It’s been noticeably cool and cloudy lately across the Front Range of Colorado. To be honest, it’s been a nice change from the hot, dry and windy weather we experienced from late-March to early-May. Enjoy it, because the hot, dry weather is on it’s way back.
The above maps show the accumulated precip, the average temperature and the departure from normal temps over the last week. This showcases that is had indeed been cool and wet almost everywhere (sorry SW Colorado).
Of course, this is just the last 7 days. When we look at this month as a whole, the story changes a bit.
Precip. has really favored the central portions of the state with a nice showing of moisture from Pueblo to Fort Collins to Steamboat to Salida. When we look at temperatures, this recent cool spell has helped to bring back our temperatures to normal for a good chunk of the state. Where the clouds and rain/snow hasn’t been falling, it’s been warmer than average (again, sorry SW Colorado).
FORECAST
Today, Tuesday, we have our final chunk of energy moving through Colorado which is bringing some decent moisture to southern Colorado where they are desperately looking for drought relief.
We’ll see rain and snow showers around the state today depending on your elevation. Mostly snow above 8,000-8,500′. Rain below. This is our last breath of energy moving across the state and it’s a pretty strong storm. Weather alerts are posted across Colorado.
Snow will be impactful across the central and southeastern mountains where up to a half-foot of snow could fall above 10,000′. Red Flag Warnings continue for SW Colorado where hot, dry and windy weather has yet to subside.
The blues (cool, wet weather) in the image above will be replaced by the yellows and oranges (or warm, dry weather). We’ll really notice this change Wednesday as temperatures jump to average and the sun returns but we will really notice this by the end of the week and into the weekend as temperatures across the Front Range jump into the 80s and low 90s.
So, temperatures are climbing and we are drying out. Thankfully, we have had a lot of moisture recently so although we have hot and dry conditions forecast, we’re not looking at major fire weather concerns this week – at least along the Front Range and eastern Plains.
Looking past this weekend and into the end of the month, the weather models are picking up on a storm moving into the PNW (Pacific Northwest) that could bring some unsettled weather near us but that’s a bit far out and most models have is fizzling out before it reaches us.
For now, enjoy the rest of the cloudy and cool weather. It’ll be no time before we wish we had it back.
~Andy
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