Arctic blast to slap Boulder, amid massive winter storm
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An Arctic blast arrived in Colorado yesterday, delivering the coldest temperatures so far this season with wind chills reaching -20° in parts of the Eastern Plains.
Why it matters: Winter is so back.
State of play: The storm started with temperatures falling into the single digits overnight — just one day after Boulder saw a balmy 50°, according to the National Weather Service.
- Today's high isn't likely to top 20°, while the overnight low is set for -2° with windchill — plus, a chance of some snow accumulation.
- For tomorrow, the forecasted high is 13° with lows barely cracking 0° and more flakes likely.
- Windchill forecasts put Sunday's low at -8°, as of yesterday morning.
Zoom in: Westminster officials announced The MAC, a recreation center at 3295 W. 72nd Ave., will operate as a cold weather shelter through noon Sunday.
Threat level: Brian Lazar, deputy director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), warned that while the winter storm would bring welcome change to the high country's record-low snowpack, it raises risks for the backcountry, CBS Colorado reports.
- Last weekend's storm brought 6 to 10 inches to Colorado's northern mountains, increasing avalanche activity, and Lazar anticipates "avalanche activity to increase both in quantity and volume," per CBS.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for the Interstate 70 mountain corridor and Summit County from 5am today through 5am Sunday, per the weather service.
- Between 6 inches and a foot of snow is expected, making travel "very difficult to impossible," forecasters said.
The big picture: The cold air mass is part of a massive winter storm expected to thrash a huge swath of the U.S. this weekend. Nearly 148 million Americans face winter storm watches spanning 2,000 miles from New Mexico to Maine as of yesterday afternoon.
The bottom line: Not that Boulderites are unfamiliar with winter weather events, but NWS director Ken Graham offered some words of wisdom for folks in the storm's path ...
❄️ Keep your generators outside in a well-ventilated spot.
❄️ Don't overexert yourself shoveling.
❄️ Don't approach downed power lines.