Strong Winds Bringing In Yet Another Blast of Winter for Fort Collins

Everyone you talk to these days seems to agree: This winter has been rough. More snow and more cold than even Coloradans are used to. Buckle up, it ain't over yet. March 20, 2023, cannot get here quick enough. That first day of spring will be welcomed with a parade fitting of a Super Bowl win. We have about 30 days until then, and until then, Mother Nature is making sure she'll be exhausted (as much as we are) by that day.

As of Saturday afternoon (Feb. 18, 2023) the winds haven't kicked in, but they will. With those winds comes a Hazardous Weather Outlook from the National Weather Service. It does seem hard to believe since the highs on Monday and Tuesday in Northern Colorado are going to be in the 50s. It's what we like to call "False Spring" in Colorado: that feeling that winter is over, knowing deep down it isn't.

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The upper elevations of Larimer County are definitely going to "get it," beginning Saturday night into Sunday. The forecast is calling for very strong winds (gusts up to 60 mph) and blowing snow, with 4-8" predicted. As that storm progresses on Sunday, the foothills could see winds gust up to 80 mph. "Yikes," I just said aloud. The Fort Collins area will see winds around 20 mph on Sunday.

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All of this wind (and heavy snow for the higher elevations) is just "Storm One." Fort Collins will see strong winds on Sunday, slowly bringing in Wednesday's "Storm 2," for the Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley areas.

HOW MUCH SNOW WILL FORT COLLINS BE GETTING?

The National Weather Service is saying (as of February 18) that The Choice City and the surrounding area will see only light snow, about 2-3". No, it's not a lot of snow, but again, we can all agree, "enough, already." There are still dirty mounds of snow around town. Some days, it feels more like Minneapolis than Fort Collins. Sometimes.

 A NEAR 30-DEGREE DROP IS IN STORE FOR FORT COLLINS

Enjoy Monday and Tuesday; go for a walk, have coffee outside, or just stand out there and take it all in. Tuesday night, you'd better prep yourself for Wednesday and Thursday. After highs in the 50s those first two days of the week (we could see 55 degrees on Tuesday), the bottom will fall out in the middle of the week. Look for a high of 27 on Wednesday, a low of -8d egrees Wednesday night, and a high of only 17 degrees on Thursday.  "Yuck," I say aloud.

IS THERE A BRIGHT SIDE?

After a high of 17 degrees in Fort Collins on Thursday, temps will shoot up to a forecasted high of 31 degrees on Friday. It's not a "super" bright side, but it beats hanging around in the teens.

March 20, the first day of spring, will come. Don't worry.