Colorado is under a red flag warning from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday across a large stretch of the state, including areas in and near the foothills near Denver, as a cold front moves in from the Pacific Northwest.
The warning includes eastern Adams and Arapahoe County, where dry air and wind can quickly turn a small spark into a fast-moving fire. Then the pattern flips. Snow and cold are expected to return on Friday, with snow over the Denver metro area possibly starting late Friday morning into the afternoon.
The forecast calls for only light accumulation in much of the metro, with about a quarter of an inch to just under 2 inches mainly on grassy surfaces. Some mountain areas may pick up at least 3 to 6 inches. That limited snow total still matters because the shift comes fast, and the region has to move from fire weather to winter weather in less than 24 hours.
A freeze watch is then in place for all of eastern Colorado, including the Denver metro area, from Friday night at 8 p.m. through Saturday morning at 8 a.m., with lows expected to fall between 18 and 25 degrees. The watch also covers lower elevations of the Western Slope, and the main concern for the metro is minor snow impacts Friday night and slick spots early Saturday morning.
For Denver weather, the story is the speed of the change. Thursday brings fire danger, Friday brings snow, and by Friday night a hard freeze could lock it all in across eastern Colorado.