Colorado weather: Bomb cyclone causes near-record heat wave before snow on Sunday

The bomb cyclone spinning in the northwest this week will completely miss Colorado, but the unique storm system will bring near-record heat to Denver on Saturday before snow arrives Sunday.

The cyclone, which started taking shape early Tuesday morning, has caused widespread power outages, closed schools and downed trees that killed at least two people in the Pacific Northwest, according to the Associated Press.

Weather Prediction Center meteorologists said the storm has been spinning along the Pacific coast, bringing hurricane-force winds, rain and snow to Washington, Oregon and California.

While the bomb cyclone is expected to remain in the northwest, dying out without bringing heavy snow to Colorado, the low-pressure storm system will bring high pressure — and high temperatures — to the state on Friday and Saturday.

Normal temperature highs for late November in Denver range from 47 to 50 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Both Friday and Saturday will see near-record heat in the metro area with temperature highs in the mid-to-high 60s, peaking nearly 20 degrees above average, NWS forecasters said.

The current record for Nov. 22, set in 1998, is 74 degrees and the record for Nov. 23, set in 1915, is 73 degrees, according to NWS records.

NWS forecasters said the warm weather will be “unsettled” Sunday by a mix of rain and snow across Colorado.

“Light snow accumulations are expected in the mountains and none across the plains,” NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook. “Another system will bring moderate snow to the mountains on Wednesday and Thanksgiving.”

Denver will see Sunday afternoon rainstorms turn to snow overnight as temperatures dip below freezing, but how much snow is expected to fall and whether it will impact Thanksgiving travel remains unknown, forecasters said.

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.