A major storm is expected to bring freezing temperatures and snow ahead of the holiday weekend, potentially creating hazardous conditions just as thousands of Coloradans are preparing to travel.
A “life-threatening cold” will arrive late Wednesday and temperatures aren’t expected to warm up until the weekend, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a Wind Chill Watch from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 11 a.m. Friday.
“We promise that’s not an exaggeration,” tweeted the National Weather Service in Boulder. “This is likely to be the coldest day in 32 years in Denver so many people have not experienced a cold snap like this. We highly recommend avoiding extended periods of being outside.”
The worst of the storm comes as Denver International Airport is expecting some of its busiest travel days. The airport expects more than 76,000 people to pass through the airport each day on Thursday and Friday, according to a news release.
Overall, more than 611,000 people are expected to fly in and out of DIA between Dec. 19 and Dec. 27, which is up 14.5% from the same period a year ago, announced the airport.
And AAA is predicting that almost 2 million Coloradans will travel by plane, car, and other methods between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, according to a news release.
And as temperatures rapidly fall on Wednesday, snow will also arrive. Denver is expected to get between two and five inches of snow, said Russell Danielson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Because temperatures will be so cold it’s likely the snow from Wednesday night will linger on the ground into Thursday, Danielson said.
He recommended people avoid traveling Wednesday evening through Thursday night because if they were to have an accident or a car breakdown, temperatures will be extremely cold.
“Allow extra time for travel,” Danielson said.
DIA expects operations to run as normal, but will be de-icing planes, which can delay a flight by about 15 minutes, said spokesperson Stephanie Figueroa.
Airlines, including United Airlines, have started to issue travel waivers ahead of the storm for people who want to change their flights, reported CNN.
DIA is encouraging people to check their flight status and arrive at least two hours before their boarding time, according to a news release.
Most of Wednesday will be dry, but windy in Denver with gusts between 40 and 50 miles per hour. Temperatures are also expected to be in the upper 40s for most of the day.
But by the evening, around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., that will start to change. A strong cold front will come from the north, with even more strong winds behind it. The temperature could drop by as much as 30 degrees within an hour, Danielson said.
“It will be a very strong cold front,” he said. “Temperatures will quickly dive down into the single digits tomorrow evening on their way to the negative teens tomorrow night in Denver.”
Temperatures could get as low as -15 Wednesday night. The snow coupled with the wind could create hazardous conditions, especially during rush hour, so Danielson advised people to head home from work “a little earlier than normal,” and by 5 p.m.
The snow will end by Thursday morning and while the day is expected to be dry, it is also predicted to be one of the coldest days in three decades. The high for the day will remain below zero and wind chills are expected to plunge to -35 in Denver and even lower – to -50 – on the eastern plains, he said.
The weather service is warning people to cover exposed skin when outside to reduce the risk of frostbite or hypothermia. Frostbite can occur in as little as five minutes, according to the service.
The Denver Coliseum will also be opened as a 24-hour warming shelter on Wednesday.
People who do travel are encouraged to allow for extra time to get to their destination and to pack a kit with supplies to keep them warm, Danielson said.
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