A quick-moving, Pacific moisture-laden weather disturbance will brush northern Colorado overnight into Thanksgiving morning. A cold front associated with this system will sweep across the Continental Divide and Northern Foothills bringing strong winds and chilly temperatures. If you are heading westward over the Continental Divide and beyond for the holiday, snow will be falling early Thursday morning, making mountain pass roads slick and snow-covered, with wind-driven snow greatly reducing visibility at times. However, since the winds will be predominantly from the northwest, much of the precipitation will remain on the windward (west) side of the Continental Divide, although some snow will blow-over into some higher locations west of the Peak to Peak Highway in Boulder County.
Nederland will likely see some snow showers early Thursday morning, but accumulations will be light. The main weather factor in Ned and the adjacent foothills towns will be the wind which could gust up to 40 mph at times. With temperatures in the mid-upper 20s, windchills will be around 10 F. There may not be much snow on the ground, but it will feel like winter. Temperatures will moderate on Friday and Saturday, before another storm system brings a chance of light snow and colder temperatures early next week.
Living in the Front Range, most people are familiar with the strong and gusty winds which blow from the west across the Continental Divide and into our foothill mountain communities. These are often referred to as Chinook winds in the Colorado Front Range and adjacent plains. Chinook winds are warm and dry, especially as they travel down the east slopes of the Front Range Mountains and foothills. Sometimes, these winds bring in colder temperatures, and such is the case on Thanksgiving. These winds have a special name, Bora, and can be as strong as Chinook winds, but bring with them a chilly nip in the air that makes people want to bundle up or head indoors.
So, you can tell everyone that Aunt Bora came to Nederland for Thanksgiving. From the throes of their food-induced comas, people will wonder who this Bora is, and what makes her so special. Now you can tell them.