An arctic airmass will bring bitterly cold air to Colorado beginning Saturday and lasting through Monday night,” NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Alert.

“With these arctic intrusions, it’s often times colder down in Denver than it is up in the mountains,” said National Weather Service meteorologist David Barjenbruch, adding that below-zero readings are likely across “a good chunk of the state.”

An arctic blast will bring temperatures 20 to 40 degrees below average and a chance for snow. An arctic front will arrive Friday evening bringing a surge of cold air and a shift in the winds. Denver is looking at a 72+ hour period beginning Saturday with temperatures in the single digits (maybe some low teens if we are lucky) and below 0 degrees.