Denver is experiencing its 65th hour of nonstop, below-freezing temperatures as the sun rises on Monday morning. The polar-vortex-fueled storm hit Colorado around 5 p.m. on Friday, dropping temperatures into the teens. The below-freezing streak officially began at 3 p.m. on Friday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Maggie Ideker.
Temperatures in Denver have struggled to rise out of the single digits since then, with many areas dropping below zero overnight. The extreme cold has prompted the opening of nine overflow emergency cold weather shelters in the city, housing over 1,600 people on Saturday night alone.
Despite the strain on capacity, no one has been turned away from shelters. Additional adjustments have been made to accommodate more individuals, including utilizing vacant rooms at non-congregate sites for temporary refuge.
As temperatures plummeted to minus 11 on Saturday evening, shelter teams worked to ensure everyone had a warm place to sleep. The cold spell is expected to continue, with fresh snow forecasted to provide some insulation from the frigid temperatures.
Denver is anticipating its coldest temperatures on Monday evening into Tuesday morning, with wind chills making it feel as cold as minus 30. The city has made adjustments to various services and events, including closing Botanic Gardens locations and rescheduling trash pickup.
Although this below-freezing streak is significant, it doesn’t rank among the top 20 longest spells of below-freezing temperatures in Denver’s history. The city is accustomed to arctic blasts like this, but residents can expect a few more days of uncomfortable temperatures.
Plumbers in the metro area are also working overtime due to burst pipes caused by the extreme cold. High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric has responded to over 50 burst pipes and numerous no-heat calls. Homeowners are advised to take precautions to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
Warmer weather is on the horizon for Denver, with temperatures expected to reach around 40 degrees on Tuesday. The rest of the week will see more normal temperatures, with most daytime highs staying above freezing.
For more Colorado news, sign up for the daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
