DENVER -- The weather was not fit for man or beast Wednesday, as sub-zero temperatures gripped Colorado.

Many communities experienced the coldest night in nearly a year as the arctic air poured in from Canada. Add in a light wind of just 5 mph to 10 mph and it could feel as low as minus 25 degrees on exposed skin.

In Denver, residents woke up on Wednesday morning to a low of -11 degrees. The mercury dropped into the minus 3 to minus 7 range on the Eastern plains. Some early-morning temperatures of well below zero were reported in the foothills, with Pine Junction and Nederland reaching 22 degrees below zero. The unofficial automated weather station at Conifer High School showed 19 degrees below zero at 7 a.m.

The high temperature for Wednesday was just 3 degrees, which is a record low for this date, said 24/7 Meteorologist Mike Nelson.

The previous record was 6 degrees, dating back to Dec. 7, 1978.

As the sun set Wednesday night, clear skies and light winds allowed the temperature to plummet. By 8:50 pm, the thermometer read a bone chilling -13 degrees, setting a new record low for the date.

The previous record was -12 degrees, set back in 1927.

How Low Did It Go?

Other low temperatures reported by the National Weather Service were:

Hohnholz Ranch (50 miles northwest of Fort Collins): -37

Grizzly Creek Subdivision (just south of Rabbit Ears Pass): -34

Craig: -30

Meeker: -24

Yampa and Virginia Dale: -23

Nederland and Pine Junction: -22

Walden: -22

Estes Park: -20

New Raymer: -18

Steamboat Springs: -18

Kremmling and Monarch Ski Area: -16

Leadville -14

Akron: -11

If you wanted to warm up, you had to go west to places like Gunnison, where the temperature was 12 degrees above zero just before dawn. Durango reported a toasty 24 degrees just before dawn. To see the current statewide temperatures, check our Colorado Temperatures Map.

Colorado's sub-zero temperatures in the teens were no match for cold temps in Wyoming, where Yellowstone National Park reported 45 below zero early Wednesday morning.

Other lows for Wyoming:

Farson, Wyo.: -35 (Lowest for the state)

Big Piney, Wyo.: -31

Laramie, Wyo.: -29

Rawlins, Wyo.: -26

Casper, Wyo. and Alliance, Neb.: -23

Cheyenne, Wyo.: -20

Colorado highways were icy and snowpacked Wednesday. A fatal accident on northbound Interstate 225 closed the highway in both directions at about 10:30 a.m. and it wasn't open for nearly two hours. The ramps from U.S. Highway 36 to I-25 were also closed after ice caused a number of accidents.

State transportation officials said that chain restrictions for commercial vehicles were in effect on U.S. Highway 6 over Loveland Pass, and Interstate 70 near Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel.

High temperatures will struggle to climb above zero, but then clear skies will allow the bottom to fall out once again, as thermometers plummet back below zero degrees overnight Wednesday. With the arctic blast, it's hard to believe that winter doesn't officially start for a few more weeks.

On Tuesday, a homeless man died in Denver from exposure to the cold.

Dozens of students at a Denver high school are also really feeling the cold. The heat is on at Thomas Jefferson High School, but the blowers are not getting the heat to every classroom, and that's left about one-third of classrooms cold. The school district said workers are trying to fix the problem but students complained that the situation has not been fixed for the past two days.

Go to our school closings section of TheDenverChannel to check the current closings.

Roughly 13 counties are under a weather alert or watch.

Because of the current weather and road conditions, the cities of Arvada, Aurora, Broomfield, Northglenn, Denver, Englewood, Littleton, Parker and Westminster are on accident alert. That means if you are involved in an accident where there are no injuries, and alcohol is not involved, please exchange driver and insurance information, and make a report with the police department within the next few days.

The extreme cold forced Envirotest to close on Wednesday. Envirotest handles emission testing in the metro area. They closed around lunch time because of concerns about workers being outside.They also say severe cold makes it difficult to conduct emissions tests properly. They plan to reopen Thursday at 10 a.m.

Protect Yourself, Your Pets, Your Pipes

This is a major arctic outbreak, so if you can, bring in any outdoor pets you have, both big and small. Make sure they have sturdy shelter with plenty of food and water until this cold snap breaks.

Also, wipe off your dog's paws, legs, and stomach when he comes in from the snow or ice. Your dog's paw pads are very sensitive.

You also need to think about you and your family. Check on the elderly and make sure you don't let the kids wait at the bus stop. Use caution when using items like space heaters and electric blankets around your house. Too many times during the cold months of winter, house fires occur as a result of space heaters left unattended or electric blankets left on.

When the weather is this cold for this long, you may also want to take precautions to protect the pipes in your house. Consider letting some water drip throughout the day and night. Also, open the doors underneath the sink to let warm air in and try to keep your furnance in the 60s.

With all the recent snow, it comes as no big surprise that avalanche danger is high and will likely remain high over the next several days. If you have plans to head into the backcountry, please be extremely cautious.

As the snow moves across Colorado, you can keep track of all the precipitation with our radar page. The latest local radar for your corner of the state is available here.

Want to know some of the finer forecast details for your community? Did you know we have a forecast service right here that will give you hourly information about things like windchill, wind direction, and temperature? Get all the details with My 24/7 Weather. This is a free point-and-click forecast service for cities and towns all across Colorado and the nation. We'd love for you to try it out and share this feature with your friends, family, and co-workers. Feedback is always welcome.

The latest watch, warning, and advisory information can be found by clicking here.

For the latest road conditions, visit the Colorado Department of Transportation . You may also call CDOT for the latest road conditions at 303-639-1111.

Stay with the 24/7 Weather Center for the latest information on this winter blast hitting the Central Rockies.

The all-new weather page here on TheDENVERChannel.com has many tools to help you stay ahead of the storm. If you would like a quick tour, click here.