With a large, cold air mass settled in across much of the nation’s midsection, weather records are bound to fall. In the Mile High City the record for coldest high temperature for the date was not just broken but smashed.

The so-called high temperature for the day was 1 degree below zero in Denver. This shattered the previous coldest high temperature for February 5 of 5 degrees set in 1989 and years prior.

• Article adapted from the Denver Weather Examiner with permission

Overnight temperatures Tuesday night into Wednesday morning dropped to a bone-chilling 19 degrees below zero as measured at Denver’s official weather station at Denver International Airport. Daytime provided little relief as the mercury remained stubbornly below zero.

Here in Thornton we fared slightly better with a daytime high temperature of 2 degrees above zero.  Our low temperature this morning was a nasty cold 12.6 degrees below.

• How cold is it? Live weather gauges
• Winter Weather Preparedness: Hazards of wind chill, hypothermia and frostbite

With temperatures Wednesday night expected to plunge to 10 below or lower, a Wind Chill Advisory has been issued for much of northeastern Colorado including Denver. Wind chill temperatures of 25 below will be possible.

This type of cold comes with it the very real danger of hypothermia and frostbite. Area residents need to exercise extreme caution and avoid prolonged exposure. Pets as well need to be remembered and their time outside should be limited.