Wind chills on the Front Range as low as -40 degrees through Martin Luther King Jr Day
The arctic cold front responsible for Colorado's extreme winter weather arrived Friday evening and caused temperatures to plummet extremely fast. By early Saturday morning, the official temperature in Denver was -12 degrees at the airport. That is the coldest temperature in the city since December 2022. Denver's official high temperature on Saturday was 0 degrees. Sunday was not much warmer with 6 degrees.
The combination of a prolonged stretch extreme cold, strong winds, and heavy mountain snow has prompted CBS News Colorado to declare additional First Alert Weather Days for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday and through the morning commute on Tuesday.
The wind will also remain a big concern. A Wind Chill Warning remains in effect until 11 am on Tuesday for the Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins areas as well as all of the Eastern Plains for dangerously cold wind chills as low as -40 degrees.
Everyone within the warned area is strongly encouraged to avoid outdoor activities when possible. And when outside, to certainly wear appropriate clothing including a hat and gloves.
On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day will likely be the coldest one on record with a morning low close to -4 degrees and a high near 0 degrees. If you are planning to go to the Marade, temperatures at 10 am will be be around -2 degrees with wind chills of at least -15 degrees.
In the mountains, wind and heavy snow are the big story through the start of the new week. A Winter Storm Warning continues through Monday at 5pm for most mountain areas in the state. Areas north of I-70 including Steamboat Springs, the Rocky Mountain National Park region, Winter Park, and the Flat Tops will get at least another 10-20 inches of snow on Monday and Tuesday.
RELATED: Colorado Avalanche Information Center warns of increased avalanche danger over MLK holiday weekend
Gov. Polis activated the Colorado National Guard ahead of the storm.
Conditions should improve statewide by Tuesday afternoon as temperatures should rise above freezing with a warming trend soon after.
