Windy and cooler on Monday

A cold front moved through Colorado on Sunday afternoon, bringing strong winds to much of the state and snow showers to the mountains.  Winds in the Front Range cities gusted to over 40 mph, while both Loveland and Berthoud Passes on the Continental Divide recorded wind gusts in the 50's.  The northern and central mountains saw a round of snow this afternoon, with SNOTEL stations indicating just a few inches for most areas, although Vail picked up about 6 inches.  Much colder temperatures have arrived in the mountains, with overnight lows Sunday night expected to drop into the single digits for the higher elevations.

Monday

Clear skies, but gusty winds and cooler temperatures behind Sunday's cold front will be the main story for Denver and the Front Range on Monday.  High temperatures in the Front Range urban corridor and Eastern Plains will reach the upper 40's (5-8 degrees below average), with wind gusts in the 30-40 mph range.  In the foothills (7,000-9,000 ft.), highs will only top out in the upper 30's, with 35-40 mph wind gusts also expected.

Mostly cloudy skies will continue for the Northern and Central mountains (Aspen and areas north) on Monday, with snow showers possible for the higher elevations.  Cooler temperatures will be in store, with highs in the 30's for areas below 9,000 ft., highs in the 20's for areas 9,000 ft. and above, and teens for areas near and above treeline.  Wind gusts will range from 25 mph in areas below 9,000 ft. to 50+ mph for areas near and above treeline.

In the Southern mountains, temperatures will also be cooler, but skies will be mostly clear south of the Elk Range with relatively lighter winds than areas farther north.  Highs will range from the mid 30's near 9,000 ft. to the mid 20's near and above treeline, with wind speeds between 15 and 30 mph expected, with locally higher gusts near and above treeline.

Warmer on Tuesday and Wednesday, with increasing clouds on Wednesday

A weak ridge of high pressure will move into Colorado on Tuesday, raising high temperatures by about 10 degrees for most areas.  Relatively mild temperatures will continue on Wednesday (near 60 in Denver), but clouds will be on the increase ahead of the next system expected to reach Colorado on Wednesday night.

Series of storms to affect the mountains from Wednesday night through the weekend

Skiers and snowboarders should take notice, as a potentially significant period of stormy weather is expected for the mountains for late this week, possibly lasting several days.  The first storm should arrive from the West overnight Wednesday into Thursday, with more rounds of snowfall to follow.  Most mountain areas could do well with snowfall, with the potential for a couple of days of moist northwest flow for the northern/central mountains possible into the weekend.  Denver should mostly stay dry on Wednesday night, but a round of snow will be possible overnight Thursday as a second wave passes through, but keep in mind this is only a "possibility" this far out.  In general, the storm pattern that models are indicating will favor the mountains west of the Continental Divide.