Today’s Forecast:
Cold to start, mild by afternoon friends. High pressure returns to our skies today leading to a sunny and beautiful day in southern Colorado. Today marks our first 6:00PM sunset of the year in Colorado Springs and Pueblo- before we hop straight to 7:01PM tomorrow on the first day of Daylight Saving Time. Highs warm to the upper 40s to lower 50s region wide - a couple degrees below average thanks to continued northerly cold winds in the mid-levels of our sky. For us though, winds will be out of the south today but fairly light at 5-15 mph depending on where you are.
So, what might you want to do this weekend?
This weather is great for many activities outside. But let's take a closer look.
- SKIING. Skiing should be great this weekend - sunshine, fresh powder on the slopes, and the snow we got was helpful but not so much that the roads getting to the resorts are still slick/icy now (for the most part). However, Spring Break has begun for some Colorado school districts. This applies across the U.S. As a result, lines will likely be fairly long for the lifts.
- ERRANDS. With the cold temperatures following our recent rain/snow event, patchy black ice is still on the roads. While you won't be sliding everywhere you go, particularly on Saturday morning you should expect a few remaining slick spots. Otherwise...easy day for errands, even those that are outside.
- HIKING. If you're on pavement, you've got no concerns today. If on a trail, it'll depend on elevation as it always does this time of year. With highs above freezing today for most, snow and ice will melt on lower trail segments, and snow will be soft at higher elevation trails (above about 8,000 feet specifically). Depending on your tolerance for snow, mud, and ice...you'll want to bring appropriate shoes and gear. Gaitors, spikes, etc. I'd strongly suggest trekking poles today regardless of trail choice - given the recent rain and snow, you still may encounter unexpected slick patches and they'll give you some extra balance and support.
- KITE FLYING. Winds today will be light - kite's won't really make it up high in the sky. This afternoon, winds are a bit better particularly in the south, so you should be OK there...but breezier days lie ahead so it's better to wait until Sunday afternoon or even better, Monday afternoon when we'll have healthy breezes.
- BIKE RIDE. Same as hiking - road bikers will do just fine today, perfect cycling weather, bit chilly but that just serves as good motivation to pedal hard. Gravelers/cross-terrain should be fine as well. But mountain biking might be tricky with the mud.
- CAR WASH. We're not looking at rain or snow for several days, so, it's a good weekend to wash the car. The wind in the south Monday could blow some tumbleweeds around but shouldn't kick up a lot of dust.
- DOG WALK. Probably best between 12PM - 6PM once temperatures are solidly into the mid-40s.
- FISHING. Depends on location. Fish licenses are on sale now for the upcoming season. The South Platte river likely is starting to see good trout feeding activity, but it's early in the season so you might benefit waiting a couple more weeks.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 50; Low: 26.
Sunny and nice with southwest winds at 5-10 mph. Careful in the AM on the roads, and bundle up if headed out early or staying out late. With dry air in place, temperatures will climb quick through the day and fall back fast once the sun sets.
Pueblo forecast: High: 55; Low: 23.
Sunny with south winds at 5-10 mph. Picture perfect warm day.
Canon City forecast: High: 51; Low: 26.
Sunny and dry with southeast winds at 5-10 mph. Get outside and enjoy...bring the sunscreen and water!
Woodland Park forecast: High: 42; Low: 19.
Sunny with southwest winds at 5-10 mph.
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: 40s; Low: 20s.
Sunny with southwest winds at 5-10 mph.
Plains forecast: High: 50s; Low: 20s.
Sunny and fantastic - winds from the west up to 10 mph, great outdoor jog weather.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 46/50; Low: 23.
Sunny and great. Hard to say much else - today's weather is classic "glad to live in CO weather".
Mountains forecast: High: 30s/40s; Low: Teens.
Sunny and cool with west winds at 5-10 mph.
Extended outlook forecast:
Our ridge of high pressure strengthens on Sunday, leading to a further warm up to our temperatures - into the upper 50s to lower 60s! A good day to have a sunset at 7:01PM. Plenty of sun once again but a very dry day, humidity values will be in the teens. That means you'll need extra water when you go out for any active activities. It will be slightly breezy in the extreme SE plains but below critical fire level thresholds.
We turn breezier Monday and Tuesday with clouds Monday associated with a system moving in from the Pacific Northwest. However, very dry low level air Monday along with the breezes could result in high fire danger for the southern plains on Monday afternoon. Stay tuned. Otherwise, both days are nice in the low 60s, but slightly cooler Tuesday following that weak system. Tuesday starts sunny and turns cloudy during the afternoon with more upper level moisture streaming overhead before a pair of cold fronts knock back temps to the low 50s Wednesday, and 40s Thursday. We'll be tracking a developing area of low pressure with those fronts, giving us our next chance for rain and snow.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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