Tonight's Forecast:
Where snow remains on the ground in parts of the eastern Plains, overnight temperatures will be the coldest. These areas can be expect a return to single digit temperatures. Also very cold tonight will be the San Luis Valley, with negative lows expected to return to Alamosa and the surrounding area. Temperatures along the I-25 corridor will mostly cool down to the teens.
Colorado Springs forecast: Low: 15; High: 45; Other than a few more clouds, we're looking at another pretty nice day of weather on Tuesday once the morning freeze wears off.
Pueblo forecast: Low: 9; High: 47; More bitterly cold air Tuesday morning, but with light southwesterly breezes, highs by the afternoon will be similar to what we saw today.
Canon City forecast: Low: 24; High: 50; A relatively mild airmass will continue to bring gorgeous weather to the Canon City area on Tuesday. Plan to get outside and enjoy before the Arctic blast arrives Wednesday evening.
Woodland Park forecast: Low: 13; High: 40; Bundle up in the morning, but by the afternoon, plan on taking advantage of the nice weather before big changes roll in later this week.
Tri-Lakes forecast: Low: 0s/10s; High: 30s/40s; A cold start to our Tuesday will give way to a seasonable afternoon for the Palmer Divide region, with daytime highs expected to top out near 40 degrees.
Plains forecast: Low: 0s/10s; High: 30s/40s; Lingering cold air in the Plains will continue to impact areas where snow from last week's storm still persists. These areas will be colder than surrounding areas where snow has already melted away.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: Low: 10s/20s; High: 40s; Layer up as you head out the door, but prepare to shed some layers by the afternoon as daytime highs should warm into the 40s near the Raton Mesa region.
Mountains forecast: Low: 0s/10s; High: 20s/30s; Cold, dry and windy during the day on Tuesday, with the potential for some light snow to develop up towards the Central Mountains by Tuesday evening.
Extended outlook forecast:
Forecast wise...we're still focused on a major cold snap that will impact Southern Colorado from Wednesday evening into the day on Friday. As a powerful cold front arrives Wednesday night, a sharp drop in temperatures and an increase in wind can be expected. Wind gusts of 40-60 mph will be possible through Thursday morning, with dangerous overnight wind chills for much of the state.
Wind Chill Watches have been issued for a large part of the state from Wednesday night to Friday morning. Dangerous wind chill values behind Wednesday night's front could drop as low as -40 to -50°F. Stay safe everyone! #cowx pic.twitter.com/xEpigomCTr
— Alan Rose (@AlanRoseWX) December 19, 2022
Snow will also accompany this storm, with a quick burst of wintry weather from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Snow will be light and fluffy due to the cold air, with the potential for a trace to 3" of accumulation.
After the snow wraps up, the real cold will arrive, with highs on Thursday below zero in many areas. Lows Thursday night to Friday morning will be the worst part of this Arctic invasion as temperatures could reach near -20°F in some parts of the eastern Plains.
We'll stay chilly Friday before a gradual warming trend helps to thaw us out just in time for Christmas.
____
Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.