In case you haven’t heard, temperatures are set to plummet in Colorado over the next few days, with many parts of the state expected to drop below zero degrees in a sudden shift. The reason? An arctic airmass is moving through the state starting on Friday, expected to stick around until Monday in some places.

The rapid drop in temperature will also be accompanied by widespread snow – about two to four inches in Front Range metro areas, with more than a foot expected on many peaks. There’s not much doubt about it – this weekend is shaping up to be the most intense winter weather weekend of the season, thus far.

The risk that’s likely to impact the most Coloradans will be the freezing temperatures and wind chills. Denver, for example, could drop to negative four degrees late on Saturday night. Colorado Springs won’t be quite as cold, but should still have temperatures mostly stuck in the single digits from Saturday to Sunday around noon. The mountain town of Walden is expected to hit -19 on Sunday morning, and Eastern Plains towns of Julesberg, Limon, and Sterling should hit -19, -18, and -17 at some point this weekend, respectively, with Breckenridge matching that latter -17-low late on Saturday night.

In many places around the state, frostbite will be possible in less than 30 minutes. This will make it crucial for outdoor recreators to dress accordingly, or honestly, it might be a better call to stay inside for most. Wind chill in higher elevation areas could drop to about -30 to -45 degrees.

Check out the two charts below to see more specific information related to timing and location, published by the National Weather Service:

In most places, temperatures are expected to stay low into Monday, too.

With weather this cold, keeping pets inside will be important. Additionally, it will be crucial to pack your vehicle with winter survival gear to use in the event of stranding. Find our list of 27 items that could prove important here.

Follow along with the forecast on the National Weather Service website here.

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