Denver metro residents should start preparing for a wintry weekend, with below-freezing temperatures and possible snow in the forecast.
The first snow of the season could fall in Denver and temperatures will get into the low 20s this weekend as a cold front blows through the state.
Temperatures will drop through the rest of the week, from highs in the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday to the 50s Friday and Saturday, then Sunday’s high is expected to be 35 degrees.
Lows beginning Thursday night will drop to right around freezing; by Sunday, low temperatures could get as cold as 22 degrees.
As the temperatures drop, Denver and most of the Interstate 25 corridor could get snow Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, slight rain chances begin in the early afternoon, then late evening precipitation could be a mix of snow and rain. After 10 p.m., there is a chance of snow, and snow chances will continue through the day Sunday.
Monday also has a slight chance of snow, but temperatures will warm up slightly to a high of 40 degrees.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Boulder said there is a “50/50 chance of the first measurable snow across the plains and I-25 urban corridor.”
Some areas of the mountains could also see major winter weather this weekend and could have warning-level snowfall totals of between eight and 16 inches of snowfall over two days.
With this wintry weather on the horizon, now is a good time to start preparing your home and cars for the cold.
Car Survival Kit
As well as preparing your car for the cold by filling up the gas tank, the National Weather Service advises drivers to keep a survival kit with cold weather essentials:
Jumper cables: flares or reflective triangle are great extras
Flashlights: Replace the batteries before the winter season starts and pack some extras
First Aid Kit: Also check your purse or bag for essential medications
Clothes: Make sure you dress for the weather in warm clothes, gloves, hat, sturdy boots, jacket and an extra change of clothes for the cold
Warmers: Pack extra for body, hands, feet
Blankets or sleeping bags: If you get stranded in traffic on a lonely road, you’ll be glad to have it.
What to do for your home
If necessary, open cabinet doors to increase the amount of interior heat for a vulnerable pipe.
Dripping water can relieve pressure that builds up in a pipe subject to below-freezing temperatures. But it does waste water, so use this technique only on a faucet connected to a pipe that may freeze.
Make sure garden hoses are not connected to outside hose bibs.
If you suspect a frozen pipe, leave the faucet open while you apply a heating pad, or use a blow dryer to warm at the site you suspect is frozen. Do NOT use a torch or space heater inside a wall to warm a pipe.
Don’t overload outlets with space heaters or electric blankets.
Don’t use a kitchen stove to warm the house.
