Temperatures were expected to reach 20 below zero by this morning in northwestern Colorado, with the high country poised for more snow and cold in the week ahead, according to the National Weather Service.
The Front Range, meanwhile, has a relatively warm workweek in its forecast.
The central and northwestern mountains could see another foot of snow by Tuesday night from a storm that rolls in today, followed by a warm-up, then another snowstorm by the weekend, according to the forecast.
The region continues to dig out from this weekend’s storm that left 6 to 9 inches of new snow across the mountains.
Snowfall has been generous so far this fall and winter. The statewide snowpack is at 115 percent of its 30-year average.
Southern Colorado is at more than 130 percent of its average, with the basins of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers both at nearly 125 percent of average, which is likely to mean full reservoirs come spring.
The South Platte River basin, which includes Denver, is at just 85 percent of average, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Lakewood, which measures snowpack.
The metro region is expected to shed its bitter cold today, after temperatures dip to 7 degrees before sunrise.
Highs are expected to be in the 40s until Wednesday, when temperatures could press into the 50s, then possibly into the 60s on Thursday, according to the Weather Service.
Given the current forecast, the metro region’s next chance of snow is Friday.
The weather station at Denver International Airport recorded a high of 24 degrees Sunday.
January’s erratic start follows wide-swinging temperatures in December in the metro region, with a high of 69 degrees on Dec. 2 and a low of minus 19 on Dec. 15. Six days recorded lows below zero.
Denver’s historical average December temperature is 26.7 degrees. The average January temperature is 29.2 degrees, according to the Weather Service.
