A record temperature of 74 degrees on Saturday will be replaced Sunday by three to six inches of snow and a temperature of no more than 30 degrees, the National Weather Service said late Saturday.
Carl Burrough of the National Weather Service said the snow should start falling in Denver about 3 a.m.
The Weather Service has issued a snow and blowing snow advisory for Denver from 5 a.m. Sunday until 8 p.m. Sunday night.
Burrough said that winds in front of the Pacific cold front will be 10 to 20 mph Saturday night and then increase to 20 to 30 mph on Sunday with gusts up to 40 mph.
Driving will become difficult if not impossible south and east of Denver on Sunday, Burrough warned. Blizzard conditions will exist south and east of the city.
At times during the day Sunday, snow will be heavy in Denver.
Burrough said that because of the warm temperatures Saturday, the snow will not stick immediately. But he said that will change as the temperatures plunge.
On Saturday, Denver residents basked in balmy weather as temperatures hit 74 degrees, breaking the record high for March 1 of 73 degrees, set in 1974.
“The temperatures are going to drop pretty dramatically,” said Frank Benton, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “In the mountains, we can expect blowing snow and wind gusts tonight and Sunday.”
The mountains could end up with half a foot of snow by tonight, he said.
Nighttime temperatures in the high country could drop to as low as 3 degrees.
Kirk Mitchell contributed to this report.
