Colorado weather: Denver, Eastern Plains brace for frigid cold as snow is headed to mountains

Winter is back.

Temperatures on Friday are expected to rise no higher than 15 degrees in Denver, with the thermometer dipping to a few notches above zero tonight. Oh, and throw in some snow while you’re at it.

In the metro area, accumulations this weekend are expected to be insignificant — at less than an inch, according to the National Weather Service. Snow is not expected to begin falling until after 3 p.m. Friday.

It’s a different story in the central mountains, where a winter weather advisory goes into effect at 11 a.m. Friday and lasts until 5 p.m. Saturday, with five to 11 inches of snow expected. The National Weather Service warns of hazardous travel conditions Friday evening into Saturday morning along the Interstate 70 corridor into Summit County.

On Colorado’s northeast and east central plains, the arctic blast has already arrived, with the weather service issuing a cold weather advisory that went into place at 3 a.m. Friday and will last until 9 a.m. Saturday. Wind chills on the plains could go as low as 22 degrees below zero.

Meterologists are warning that in areas east of Denver and out to the Kansas state line, frostbite could develop in less than 30 minutes if people are not dressed properly, which includes layers and wearing a hat and gloves to reduce skin exposure to the cold.

Snow on the plains is forecast to begin falling Friday and will wrap up sometime during the day Saturday. Little accumulation is expected.

Frigid conditions continue into Saturday in Denver, with snow likely but additional accumulations of less than 1 inch. The high on Saturday will be 21 degrees. Saturday night will drop to around 6 degrees, with wind chills at 2 below zero.

Cities across the metro area activated emergency cold weather shelter programs on Thursday as Colorado braced for a wave of arctic cold and snow.

The sun returns on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, but temperatures remain cold — with a high of 24 degrees. Bundle up if you’re headed to the Broncos AFC Championship game versus the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High.

Then the warmup begins, with temperatures rising to 47 on a sunny Monday and Tuesday. The high on Wednesday could eclipse 50 degrees.