After a wonderfully warm weekend, temps will plummet into the teens and snow will arrive early Tuesday morning.
Denver could see between three to five inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
Things are so chilly that the Department of Public Health and Environment is turning all of the city's recreation centers into warming centers -- basically places to go inside, drink some water, warm up and sit. The city is also recommending people head to libraries, which are not officially designated warming centers, but you can do all the same stuff there, plus read a book or use a computer. Those venues will only be open during standard business hours.
For people looking to get out of the cold at night, the city is pointing people toward its shelter system.
The city is also encouraging people to bring their pets indoors and threatening fines up to $999 and up to 300 days in jail for "failure to protect a pet." If you see an animal suffering outside, call 311 or the Denver Police non-emergency number, 720-913-2000.
Stay home if you can. If you can't, drive safe, and avoid another 100-car pileup.
If you are stuck outside, watch out for frostbite and hypothermia.
"Frostbite causes loss of feeling and color around the face, fingers, and toes," DDPHE cautioned in a statement. "Skin can turn white or grayish-yellow and become firm or waxy. To warm the affected area, soak in warm water or us body heat. Don't massage or use a heating pad.
"Hypothermia is an unusually low body temperature accompanied by shivering, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech, and drowsiness," the agency added. "A temperature below 95 degrees is an emergency. Warm the center of the body first-chest, neck, head, and groin. Keep dry and wrapped in warm blankets, including the head and neck."
If you can't stand the cold, don't despair. Temps will hit the mid-50s on sunny Thursday.
