After metro residents bear more cold today and Friday, they can look forward to a warmer, sunnier weekend, forecasters said.
The high in Denver is expected to be just 15 degrees today, with winds that could drive the wind chill well below zero, though not with the potentially “dangerous and deadly” label of Wednesday’s weather.
The arctic cold that moved in Wednesday brought high winds that prompted weather forecasters to warn that the elements could cause frostbite in as little as five minutes, with wind chills falling to minus 30 in some areas.
A severe wind-chill warning is in effect for northeastern Colorado until 11 a.m. today.
“Exposure to the elements in these cold temperatures and cold wind-chill temperatures can lead to frostbite and even death in a relatively short period,” the National Weather Service office in Boulder said in a bulletin.
Today’s weather shouldn’t challenge records for the date, however. The coldest Jan. 7 on record is 1913, which had a low of minus 18.
During the bitter cold snap, emergency officials warned Coloradans to dress in layers and wear a warm hat, gloves and insulated shoes.
“The most susceptible parts of the body are the extremities such as fingers, toes, earlobes, the tip of the nose,” the Weather Service said.
The low tonight is predicted to be minus 4 degrees, before a warm-up into the upper 20s Friday afternoon. Saturday could bring temperatures in the 40s, with a possible 50 degrees Sunday for the opening weekend of the National Western Stock Show in Denver.
High mountain valleys could see temperatures of 20 degrees below zero tonight, forecasters said.
The highs in the central mountains Friday are expected to be between 12 and 22 degrees, with wind-chill factors as cold as 20 below, according to the Weather Service.
The weekend, however, should be ideal for skiing, with highs above 30 under sunny skies Saturday.
A passing upper-level weather disturbance early Sunday will bring a 30 percent chance of new powder in the mountains.
The metro region has a 10 percent chance of snow Sunday night, but no accumulation is expected.
High temperatures are expected to be in the 40s next week.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
