Tonight’s the night! The 2016 Denver Parade of Lights will march past the Denver City and County Building and through the streets of Downtown Denver. First-nighters, packed earmuff-to-earmuff, will jostle in wonderment before a golden, tinkling display of mechanized, electronic joy!

Floats, marching bands, and all sorts of wild acts will fill the streets of Denver to the delight of children and adults-who’ve-had-too-much-hot-chocolate-and-Peppermint-Schnapps alike! However, what will the weather be and what will I need to wear if my Schnapps doesn’t keep me warm enough?! Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered.

Parade Tonight

Tonight’s parade and festivities will definitely be cold as will tomorrow night as well. We’ll be sitting around 26°F when the parade kicks off at 8pm and by the time it ends at its last point around 9 or 10pm, we’ll be around 21°F with wind chills as low as 17°F. Now, bear in mind that these are wind chills for all of Denver and that the winds are really amplified by the tall buildings downtown which means that the temperatures could feel another 5° colder. Some light snow is also possible late this afternoon and early this evening which means road surfaces could be wet or icy. Make sure that you plan ahead and give yourself extra time, if needed.

Parade Tomorrow

With an earlier start and a sunny day ahead of it, temperatures at the kickoff of the parade tomorrow should be about 10° warmer than they will be tonight at 36°F and a balmy (in comparison) 30°F at the end of the parade. With that being said, there is a higher chance of wind chills tomorrow that could make the forecasted temperatures feel about 5° colder than reality. Tomorrow’s ramp up to the parade promises to be drier as well with sunny skies to get rid of any moisture left on the concrete and asphalt surfaces. It should make for easier watching with the ability to sit on the sidewalk for the kiddies.

Summary

Overall, it will be cold for either parade and they both will require bundling up and hand warmers. However, the parade at 6pm tomorrow looks to be a little warmer and, more importantly, drier. We all know how hard it is to stay warm if you’re wet and it will be downright impossible if you’re wet and temperatures are in the 20s and 30s. So, if warmer weather is a factor for your voyage to the parade, tomorrow might be the best route. If you’re like me and enjoy pretending that you’re lost in a arctic wasteland and the only salvation is the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the… ok, that Christmas Story quote doesn’t work here. Let’s try that again. If you’re like me and enjoy pretending that you’re lost in a arctic wasteland and the only salvation is the soft glow of electric lights and the anxious anticipation of seeing Santa in his sleigh, Friday might be right up your alley.

Thanks for reading! As always, feel free to ask questions and I’ll answer as quickly as possible.

-Andrew