You know when you’re riding a roller coaster, and you’re slowly climbing up, but you know there’s is going to be a freefall on the other side? Such is April weather in Colorado. We’ve been climbing lately—with blue skies and warm temperatures in the 70s. Here comes the freefall.

An abnormally strong surge of cold air will impact Colorado from Saturday night to next Friday, April 17. For seven days straight, we will likely see temperatures run about 10 to 20 degrees below average. There is also supposed to be above-average moisture during that period, so you’ll probably see some snowfall, too.

Denver typically see just shy of 7 inches of snow in April, and as we head into this cooler and wetter time, you can expect to see some heavy, wet snow—though it’s hard to tell precisely how much.

Highs on Saturday may push 70 degrees, and then by Saturday night it could be snowing. We’re looking at a long-duration event because it’s not just one system bringing snow, it’s two. We’ll likely see a couple of waves of heavy snow between Saturday night and Tuesday morning.

All of the models show rain/snow (mainly snow) starting Saturday night and continuing through Monday evening. There is a general consensus that we will get at least 2 to 8 inches of snow in Denver, but we could also see a better upslope component, which means colder temperatures and more moisture, so some models are hinting at 5 to 10 inches possible across the metro area. More snow is expected in the foothills and the mountains either way.

Looking past Tuesday, the cold will stay put and there are signs of more snow coming down the pipeline as we head toward next weekend.

So, bundle up. It’s going to be a cold and snowy ride for the foreseeable future. As we continue to do our part in Colorado and stay at home, a stretch of snowy weather will hopefully ease some of the anxiety we’re feeling about not be able to go outside and recreate.

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