Record cold chills out Colorado

A record low temperature for Dec. 15 that had withstood winter's deepest freezes for more than a century was shattered early Monday as arctic air settled over the state and more snow was on the way.

Before dawn Monday, the temperature bottomed out at 8 below zero in Colorado Springs, breaking the record of 6 below set in 1899. Meteorologist Makoto Moore at the National Weather Service in Pueblo called it "a significant record."

Denver also set a record at 19 below and it was the same all over the state: Lows dipped to 10 below in Aspen, 9 below in Pueblo and 10 below in Burlington.

The coldest place in the state was the usual suspect, Leadville, at 21 below zero.

Even that wasn't as cold as it could have been, Moore said. It hit 27 below in December 1919 and the mercury dipped to 24 below in December 1932. The temperature reached 16 below in November 1887.

Despite the extreme temperatures, neither Memorial Hospital nor Penrose Hospital reported any cases of hypothermia or frost bite.

The bitter cold is expected to continue, with a good chance for 2 to 3 inches of snow this morning. Highs today will be in the 20s.

"The overall pattern is a big low pressure system hanging off the western third of the United States, drawing Pacific Ocean moisture in from the four-corners area," Moore said. "But most of the snow will be in the high country along the Continental Divide."

Temperatures will continue to hover in the 20s and low 30s for the rest of the week, the weather service said, with a 10 percent to 20 percent chance of snow in the Pikes Peak region through Friday.

TIPS FOR...

Avoiding hypothermia and frost bite from Dr. David Rosenbaum, cardiologist at Memorial Hospital

-Layer up: keeping your core warm is key.

-Cover up: wear golves, socks and warm boots. Avoid loss of heat by keeping a hat on.

-Know when to seek shelter: shivering is the first sign of a dangerous drop in core temperature. Also, if your face, hands or feet are difficult to move, get inside as quickly as possible.

-Stay hydrated: drink coffee, hot cocoa or just water, but keep the fluids flowing.

Keeping pets safe and healthy from Wes Metzler, Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region's executive director:

-Potty only: small dogs should not be outside for more than 5 to 10 minutes in these
extremely low temperatures. Putting a sweater or jacket on them is ideal.

-Shelter from the storm: larger dogs with cold weather coats still need an insulated place to get out of the wind and cold, as they are still susceptible to hypothermia. They also need access to unfrozen water and need extra food on cold days.

Minimizing damage to your vehicle from Donald Pellien, owner of Black Forest Service Center, Inc.

-Got a garage?: use it, if possible

-Warm it up: give your car a few minutes between starting and driving

-Pop your blades: when you park, lift the windshield wipers so you don't return to blade frozen to the windshield

Preventing frozen pipes from David Elliott, safety manger at Olson Plumbing and Heating

-Keep it up: set thermostat no lower than 60 degrees

-Drip, drop: keep a faucet cracked open

-Wrap it up: use wraps or extra insulation on pipes

-Don't get hosed: disconnect outside hoses from exterior faucets