Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Subzero cold sets record lows across northern US as more snow piles up in Denver

Updated Oct. 29, 2019 2:21 PM




As the calendar gets closer to November, it might as well be the middle of winter across the northern Rockies and High Plains.
A wave of Arctic air has infiltrated the northern tier of the United States this week, shattering record lows, and threatening as many as 70 others through Halloween.
Multiple record lows were set in northeastern and central Nevada on Monday. The mercury dipped to 2 degrees Fahrenheit at the Ely, Nevada, airport, while at the Winnemucca airport, a reading of 3 degrees surpassed the previous low for the date of 10. Both records date back to 1970.
Subzero temperatures were reported in Wyoming Monday, smashing another round of temperature records.
The airport in Rawlins reported a low of minus 18 F, well below the previous record for the date of 7 F set back in 1991. In Laramie, the cold air brought temperatures to minus 10, well past the old record for the date of zero.
"This intense winter blast will be with the Intermountain West and High Plains for a couple days, with the coldest conditions lasting through Wednesday morning," Bill Deger, AccuWeather meteorologist, said.
Deger said some locations could experience temperatures around 45 degrees below normal. On Tuesday, Cheyenne, Wyoming, is forecast to have a high of 8 degrees. A normal high for Oct. 29 in Cheyenne is 54.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in Cheyenne ranged from minus 20 to 25 F on Tuesday morning.
Those planning to partake in Halloween festivities will certainly want to dress warmly on Thursday night.
By the end of the week, a modest rebound in temperature is forecast, but it will remain up to 20 degrees below normal in many areas, according to Deger.
AccuWeather meteorologist Jake Sojda pointed out that the cold this week will be extreme for even mid-winter standards in Colorado and Wyoming.
"Normal high temperatures in January for Denver and Colorado Springs are in the lower 40s, Sojda wrote. "High temperatures in both locations Wednesday will struggle to reach 20 degrees."
In addition to the frigid air, a winterlike storm brought snow from areas of Idaho to Nebraska.
Snowplows were out and about in Colorado Monday as the storm dropped accumulating snow, adding to what's been a very snowy October for parts of the state.
A postal carrier struggles to push a load of parcels to his waiting van outside a post office as an autumn storm sweeps over the Intermountain West Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AccuWeather National Weather Reporter Jonathan Petramala is in Boulder, Colorado, and spoke to residents as well as Boulder officials as the snow fell.
"Normally here in Boulder we'll get snow, then it'll be a blue bird day the next day… bright and sunny and [the snow] will melt off, but three, four days of snow in a row [is] really atypical, especially for this time of year in October," Rich Mauro, a Boulder resident, told Petramala.
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Julie Causa, a spokesperson for the city of Boulder, told Petramala that motorists are being urged to give snow plow crews plenty of room to operate.
So far this month, about 4.8 inches have fallen at Denver International Airport, good for the snowiest October since 2012 when 5.5 inches fell. In downtown Denver, higher amounts of been observed this month, where about 11 inches of snow have been reported, according to The Denver Post.
Denver Police responded to over 90 traffic accidents on Monday and credited Denver Public Works drivers for helping keep roads as clear as possible during the hazardous conditions. However, 110 crashes were reported on Tuesday as of 12 p.m. local time.
Winter storm warnings were in effect for much of Colorado on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019.
The city received about 2 inches of snow on Monday and more was falling on Tuesday. A winter storm warning was in effect for the Denver area on Tuesday morning. By the time the storm winds down on Wednesday, there could be around 6-10 inches of snow around Boulder and Denver.
"If you must drive, take your time, take it slowly," the Denver Police Department said on Twitter.

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