Today’s Forecast:
After a gorgeous weekend, we're looking at a very busy start to the week for Southern Colorado. A powerful spring storm will produce widespread 30-50 mph gusts on Monday. These dry, downslope winds will increase fire danger on Monday along and east of the I-25 corridor. Red Flag Warnings will be in effect from 11 am until 7 pm.
As a surface low pressure system forms tonight on the eastern Plains, a shift in the wind will take place. Northerly wind gusts by Tuesday morning will be as strong as 50-70 mph. Snow will be heaviest above 6,000 to 6,500 feet, with white out conditions at times Tuesday morning over the Palmer Divide and Teller County, as well as the northeaster Plains. Travel is not recommended in these areas from late tonight into early Tuesday.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 60; Low: 30. Although windy, today will be the "calm" before the storm. Red Flag Warnings have been issued for the Colorado Springs area between 11 am and 7 pm. Gusts today could top 40 mph in some areas.
Pueblo forecast: High: 67; Low: 35. Windy and dry on Monday, with a Red Flag Warning in effect from 11 am until 7 pm. Peak gusts today could top 45 mph.
Canon City forecast: High: 63; Low: 34. Mostly sunny, mild and gusty on Monday, with peak gusts to 40 mph. Rain showers, changing to snow will occur from late tonight into Tuesday morning.
Woodland Park forecast: High: 49; Low: 21. A gusty and mild Monday will give way to heavy snow and strong wind gusts tonight as a Winter Storm Warning is set to go into effect starting at 5 pm. Expect widespread impacts to travel in Teller County from late tonight into the day on Tuesday
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: 50s; Low: 20s. A strong, spring storm will take us from the 50s today to the 30s on Tuesday, and that's only part of the story. A Winter Storm Warning will go into effect starting at 5 pm, with heavy snow, strong winds and poor visibility from late tonight through Tuesday.
Plains forecast: High: 60s/70s; Low: 30s. Red Flag Warnings will go into effect starting at 11 am today, lasting until 7 pm, with gusts to 50 mph in some areas. A very strong area of low pressure will develop on the eastern Plains later tonight, with very strong north winds Tuesday morning and areas of rain and snow.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 50s/60s; Low: 20s/30s. A windy and mild start to the week, with gusts to 50 mph and Red Flag Warnings in effect from 11 am until 7 pm. The wind will shift to the north later tonight and Tuesday morning, leading to the potential for damaging wind gusts Tuesday and periods of snow.
Mountains forecast: High: 30s/40s; Low: 10s/20s. Snow will increase this afternoon in the high country from west to east, reaching the southeastern mountains towards the second half of the day. Snow will be heaviest north of Highway 50 and across the southern Sangres, with accumulations in the 1-6" range for the Wet Mountains and Sangre de Cristo.
Extended outlook forecast:
Heavy snow and wind, with near blizzard conditions expected Tuesday morning from Teller County and the Palmer Divide into the northeastern Plains. Most accumulations from the storm will be above 6,000 to 6,500 feet, with a sharp cut off between little to no snowfall and very high totals. In Colorado Springs, the downtown area may only see a few inches of snow, while the north side of town could see as much as 4-8". I expect to see snow totals around 7-14" for the higher elevation areas of the Pikes Peak Region.
It will also be very windy and colder on Tuesday, with gusts around 50-70 mph during the first half of the day. A relatively calm day will follow on Wednesday with highs in the 40s and 50s. Our next approaching storm will bring gusty downslope winds back to our forecast on Thursday, pushing highs into the 50s and lower 60s. A chance for rain and snow showers will return to our forecast from Thursday evening into Friday.
____
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.
