By AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Sep. 3, 2020 12:27 PM
By early next week, the swath from Montana to Colorado will wonder what happened to summer as not only will temperatures plummet but snowflakes may also be flying.
A blast of cold air will plummet into the north-central United States and unleash temperatures 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal that will challenge some long-standing records along with early-season snowfall to the Rockies early next week.
A dip in the jet stream will allow cold air from Canada to rush southward and bring record-challenging low temperatures in cities like Billings, Montana, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Denver Monday night.
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"The massive heat wave that will engulf the Rockies [this weekend] is on borrowed time. The strongest cold front of the season will bring it to an abrupt end early next week," Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson explained.
Cities like Minneapolis, Kansas City and Chicago can also expect a taste of fall early next week as midday temperatures will hover in the low to middle 70s.
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This surge of winterlike air will bring a stark temperature contrast from Monday into Tuesday. It will feel about 50 degrees cooler Tuesday morning, compared to the midday hours Monday in cities like Billings, Cheyenne and Denver.
After the high is expected to climb to 56 F in Billings on Monday, the overnight low will plummet to near the record of 32 F set back in 1962.
Denver is forecast to have a high of 90 F midday Monday and a low of 38 F on Monday night with a high of 55 F on Tuesday. The low Monday night will be just 4 degrees shy of the record low of 34 F, which was recorded back in 1929.
Following a high temperature of 80 F during the day Monday, Cheyenne's low on Monday night is projected to bottom out right at the freezing mark, only 2 degrees above the city's record of 30 F from way back in 1898.
Temperatures this low have not been felt in these areas since early May in most locations in the North Central states.
"In addition to the drastic turn to colder weather, there will likely be accumulating snow in the mountains and foothills from Montana all the way down to northern New Mexico," Anderson said.
In the northern Rockies, snow is forecast to fall early next week, including portions of the Front Range in Colorado and possibly even in Denver on Tuesday. September snow is common for these locations with the earliest date of first snow on record in Denver being Sept. 3.
Ski resorts in Montana have had a few snow showers already this year. Big Sky Resort in southwestern Montana got a few flakes on the last day of meteorological summer, Aug. 31.
More areas in lower elevations could get at least a few snowflakes. Any precipitation in the form of rain that falls during the day Monday or Tuesday will likely freeze overnight on elevated surfaces as temperatures plummet below freezing. Motorists should watch for slick spots on roadways, especially on bridges and overpasses.
Cold air will continue to rush southward through the middle of next week into New Mexico, northern Texas and Oklahoma. A blast of air this drastically cool is unusual for the South Central states for so early in the season. A charge of cool air in this manner in over the southern High Plains is often called a "blue norther."
"Farther east, conditions will also turn sharply colder down through the lower Plains with the potential for a steady, soaking rain from Monday night through early Wednesday over the central and southern Plains," Anderson said.
By Wednesday, places in northern Texas will have afternoon high temperatures in the middle to lower 60s. Conditions this cool have not been felt in these areas since late March.
Taking a look back at August, areas from Montana to New Mexico experienced sizzling temperatures. Many locations experienced above- to much-above-normal warmth.
Denver's average temperature soared about 4 degrees above normal for the month of August, while Albuquerque, New Mexico, experienced temperatures about 5 degrees above normal.
In contrast to August's atypical warmth, this blast of cold air will leave residents wondering by the middle of next week what season it is and if they should start dusting off their skis.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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