Today’s Forecast:
Morning temperatures today are a bit of a wild ride - even by the standards of Colorado weather - with overnight lows ranging from near 10 degrees in parts of the San Luis Valley, to the upper 30s and low 40s on parts of the Front Range Corridor, to low 50s east of the southern mountains. The cause is a blend of cloud cover and wind direction. East of the southern mountains, winds are downsloping leading to compressional warming and relatively warm temperatures. North of the Palmer Divide, cloud cover is re-radiating energy from the ground back to the surface and maintaining temperatures where they are.
The main message for the forecast today is - nice. Great conditions for holiday shopping, a bike ride, hike, or traveling in-state. High pressure moves southeast today, as it does so, a low pressure system approaching the Pacific Coast strengthens the jet stream over Colorado and brings some mountain wave clouds over you. These southwest downslope winds will lead to compressional warming retgion wide today. But, the clouds will be a factor. If you see them, you'll likely see less wind, and less warmth. You can expect breezes sustained around 15 mph and gusting from 20-30 mph in the afternoon.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 65; Low: 33.
Mostly cloudy this morning, partly sunny this afternoon. Southwest winds at 10 mph with gusts to 25 mph in the afternoon. Comfortable outdoor day for some holiday shopping or a nice walk.
Pueblo forecast: High: 70; Low: 31.
Partly cloudy this morning and more sun than clouds this afternoon. Southwest winds at 10-20 mph gusting to 35 mph in the afternoon - with the downslope winds leading to downslope warmth. The record high today in Pueblo is 76 degrees. You won't get there, but it'll still be nice.
Canon City forecast: High: 72; Low: 40.
Mostly cloudy this morning and a mix of clouds and sun this afternoon. West winds at 10-15 mph.
Woodland Park forecast: High: 59; Low: 31.
More clouds than sun but the clouds will be so thin that it won't matter practically speaking. It's a nice day. West winds at 10-15 mph gusting to 25 mph.
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: Low 60s; Low: 30s.
A mix of clouds and sun becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon. Southwest winds at 10-15 mph gusting to 30 mph this afternoon.
Plains forecast: High: 60s; Low: 30s.
More sun than clouds with southwest winds at 10-15 mph.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 65/67; Low: 38/39.
Warm downslope winds lead to comfortable highs. West winds at 10-15 mph gusting to 40 mph in the afternoon!
Mountains forecast: High: 40s; Low: 20s/30s.
In-and-out of clouds today with gusty breezes. Southwest winds at 15-30 mph gusting to 40 mph primarily in the southern mountains.
Extended outlook forecast:
Sunday will bring more breezy conditions, mainly sunny skies, and a downtick in our high temperatures. While our warm and fair weather making high pressure will be moving farther away, temperature decreases will be buffered by more downslope wind conditions. Expect breezes in the 15-mph range once again, with gusts from 25-35 mph out of the southwest and to 50+ mph in the southern mountains. A cold front will cross the region during the late afternoon - knockiing temperatures down rapidly into the 30s Sunday evening. This continental front is dry - you'll see some clouds, a few flurries, but not much of anything should hit the ground on the plains. In spots like Woodland Park, you may eek out a few late flurries. Low clouds are likely before sunrise on Monday. Monday itself will be back down to the low 40s for high temperatures.
For the holiday week - we're tracking significant mountain snow particularly Tuesday into Wednesday, something to keep in mind if you're planning to head west...be prepared for significant winter driving conditions. Locally, we're watching Wednesday for some accumulating snow as well with minor to moderate impacts. Since this is a major travel day - you may want to plan ahead now to give yourself some extra time when driving. Stay tuned to future forecast updates - we have high confidence in getting some moisture, but it's hard to nail down exact totals at this time.
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