Triple-Digit Temps Over the Weekend, Then ... Snow?

Denver on 'roller coaster' weather ride, while West in general is getting slammed by a heat wave
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 5, 2020 7:30 AM CDT
Western States Brace for Scorching Labor Day Weekend
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/batuhan toker)

Summer is definitely not over. A CNN meteorologist says the heat out West over the past couple of months "has been nothing short of amazing," and it doesn't look like it's going to let up over Labor Day weekend, with weather warnings emerging for California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Oregon. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in California, with Reuters noting temps could hit as high as 125 degrees, upping the risk of both rolling blackouts and wildfires. Although this latest heat wave looks to be a short one—temperatures are forecast to lower again starting Monday—it could still wreak havoc: The National Weather Service calls the heat wave a "rare, dangerous, and very possibly fatal" one, citing a "high risk for heat illness."

Not to mention the extreme heat will put a damper on the holiday weekend. "People will be wanting to travel, go camping, or do outdoor activities," an LA-area NWS meteorologist tells the New York Times. "This weather is really not conducive for that." Perhaps the most volatile weather will be taking place in Denver, where it's expected temps will hit triple digits over the weekend, before then dropping on Tuesday to bring wintry weather, including possibly snow. "Please keep arms and legs inside the roller coaster at all times," the NWS' office in Boulder, Colo., joked, per CNN. (More heat wave stories.)

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