Today’s Forecast:
The main story today remains below average temperatures. Wind speeds remain light - that's the good news. Out the door, expect temperatures in the single digits to low teens along I-25, upper teens to low 20s on the east plains, and near zero temperatures in the foothills. Be prepared for isolated patches of snow and ice in the southeastern part of Colorado Springs, and eastern El Paso county. Early this morning we've observed some light fog over parts of eastern El Paso county, on top of light low-accumulation snow that fell last night. Impacts, if any, will be minimal. Clouds east of I-25 will clear through the morning, with mostly sunny skies through the day.
Airflow today will remain out of the northwest - this flow bringing in chilly dry air from Canada. Highs today will only climb to a couple degrees above or below freezing - with the "warmer" highs at lower elevations, and colder highs on the higher terrain. Across the board 10-15 degrees below average. Pack all the layers, and keep them all day.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 31; Low: 8.
Mostly sunny - but cold - today in the Olympic City. Highs a couple degrees above to a couple degrees below freezing with higher spots colder than lower areas. The good news: wind remains light today, variable at 5-10 mph.
Pueblo forecast: High: 34; Low: 8.
Sunny skies - but cold highs Monday in the steel city. West winds at 5-10 mph in the morning, becoming variable and sporadic during the afternoon. Pack the layers, you can skip the winter boots.
Canon City forecast: High: 36; Low: 11.
Sunny and cold with west winds through the day at 5-10 mph. Clouds increase after sunset this evening.
Woodland Park forecast: High: 28; Low: 2.
Sunny - and also cold - with highs in the 20s. Light winds at 5-10 mph out of the west will result in wind chills around 20 this afternoon. A nice morning for some hot chocolate?
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: Upper 20s; Low: 5-10.
Sunny - with wind chills in the teens to low 20s during the day, and near 10 by the middle of the evening. West winds at 5-10 mph.
Plains forecast: High: Upper 30s; Low: 10-15.
Patchy light fog in the central east plains early dissipating quickly by sunrise. Mostly sunny today with west winds at 5-15 mph. Partly cloudy tonight.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 33/38; Low: 12/10.
Sunny with west winds at 5-15 mph. Despite the light downsloping winds, highs today stay relatively cold.
Mountains forecast: High: 20s/30s; Low: 0-10.
It is January in Colorado - which means - it is very cold today in the Rockies. In the southern mountains, sunshine with west winds at 10-15 mph: expect single digit wind chills in the afternoon. Partly cloudy this evening.
Extended outlook forecast:
High pressure moves over the state from Tuesday through Thursday. Tuesday remains colder than average though - with highs about 5 degrees above what you see today. In meteorology cold air is sometimes referred to as "the bully": cold air is denser than warm air, so when it's entrenched, it takes time to get it out of the area when an upper pattern shift is in place. In other words, bet on cold air taking its time to leave.
Wednesday will see plenty of sunshine and seasonable highs, with the warmest day - and pick of the week - arriving Thursday. Highs will be above average with downslope breezes. Friday will again be near seasonal as the ridge of high pressure begins to move away from the area. This will lead to breezy conditions during the afternoon.
My main message is: enjoy the mid-week warmth while you can. A strong, bitterly cold, arctic front will arrive Friday night. Temperatures this weekend will plunge to a deep freeze with highs in the teens to 20s in southern Colorado. We're monitoring the potential for snow this weekend, with the best chance (50-70% across the region) on Saturday, following the cold front and in association with an upper-level disturbance. We will continue providing you with the First Alert on the cold and any potential snow as we monitor this inbound system throughout the week.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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