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A Late Freeze Doesn't Necessarily Mean A Tame Winter

DENVER (CBS4) - A Freeze Watch has been posted for northeastern Colorado from 2-9 am Friday morning where lows are expected to reach 31-35 degrees along the South Platte River and adjacent plains.

Counties included are Elbert, Lincoln, Washington, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Weld, Yuma, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne.

Although we're nearing the end of the growing season, sensitive plants should be covered as temperatures drop into the lower 30s.

According to the National Weather Service in Boulder, so far this fall the only freezing temperature observed east of the mountains has been in rural Washington County. This happened at a cooperative weather station called "Lindon".

Bear in mind that October 7th is the average first freeze date in Denver, but we've only made it as cold as 36 degrees on October 12th.

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(credit: CBS)

Although the Freeze Watch does not include the Denver metro area, we're forecasting a potential weather change by the middle of next week. By Tuesday the jet stream will swing a deep trough of low pressure into our area that will drop our temperatures and bring moisture back to the state.

Five out of the 10 snowiest winters in Denver history happened during El Niño.

Denver recorded less than three inches of snow during the month of October for three out of those five El Niño years. According to this data, a delayed onset of winter weather doesn't necessarily mean the cold season won't be one for the books.

Think about it this way.

As the earth revolves around the sun, and the northern hemisphere receives less direct sunlight, a build-up of cold air and potential energy looms in the high latitudes. When you pull a rubber band away from your thumb, a similar type of potential energy is created. The longer you pull, the more energy is produced, and the more your thumb stings when you finally release the band.

Give it a few weeks, I bet we spend most of November shoveling.

Justin McHeffey provides nightly reports from the Mobile Weather Lab. He travels Colorado in search of Mother Nature's most powerful and beautiful conditions. Like his Facebook page Meteorologist Justin McHeffey and follow him on Twitter @WeatherMcHeffey.

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