Denver Weather: Sudden Temperature Drop of At Least 50 Degrees Possible This Week

Denver weather is possibly looking at an abrupt plummeting of temperatures by at least 50 degrees this week, US meteorologists say.

The forecast highlights the potential return of winter weather not only to the Colorado city but also to other parts of the northern and central United States.

In the coming days, a thick snow accumulation and freezing temperatures are likely in Denver and its surrounding areas.

In addition, cold strong winds or blizzard conditions are possible if winter weather occurs.

Denver Weather

An approaching cold air will cause a drop in temperature in Denver from the mid-80s to the mid-30s later this week, according to AccuWeather.

This temperature drop is reportedly expected to transition from rainfall to snowfall from Montana to Colorado.

In some locations, snowfall can exceed more than a foot.

The Denver weather shift is caused by a storm system arriving from the Pacific Northwest, creating a cold push that will spread throughout Colorado from the evening of Thursday to Friday, May 19 to May 20.

This is also when the 50 degrees drop will occur in just a matter of hours, says the weather forecasting company.

Temperatures may slightly increase in the city before it further dips down to the upper 20s on Friday evening.

If this occurs, Denver's prevailing record low of 31 in 2019 will be shattered.

Prior to the temperature drop, Denver will hit 90 degrees on Thursday afternoon.

Furthermore, AccuWeather meteorologists explain that non-paved surfaces across downtown Denver are expected to see an accumulation of "a couple of inches of slushy snow."

Meanwhile, Denver's foothills in the west and the Palmer Divide in the south could receive several inches of snow from the evening of Friday to the early morning of Saturday, May 21.

Other US Cities Affected

The AccuWeather forecast on Tuesday, May 17, also mentioned other cities in Colorado and the wider region that can be affected by the looming storm and its winter weather hazards.

The Colorado cities of Fort Collins and Colorado Springs are also likely to experience at least a small snow accumulation from the system.

In Coors Field, the scheduled Major League Baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets may experience a mixture of rain and wet snow, in addition to the cold weather.

The cool blast can also reach as far as the states of Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas, affecting the cities of Chicago, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, and Dallas from Friday to Saturday.

After the severe thunderstorms, the cold air will reach the Midwest during the weekend, potentially bringing similar winter hazards.

Denver Snowfall Records

The occurrence of snowfall in Denver and across Colorado is not uncommon during the month of May, said the AccuWeather forecasters.

Since snowfall records started in 1882, the National Weather Service has cited the establishment of Official Snowfall Observations across downtown Denver.

Denver has witnessed snow accumulation during April for the past 19 years in a row, with a recorded snowfall on March 17 this year, making it the earliest final snow within 135 years.

The earliest record was back on March 4, 1887, as mentioned by 9 News.