Colorado Weather: Mild For Early February, High Wind Warning Continues West Of Denver

DENVER (CBS4) - The first Sunday in the month of February 2021 will be relatively mild for this time of year with temperatures running 5-10 degrees above normal in many locations this afternoon. Denver is expecting a high in the lower to middle 50s.

The far northeast corner of Colorado will be cooler because they remain right on the edge of a bitter cold air mass over the Upper Midwest. If that cold air sloshes in today the high in places like Julesburg and Holyoke could only be in the 20s. But if the cold air retreats it may warm into the 40s.

The main weather story around Colorado on Sunday will be the wind. It will be particularly strong along the Continental Divide and in the adjacent foothills. Strong wind gusts could also spill into the western suburbs of Denver at times.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning through mid-afternoon for the areas mentioned above. Locations near and above the tree line will see the strongest gusts, potentially clocking in between 60-80 mph at times.

In the mountains the wind will cause areas of blowing snow at times, especially on exposed roadways and higher mountain passes. One area that could be significantly impacted by this is central and southern Park County. Pay close attention to the latest conditions on routes such as Highway 285 between Kenosha Pass and Fairplay.

In the week ahead all eyes will remain on the large bubble of arctic air that currently sits to the north and east of the state. Some extended forecast models indicate the potential for that cold air to back into eastern Colorado by the middle to end of the week.

If that happens we will cool down significantly and see a chance for snow, especially along and east of the foothills. If the cold air stays away then we are looking at temperatures close to where they should be for this time of year.

Stay tuned to see how it all pans out in the days ahead. Make it a great week!