Colorado Weather: snow and cold arrive early this week

To wrap up the weekend temperatures will run nearly 10 degrees above normal in the Denver metro area with daytime highs in the upper 50s and low 60s by the afternoon. Temperatures in southeast Colorado will be close to 70 degrees today. 

The wind will return after 11 am along the Palmer Divide south through Pueblo and east through Springfield. The warm and dry conditions have prompted a Red Flag Warning from 11 am through 5 pm. We could see wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour with low relative humidity. 

Monday will be mild along the front range, before the snow arrives Monday night into Tuesday. Our next storm system is set to push into the western half of the state starting early Monday making its way to the metro area Monday night into Tuesday. We've declared Tuesday a First Alert Weather Day for cold and snow. We are expecting 1 to 3 inches of snow in the metro area. The Northern mountains could see more than a foot of snow and in northeast Colorado we could see 4 to 10 inches of snow. 

A Winter Storm Warning is in place Monday from 5 am through 11 pm for the San Juan Mountains. Plan on difficult travel with blowing snow causing reduced visibility. 

Blizzard or blizzard like conditions are possible in the northeastern portion of the state Monday night and through the day on Tuesday. Gusty winds and snow will cause blowing and drifting snow making for difficult travel. A Winer Storm Watch is in place from Monday night through Tuesday night for the northeast portion of the state from Ft Morgan through Sterling. 

There is a Winter Weather Advisory in effect from Monday afternoon through Wednesday. 

After the snow moves out the cold will stick around with daytime high temperatures in the 20s and 30s for the next week.