipped to 20 degrees below zero.

In 1906…southwest winds were sustained to 44 mph.

In 1921…south winds were sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 48 mph. The winds warmed the temperature to a high of 63 degrees. The low temperature of only 47 degrees was a record high minimum for the date.

In 1943…strong Chinook winds struck the Front Range foothills. Wind gusts to 96 mph were recorded at Valmont in east Boulder…with 90 mph measured at Boulder airport. Some damage occurred.

In 1976…strong Chinook winds with peak gusts of 70 to 80 mph were recorded along the foothills. Northwest winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…a vigorous cold front plunged temperatures 22 degrees in an hour from 39 to 17 degrees. Strong northeast winds at 30 mph with gusts to 46 mph…along with some snow flurries…reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1987…heavy snow hit metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 10.3 inches at Stapleton International Airport…but amounts across the area ranged from 3 inches in southeast Aurora to 18 inches in the western and southwestern suburbs. Only an inch of snow was measured at Castle Rock. A half foot to a foot of snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and Boulder. Some schools were closed due to the storm. Temperatures hovered in the teens most of the day at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 30 mph.

In 1988…high winds were clocked in Boulder with a gust to 70 mph recorded at Table Mesa.

In 1998…strong winds developed in and near the Front Range foothills. Winds gusted to 71 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. South-southwest winds gusted to only 25 mph at Denver International Airport.

15-16

In 1967…a major windstorm struck Boulder. The storm was described at the time as the worst single windstorm in the history of Boulder in terms of damage. Winds reached 125 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and at Boulder airport. Winds gusted to 84 mph downtown. Damage totaled a half million dollars in Boulder where some minor injuries were reported. At the Boulder Municipal Airport… 14 light airplanes were severely damaged. The second floor of a warehouse was blown down…damaging two nearby moving vans. A mobile home was blown over south of Boulder… Injuring one woman. The roof of a department store was blown in. There was widespread damage to houses…autos… And power lines from wind and flying debris. Strong winds also occurred in Denver and Golden…but damage was only minor. At Stapleton International Airport…west winds gusted to 43 mph on the 15th and to 45 mph on the 16th.

In 1981…heavy snow of 6 to 10 inches accumulated across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 21 mph on the 15th.

In 1991…a pacific storm system moved across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 3 to 7 inches with 3 inches in Aurora… Denver…and Castle Rock…4 inches in Arvada…and 7 inches at South Platte station just southwest of Denver. Snowfall totaled only 2.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 21 mph on the 16th.

In 2001…heavy snow fell across the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. The combination of careless driving and snowpacked highways resulted in 3 multi-vehicle accidents involving 30 vehicles…along I-25 in Douglas County. Eleven people were injured and one was killed. Snow amounts included: 11 inches in Evergreen; 10 inches at Eldorado Springs and Genesee; 8 inches at Broomfield… Ken Caryl Ranch…and Thornton; and 5 to 7 inches in Arvada…Bailey…Crow Hill…Gross Reservoir…Lakewood… Louisville…Westminster…and near Loveland. Snowfall totaled 2.7 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

15-23

In 1962…a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week. From the 15th thru the 23rd…low temperatures were zero or below for 9 consecutive days…but a daily record low was set only on the 22nd when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero. A record low maximum for the date was also set on the 22nd when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees. The coldest high temperature was 3 degrees above zero on the 21st…which did not break the record. The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the 20th when Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening. The severe cold caused much damage to water systems. A woman was frozen to death at Morrison. There were other deaths attributable to the weather…including traffic deaths and heart attacks from overexertion.

16

In 1911…a trace of rain fell…a rare event in January.

In 1935…rainfall was 0.01 inch during the afternoon…a rare event in January.

In 1989…wind gusts to 80 mph were reported in southwest Boulder. Winds reached 100 mph at Rollinsville in the foothills southwest of Boulder. In Golden…the wind blew a 25-foot trailer through a fence and flipped it over. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 49 degrees.

16-17

In 1886…a brief cold spell resulted in two temperature records. High temperatures of zero degrees on the 16th and 2 degrees below zero on the 17th were both record low maximums for the dates. Low temperatures of 8 degrees below zero on the 16th and 16 degrees below zero on the 17th were not records.

In 1930…temperatures plunging well below zero resulted in two records. Low temperatures of 19 degrees below zero on the 16th and 20 degrees below zero on the 17th were record low temperatures for the dates. High temperatures were 4 degrees on the 16th and 15 degrees on the 17th. Light snowfall totaled 4.0 inches. North winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 16th.

In 1964…high winds struck the eastern foothills. Gale velocity winds were recorded in Boulder with gusts to 83 mph measured at Rocky Flats. Several airplanes were damaged at the Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Roofs…walls…and parts of buildings were blown away at various locations. Power poles and trees were blown over. » Click here to read the rest of January 15 to January 21: This week in Denver weather history