Colorado weather alert: Dangerously cold wind chill, snow to last through holiday weekend

This one's going to sting.

Starting Friday, Jan. 12, a major storm that has already been lashing Colorado's mountains with heavy snow and strong wind will lumber onto the Front Range and Eastern Plains with dangerous wind chills forecast for the long holiday weekend.

The National Weather Service on Friday afternoon made significant increases to snowfall forecasts for many areas. Fort Collins' forecast total was increased to 3 to 8 inches with 5 inches expected.

Cameron Pass could see more than 3 feet of snow. The area, along with the western half of Larimer County and much of central and northern mountains are under a winter storm warning until 5 p.m. Jan. 14.

Here's a breakdown of the storm, including the timing, travel impacts, how cold will it get and forecast snowfall totals.

Fort Collins is on accident alert Saturday

Fort Collins Police Services on its social media sites announced the city is on accident alert until 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 due to dangerous driving conditions.

That means drivers involved in a noninjury, nonalcohol/drug related crash should exchange information and report the crash online at https://www.fcgov.com/police/coplogic-start-report.

Police also asked people to avoid traveling Saturday if possible.

Protect yourself against wind chill as Colorado warning is updated

Much of Colorado is under a wind chill warning through 11 a.m. Tuesday, as expected increasing winds could bring outdoor wind chills to as low as 40 degrees below zero. According to the National Weather Service, frostbite could set in on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

If you need to venture out in the days ahead, be sure to dress warmly and cover exposed skin. Having extra emergency items in your car including extra outerwear, a blanket, water and food are important if you're traveling anywhere outside of populated areas.

Thompson School District implements delayed start on Tuesday

In the realm of advanced planning, Thompson School District on Friday afternoon announced that it would delay the start of school by two hours on Tuesday. Students are out of school Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

According to a TSD news release, schools will let out at the regular time, but all schedules, starting with bus pick-up, will be delayed by two hours from their normal start times. More information on TSD weather delays can be found on the district's webpage.

Poudre School District officials on Friday afternoon said they were monitoring the weather and had not yet made a determination on the start of Tuesday's classes.

Fort Collins MLK Day march cancelled due to frigid weather

Fort Collins' well-attended Martin Luther King Jr. Day march has been cancelled due to the brutally cold weather forecast, organizers confirmed to the Coloradoan Friday. Indoor events are still planned, and Coloradoan reporter Erin Udell has the details here.

Fort Collins could see 40-degree drop in next 12 hours

The National Weather Service recorded a daytime high temperature of 35 degrees at its Northern Colorado Regional Airport weather station just before 2 p.m. Friday. The temperature had already dropped to 24 by 3 p.m. and was expected to bottom out at minus 11 degrees before sunrise Saturday.

Colorado is used to wild temperature swings, but a dive of more than 40 degrees from a daytime high near freezing can result in dangerous conditions, especially as winds are expected to escalate.

Temperatures are expected to stay near zero for the next three days before the next big temperature swing comes Tuesday morning. Then, the NWS has forecast Monday's overnight low of minus 12 to climb up to a daytime high of 26.

The long-range forecast is predicting a daytime high of 44 on Wednesday.

When to expect rapidly falling temperatures and snow in Fort Collins

Bruno Rodriguez, National Weather Service meteorologist in Boulder, said Fort Collins can expect temperatures and snow to fall this evening.

He said the cold front is expected to hit Fort Collins this evening, quickly dropping temperatures from around 32 degrees to below zero overnight.

"We get these types of artic fronts once or twice a season,'' he said. "But this one is going to be lengthy going from tonight (Friday) all the through Tuesday, so that's pretty lengthy.''

He said heavy snow banding could occur this evening in an oval that includes Fort Collins but that it should move through fairly quickly with 1 to 3 inches possible and where heavier bands occur up to 5 inches.

Will Fort Collins see record-breaking temperatures with this storm?

• Saturday: Record maximum low is 2 degrees. Forecast is 2 degrees. Record low is minus 22. Forecast is minus 12.

• Sunday: Record maximum low is 4 degrees. Forecast is 5 degrees. Record low is minus 13. Forecast is minus 8.

• Monday: Record maximum low is 2 degrees. Forecast is 3 degrees. Record low is minus 11. Forecast is minus 15.

"If we get snow on the ground and clear skies that increases the chances of temperatures staying really low,'' said Russ Schumacher, state climatologist and professor in Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science.

Colorado mountains piling up much-needed feet of snow, which is good for skiing but not travel

Colorado's northern mountains have seen more than a foot of snow this week already, and some places are expected to see 2 to 4 feet more before the storm exits. The central and northern mountains are under a winter storm warning that lasts until 5 p.m. Saturday.

