For the past few days, a downsloping, southwesterly breeze has scoured the Front Range urban corridor, yielding sunny skies, warm temperatures and crystal-clear air. Early this afternoon, a noticeable haze began to develop as a cold front dropped into Colorado, producing an upslope wind from the northeast.
This wind shift is the first sign of a significant change in our Front Range weather; while sunshine and highs in the mid 60s F prevail this afternoon, a downward slide will begin overnight. Within 24 hours, the upslope cooling and precipitation will intensify, bringing light snow tomorrow night and highs in the 20s on Sunday. Those of us who have lived in Metro Denver for many years come to recognize the effects of shifting winds associated with fronts; in the case of a cold front, there is a sudden coolness and haziness in the upsloping air, often scented with the aroma of feedlots to our northeast.
While it has been a pleasant week for hiking and farm work here in Littleton, the promise of snow (or moisture of any kind) is welcome across this parched landscape. Hopefully, this weekend's storm will be the first of many throughout the Front Range snow season, which generally stretches from October to May, peaking with the upslope storms of March and April.
