An Arctic cold front will bring subzero temperatures to most of Colorado this weekend, with wind chill bringing lows of minus 35 degrees to the eastern plains and mountains, according to National Weather Service forecasts.

Temperatures will hover above freezing Thursday before plunging into the single digits and below zero throughout the metro area and most of the state, with the coldest temperatures arriving Sunday night and Monday night.

The first of several cold fronts began pushing south into Colorado on Wednesday, with an Arctic cold front forecast to move in Friday night, said meteorologist Bernie Meier with the National Weather Service’s Boulder office.

The front will push temperatures into the single digits on Saturday and below zero Saturday night, and they will continue to drop, Meier said.

The coldest temperatures are forecast for Sunday and Monday nights, between minus 10 and minus 20 degrees across most of the state. Denver’s overnight low on Sunday is forecast to be minus 7.

A wind chill advisory and watch for the eastern plains will push temperatures as cold as minus 35 degrees in Yuma, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties, according to the National Weather Service. A wind chill of minus 35 degrees is also possible at higher elevations on Thursday night, including Steamboat Springs and Gunnison.

Wind chill can lead to frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, the agency posted in a hazardous weather outlook for northeast and north central Colorado.

The system is bringing frigid air from as far away as Siberia and northwest Alaska, Meier said.

“It’s a long way to travel which is why we only see it once or twice a winter,” he said.

Denver metro will likely see 1 to 3 inches of snow over the weekend, Meier said. Drivers should expect slick roads as the extreme cold will not allow for the snow to melt, he said.

The mountains could see 1 to 3 feet of snow, Meier said, so folks heading to higher elevations for the weekend should plan for difficult driving conditions and possible road closures.

Coldest temperatures forecast for Colorado’s Arctic front

Denver, minus 7 degrees on Sunday night;
Boulder, minus 6 degrees on Sunday night;
Fort Collins, minus 10 degrees on Sunday night;
Colorado Springs, minus 5 degrees on Sunday night;
Pueblo, minus 8 on Sunday night;
Silverthorne, minus 9 degrees on Monday night;
Steamboat Springs, minus 15 degrees on Sunday night;
Grand Junction, 4 degrees on Monday night;
Gunnison, minus 9 on Monday night;
Eads, minus 7 on Saturday through Monday nights; and
Sterling, minus 12 on Sunday night.

Source: National Weather Service