Going from record highs to temperatures in the 30s and 40s seems reminiscent of the 2020 weather flip we had. If you don’t remember: read about how we went from 100º to snow. This is not what is happening this weekend but we will feel a significant cooldown.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022. We set another record high.
There was also plenty of smoke in the atmosphere today just making it feel like a gross afternoon for the Front Range communities. I know I didn’t spend much time outside today.
Thursday will be eerily similar to Wednesday. There will be highs in the upper 90s to near 100º around Denver and smokey skies will stick around. We could yet again set a record high in the afternoon and a heat advisory is in place as well.
FORECAST
As a few cold fronts move into our region, we should see our temperatures go from near 100º on Thursday to the upper 40s by Saturday morning. Potentially more than a 50º temperature swing.
The first change comes overnight into Friday as the first of a series of cold fronts look to swing through the area. This front will not be very strong but it will drop our temperatures nicely compared to Thursday. The next change comes Friday as another surge of cool air moves in. This will bring periods of drizzle and light rain to the area.
Here’s what the moisture looks like from Thursday evening to Saturday night.

The best surge of moisture comes Friday evening to Saturday afternoon for most folks. That’s when we can expected the best chance of light rain.
Here’s a look at high temps Friday. Clouds will thicken in the afternoon.

This will feel awfully great compared to how the rest of this week has been. A secondary cold front will move through Friday afternoon and bring a reinforcing shot of cool air and some upslope flow. Friday afternoon/evening may turn overcast with drizzle depending on how early the front comes in. By Saturday morning, temperatures region-wide should be in the 40s and 50s.
Here’s a look at low temperatures Saturday morning.

Chilly up in the mountains! Saturday will largely be the coolest day of the season thus far (that’s not saying much). As upslope flow and low level moisture keep clouds and drizzle around most of the day, high temperatures will struggle to reach into the 60s and in some areas, the 50s may be hard to reach.
High temperatures Saturday.
High temps Saturday will be a solid 20º cooler than normal. Denver normally has highs in the low to mid-80s this time of the year. Skies will begin to clear a bit Saturday night paving way for the coldest night of the season for many along the Front Range and in the Front Range mountains.
Sunday morning low temperatures.

From Sunday through the beginning of next week, we’ll warm back to average and see a chance of showers and storms return as moisture from the remnants of a tropical system (Kaye) in the pacific gets sucked into the flow above us. Although a dreary day and a half are upon us this weekend, the amount of moisture isn’t supposed to be stellar but we will always take what we can get.

Here’s a look at the week ahead.

And for the Grand Valley where they could get freezing temperatures.

The northern and Front Range mountains will be awfully chilly at times. Some locations might see their first frost and freeze of the season. Speaking of, there’s enough cold air for some some light flurries. This won’t be an impactful snow but the snow level will be down to 9,000-10,000 feet at the coolest times.

For fun: here’s a look at the moisture of the west and where our tropical moisture that we may get next week will be coming from. You can clearly see the cold front swing through at first. Then the deep moisture over California breaks up and heads out way.

Hopefully this brings widespread rain to our area.
~Andy
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