Colorado weather: Frigid temps, dangerous wind chill to impact pre-Christmas travel plans

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·6 min read
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Here are the key topics we'll cover in this story about forecast cold temperatures in Colorado:

  • Timing of the cold front and snow

  • Travel impacts

  • How cold will it get

  • Fort Collins' cold, hard facts, including records that could be broken this week

  • Tips on how to keep yourself and animals safe

If heading to grandma's, or anyone else's house, before Christmas, you better watch out.

A massive hit-and-run arctic cold front is forecast to pour into Colorado on Wednesday, bringing with it brutally cold temperatures and snow that will impact travel plans throughout much of the country into Friday before clearing out ahead of Sunday, Christmas Day.

The National Weather Service has already issued a wind chill watch for Fort Collins and areas from Steamboat Springs east to the Nebraska state line and as far south as Colorado Springs from 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, through 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23. That likely will be upgraded to a warning as the cold front approaches.

"An interesting thing about the forecast is that this is all going to happen very quickly on both ends," said Russ Schumacher, state climatologist and director of the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University. "Another thing that is going to make this event stand out is it’s going to be very cold and windy. We don’t often get the two at the same time on the Front Range.

''So, this is going to be a dangerous situation for people and animals outside and exposed to the elements."

When the cold front and snow arrive in Northern Colorado

Seasonal temperatures around 40 degrees will hang around Monday and Tuesday for much of the area, dropping to the mid-30s Wednesday, and then whamo!

Wednesday, Dec. 21: The cold front is expected to arrive in Northern Colorado Wednesday evening. You will notice it, as temperatures are expected to plummet quickly. The arrival of the cold front is forecast to produce light snow that will be blown by wind gusts ranging from 25-50 mph.

Thursday, Dec. 22: The cold takes hold with many places from the Interstate 25 corridor east below 0 degrees for a high or struggling to reach 0 with light snow.

Friday, Dec. 23: The cold front begins to move out, leaving behind frigid temperatures before giving way to a quick warming trend through Christmas Day and into next week.

How the cold and snow in Colorado might impact your Christmas travel plans

If you are traveling for Christmas, the earlier in the week you do the better.

Slick roads are possible and dangerous wind chill will exist, threatening those in stalled or disabled vehicles. It is advised that if you travel Wednesday evening through Friday morning, you pack extra items to keep you warm in case of emergency and keep cellphones charged.

Depending on when the cold front arrives, the Wednesday evening commute and Thursday morning commute could be impacted.

Air travel through Denver International Airport could see impacts. It is advised to check with your air carrier for possible delays and cancellations at DIA and other airports around the country.

Forecast highs and wind chill values for Fort Collins, other area cities and towns

Here are forecast highs and wind chill values Wednesday night into Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder:

Fort Collins: High of 1 degree. Wind chill of minus-36 degrees.

Greeley: High of 2 degrees. Wind chill of minus-39 degrees.

Red Feather Lakes: High of 1 degree. Wind chill of minus-42 degrees.

Estes Park: High of 5 degrees. Wind chill of minus-42 degrees.

Cheyenne: High of minus-8 degrees. Wind chill of minus-49 degrees.

Boulder: High of 2 degrees. Wind chill of minus-30 degrees.

Denver: High of minus-2 degrees. Wind chill of minus-32 degrees.

DIA: High of minus-5 degrees. Wind chill of minus-41 degrees.

Walden: High of zero degrees. Wind chill of minus-52 degrees.

Fort Morgan: High of minus-5 degrees. Wind chill of minus-45 degrees.

Akron: High of minus-10 degrees. Wind chill of minus-52 degrees.

Sterling: High of minus-7 degrees. Wind chill of minus-51 degrees.

Fort Collins' December cold, hard facts

According to Schumacher, here is how this week's cold ranks with the city's coldest weather:

  • Fort Collins' longest cold snap occurred Dec. 21-24, 1983, when it did not reach above zero degrees.

  • Other major cold waves around Christmas were on Dec. 22, 1989, (minus-22 degrees) and Dec. 22, 1990, (minus-24 degrees). The record low for Dec. 23, 1990, of minus-16 could be threatened as the weather service is forecasting a low of minus-14.

  • The all-time December record low is minus-35 on Dec. 9, 1919. The all-time record low for all months in the city is minus-41 on Feb. 1, 1951.

  • It's been 25 years since Fort Collins has had a day where the high temperature stayed below zero. The forecast high Thursday is 1 degree. The last time the city had a sub-zero high was Jan. 12, 1997, when the high reached minus 3-degrees.

  • Automated wind chill records started in the mid-1990s at the city's official weather station on the campus of Colorado State University. The lowest wind chill since then is minus-25 on Dec. 15, 2008. The forecast is for a wind chill of minus-30 on Thursday morning and minus-31 on Friday morning.

Safety tips for humans, pets and livestock

Humans: Danger of frostbite in as little as 10 minutes during the worst conditions. Avoid prolonged outdoor exposure. Dress in multiple layers of warm clothing and cover as much skin as possible. If plumbing is susceptible to freezing, open cabinet doors or allow the water to drip. Do not use a cook stove for heat. Only use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches, check them regularly and keep any heater at least 3 feet from flammable materials.

Pets: Possible death due to exposure. Keep pets indoors.

Livestock: Possible death due to exposure. Check and protect livestock and make sure to keep water sources from freezing.

More: Best of the bestWhere to find the best holiday lights in Fort Collins (and beyond)

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado weather: Cold, wind chill records face pre-holiday travelers