• Mountains: Snow will increase Friday afternoon and evening and will combine with winds gusts of 50 to 75 mph above timberline to produce widespread blowing and drifting snow, poor visibility and dangerous travel conditions. Snow may taper off Saturday, then another round of even heavier snow is expected to develop Saturday night and continue through Sunday.

• Front Range/Eastern Plains: Arctic cold will settle across the areas Friday night, and dangerously cold wind chill readings are expected to last through Tuesday morning. There is potential for brief heavy snow bands Friday night for the Fort Collins, Greeley, Boulder and Denver area.

• Travel impacts: Expect impacts to mountain roads, including Interstate 70, U.S. Highway 40 and Colorado Highway 14 starting in the Upper Poudre Canyon. On the plains, Interstate 76 and Interstate 70 could see travel impacts as early as Friday night.

How cold is it going to get? Brace yourself and prepare for extended dangerous cold

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning from midnight Friday until 11 a.m. Tuesday from the I-25 corridor east to the state lines.

Wind chills of minus 10 to minus 30 degrees and colder are forecast even during the day for most of the warned area. In these conditions, frostbite can occur in less than 30 minutes.

Here's how to protect you, your animals and your house:

• Avoid travel if possible.

• Limit time outdoors and dress in warm layers, making sure to cover all skin.

• Protect livestock and pets.

• To prevent water pipes from bursting, drip water in the farthest faucet from your main valve, open cupboards and vanities to warm pipes, and insulate pipes in unheated areas.

• If you use portable heaters, only plug directly into a wall outlet, never leave heaters on unattended and keep them 3 feet from flammable materials.

Here's how much snow is forecast for Fort Collins, other Colorado areas

This is the National Weather Service forecast for Fort Collins and surrounding areas as of Friday afternoon:

• Fort Collins: Range of 3 to 8 inches, with 5 inches expected

• Loveland: 2 to 9 inches

• Wellington: 3 to 8 inches

• Windsor: 2 to 7 inches

• Greeley: 2 to 7 inches

• Estes Park: 5 to 9 inches

• Berthoud: 2 to 9 inches

• Red Feather Lakes: 5 to 10 inches

• Virginia Dale: 4 to 10 inches

• Cameron Pass: 22 to 38 inches

• Bear Lake (RMNP): 15 to 24 inches

• Buckhorn Mountain: 4 to 12 6 inches

Statewide

• Denver International Airport: 2 to 5 inches

• Denver: 2 to 6 inches

• Longmont: 2 to 9 inches

• Boulder: 4 to 12 inches

• Eldora: 13 to 22 inches

• Keystone: 18 to 30 inches

• Eisenhower Tunnel: 21 to 35 inches

• Berthoud Pass: 24 to 42 16 inches

• Loveland Pass: 21 to 34 inches

• Vail Pass: 19 to 31 inches

• Winter Park: 21 to 33 inches

• Rabbit Ears Pass: 30 to 45 inches

• Walden: 8 to 12 inches

Fort Collins forecast looking frigid for the holiday weekend

National Weather Service forecast Friday through Monday, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

Friday, Jan. 12: 30% chance of snow mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 34 and wind chill as low as minus 9 thanks to west-northwest wind increasing to 20 to 25 mph with gusts as high as 38 mph. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday night: 70% of snow with 1 to 2 inches possible, mainly after 7 p.m. Low around minus 10 with wind chill as low as minus 23. Snow accumulation 1 to 3 inches.

Saturday, Jan. 13: 50% chance of snow decreasing to 40% at night with accumulation of less than a half inch expected. Partly sunny with a high of 1 degree and wind chill as low as minus 24 and continuing into night. Half inch of snow possible.

Sunday, Jan. 14: 60% chance of snow, mainly before 11 a.m. but continuing into night. Low around minus 9 and wind chill throughout the day of around minus 18. Half inch of snow possible.

Monday, Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day): 70% chance of snow, mainly before 11 a.m. Partly sunny and cold with a high near 3 degrees, low around minus 13 and wind chill as low as minus 23.

Fort Collins to open shelters due to extreme cold

The city declared an emergency weather event Friday night through Monday night due to forecast cold.

Men seeking overnight shelter can be added to Fort Collins Rescue Mission's bed list by going to the Murphy Center, 242 Conifer St., at the Rescue Mission's main location, 316 Jefferson St. or by calling the Rescue Mission at 970-224-4302.

Women and families seeking shelter should go to Catholic Charities, 460 Linden Center Drive.

The Murphy Center's indoor day shelter will be available to all from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Monday.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Dangerous wind chill, snow in Fort Collins, Colorado weather forecast