Today’s Forecast:
For the first time in a week, highs today are above average in southern Colorado. Sunshine and relatively light winds prevail on the first day of spring - so after a brisk morning in the 30s for most, we'll climb to the 60s in the Plains, and 50s in the hills this afternoon. A few clouds will move in during the afternoon - mainly in the high terrain. PM showers are possible in the mountains, with a bit of instability giving us the chance for a couple week thunderstorms in these zones. Overall though, it's a beautiful start to Spring. Remember the sunscreen today if heading outside. Today, the peak sun angle (called the "solar azimuth") will be 51 degrees. That's high enough for UV-B radiation to penetrate our atmosphere and reach your skin. This allows your skin to produce vitamin D, but, that strong sun can also burn you easily. The message: even if you've got snow walking out the door today, pack the sunscreen!
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 61; Low: 33.
Sunny and nice. After 2PM, a few friendly puffy clouds will form in the foothills and drift east over the Springs. Southeasterly winds at 10 mph.
Pueblo forecast: High: 66; Low: 32.
Sunny and comfortable. East winds at 10 mph.
Canon City forecast: High: 61; Low: 34.
Sunny and mild. Puffy clouds will come and go during the late afternoon. Light northwest winds shifting east during the afternoon.
Woodland Park forecast: High: 52; Low: 23.
Sunny and comfortable. North winds at 10 mph shifting southeast during the afternoon.
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: 50s; Low: 30s.
Sunny and nice. North winds at 10 mph shifting east during the afternoon.
Plains forecast: High: Upper 60s; Low: 30s.
Sunny and warm - upper 60s to perhaps 70 in a few spots. West winds in the morning shifting north in the afternoon with a weak boundary moving through.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 54/56; Low: 30/31.
Sunny and nice. West winds at 10-15 mph shifting northeast during the afternoon.
Mountains forecast: High: 40s; Low: 20s.
Sunny and mild with west winds in the morning at 5-10 mph shifting east during the afternoon.
Extended outlook forecast:
As low pressure continues to spin over the desert southwest - the same storm that gave us the snow last week, high pressure approaches Colorado. On Wednesday, that low sends us some energy as it finally moves east but moisture is lacking. As a result, expect some afternoon puffy clouds - they start off looking happy, but get a bit darker in the afternoon with a weak afternoon shower chance. Don't cancel your plans. Comfortable warmth continues through the start of the weekend. As high pressure moves east on Saturday, we'll have downslope breezes here in southern Colorado. That'll result in a warm and comfortable day, but it may lead to elevated fire concerns. For now, humidity values look too high for high fire concerns. Our next storm then arrives Sunday into Monday, starting with rain, and transitioning to wet snow like our last system. The exact details still need to be ironed out.
____
Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
