Tonight's Forecast:
Red Flag Warnings are in place until 8:00 PM for much of southern Colorado - please continue to avoid outdoor burning, or any activities that could start a fire. It will remain breezy through the early evening, with wind speeds slowly dropping back after sunset. This will result in slow temperature drops for many areas directly east of the mountains through about 8:00/9:00 PM tonight.
A cold front will arrive from the north late this evening. Due to the direction of the front, and the distance from its source area of low pressure, the main impact should be a few passing clouds and a change in wind direction to northerly. This will bring in more moisture for Sunday, and lower wind speeds - both of which should reduce fire danger tomorrow. If you have evening plans outside, they should be just fine.
Colorado Springs forecast: Low: 30; High: 57;
Mostly clear through around 9:00 PM, then partly cloudy this evening as a cold front swings through the area. Northwest winds - 15-25 mph early and gusting to 40. Winds shift north as the cold front passes near midnight at 10-15 mph. Lows will be seasonally chilly.
Pueblo forecast: Low: 33; High: 62;
Partly cloudy - windy early with some blowing dust patches possible. Northwest winds at 15-25 mph, gusting to 45 mph until 8:00 PM, then reducing. Winds shift north overnight at 10-15 mph.
Canon City forecast: Low: 36; High: 64;
Mostly clear with west winds at 15-30 mph, gusting to 45 mph until 8:00 PM, then reducing. Winds become northwest after midnight at 10-15 mph.
Woodland Park forecast: Low: 25; High: 52;
Mostly clear and gusty early with west winds at 15-30 mph gusting to 45 mph before 8:00 PM. Winds should remain westerly overnight.
Tri-Lakes forecast: Low: 20s; High: 50s;
Partly cloudy with northwest winds at 10-20 mph. Winds gust to 35 mph before the front passes by, likely around 10-11 PM tonight.
Plains forecast: Low: 28-36; High: 50s;
Partly cloudy. Northwest winds early, shifting north after the front passes - anywhere between 9 PM and 1 AM depending on your location along the plains. Wind overnight out of the north at 15-25 mph.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: Low: 38/37; High: 63/64;
Partly cloudy. West winds at 15-25 mph and gusting early to 40-50 mph with decreasing frequency after sunset. Winds turn northwest overnight and reduce to 10-15 mph.
Mountains forecast: Low: 20s/30s; High: 50s;
Partly cloudy. West winds at 15-30 mph, gusting to 50 mph through as late as 9:00 PM, then decreasing to 10-15 mph by midnight with an occasional gust to 25 mph.
Extended outlook forecast:
Sunday will be the cool day of the week ahead with northerly winds for at least part of the day tamping down high temperatures. Skies will be mainly sunny and wind speeds will be light outside of the eastern plains, which will be breezy. Travel conditions in the high country should also improve - as the system bringing snow to the hills today will move away.
Then, the big story of the week is the large ridge of high pressure building over the western U.S. throughout the week. This ridge will lead to highs 15-20 degrees above average in southern Colorado - and throughout much of the southwestern U.S. A weak system will pass on Tuesday which may increase cloud cover, and slightly lower temperatures - but it doesn't have any characteristics that would suggest notability. Instead, highs this week will be in the 70s to 80s in the plains with record warmth possible, particularly late in the week.
Fire danger should increase again on Friday - which looks gusty - ahead of a better organized system that is likely to bring some beneficial rainfall by next weekend.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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