Colorado Gov. Jared Polis activates National Guard to help with cold front response

Gov. Jared Polis activated the National Guard on Tuesday to help with the upcoming extreme cold front headed to Colorado.

The record-low temperatures and high winds are expected to begin overnight on Wednesday and continue through Thursday. Several holiday events put a pause on their activities for Thursday, schools canceled their classes and the city of Denver has activated a warming shelter. The National Weather Service referred to it as a “life-threatening cold.”

Polis authorized more than 100 National Guard members to help with emergency response to the conditions, and his declaration also activates the Colorado State Emergency Operations Center and the state’s emergency operations plan, according to a news release from his office. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management will be tasked with helping various jurisdictions with response, recovery and mitigation, and opens up availability of state resources.

“Colorado’s National Guard is up to the challenge whether it’s helping distribute the life-saving vaccine or respond to wildfires across our state. Colorado is about to face extreme weather and cold temperatures and the Guard is ready to assist local communities to help keep people safe during this extreme-cold weather snap,” Polis said in a statement.

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