DENVER, Colo. -- After a mild and pleasant last day of November, a big change is on the way for early December.

We are expecting a cold front to drop across northeast Colorado on Tuesday. Following the passing of this front, things will remain chilly and unsettled for the remainder of the week, with temperatures only in the low to mid 20s for highs on Wednesday and Thursday. There will be limited moisture with the passage of this cold front, so we are only expecting light accumulations, about 1 to 3 inches in Denver Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

The colder weather will be with us for awhile, and will probably last through the coming weekend. The second storm system is proving a little trickier. Our forecast models aren't resolving this new system very well right now, due to a complex high pressure system over Alaska. We will have to wait for later model runs to determine whether we will see heavier precipitation for the first weekend of December or if it will hold off until early next week.

Meanwhile, the El Nino situation is getting interesting. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the El Nino pattern is strengthening, and will likely last through this winter. What does that mean for Colorado's weather? Generally, Denver's temperatures are above-average over the course of an El Nino winter, with below-average precipitation. This is due to a more southerly storm track, with lows passing far to our south. However, as we get closer to spring, the southern branch of the jet stream sometimes moves a bit further north, bringing strong cyclones from the Pacific right over Arizona and New Mexico. That means the possibility of a snowy March and April. That's the way it has worked in the past. We will keep you posted on the impacts of El Nino throughout the winter season.