Just when we thought Colorado had witnessed the final gasp of winter last week, an arctic cold front brought more snow to Denver and the surrounding areas Monday evening. Come late Tuesday, the Mile High City could end up with half a foot of fresh flakes. 

The cold front, which arrived on Monday morning, brought cold air, dense cloud coverage, and fog. Snow began northern part of the state and moved into Denver just in time for the evening commute. Thanks to some support from energy in the upper levels of the atmosphere, the precipitation came down quickly, and stuck to roadways. 

Areas along the I-25 corridor, stretching from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, saw between three and seven inches of snow between Monday afternoon and midnight. Accumulation totals reached closer to 10 inches near Boulder and Niwot. 

Last week’s storm caused a great deal of tree damage in the Denver metro area, which is expected again. If you notice your already blooming trees sagging, go ahead and shake the snow off, so they have a better chance of surviving the weight of the accumulation.

Along with the snow, temperatures in Denver will be in the mid-teens by Tuesday morning, stunning any and all vegetation that is beginning to flower. If you haven’t already, you should cover and protect any outdoor plants to prevent them from getting damaged by the cold. 

While continued winter weather may be frustrating for some, this storm is once again good news for our continued drought and dwindling snowpack. The more precipitation we can get during this time of the year, the better news it will be for our upcoming fire season.

Even though sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures will melt away some of the snow on Wednesday, another round of light rain and snow showers are expected on Thursday, Friday, and possibly Saturday. But the continued cold weather will make the sunshine and 60-degree temperatures feel so, so good come Saturday and Sunday. 

Andy Stein
Andy Stein
Andy Stein is a freelance meteorologist with experience working on both local and national television.