Denver Weather: Warm on Wednesday before cold, snow, and wind quickly arrives

Wednesday will be the warmest day of the year so far in Denver with at least 70 degrees. Then winter quickly returns starting Wednesday evening.

The last time Denver reached 70 degrees was in early November so it's been more than four months since the city has been as warm as the weather is expected to be on Wednesday.

Then changes quickly arrive Wednesday evening when a strong cold front reaches the Front Range. Temperatures on Thursday will be at least 35 degrees colder on Thursday along gusty northerly winds that will make it feel even colder.

The front will cause light rain to develop by late evening on Wednesday followed by a change to all snow before 2 a.m. Thursday. Snow showers are then expected especially over the southern and western suburbs of Denver through the Thursday morning commute. Locations farther north including Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley may not get much if any snow.

Snow accumulation will be under 2 inches for most areas but some areas south and west like Castle Rock, Ken Caryl, Morrison, Genesee, Golden, and Boulder could get up to 3 inches.

Relatively warm road temperatures should also limit how much snow is able to accumulate on the roads below 6,000 feet. Therefore travel impacts for the most of the Denver metro area should be minor although some roads will become slushy.

The bigger impact for most areas will be the dramatically colder weather on Thursday. High temperatures around Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins will only be in the 30s. Wind gusts up to 45 mph will make it feel even colder. And there will be no quick warmup behind the storm system. Temperatures are expected to stay below normal from Thursday through at least Wednesday of next week.