Today’s Forecast:
Friends...no other way to say it. It will be HOT today. We do not have Red Flag Warnings on Thursday, but it will be very warm and very dry. Several fires are burning in Southern Colorado, including at Fort Carson and near Westcliffe. This indicates that fire danger will remain elevated. A record-breaking ridge is centered over western Arizona. Meteorologically, today the ridge's strength will clock in as the strongest ridge ever in March. Perhaps more tellingly, it will be within close range of all-time strongest heat ridge strength, too.
Today's highs will climb into the 80s on the Plains, with 60s and 70s in the mountains. The record warmest March day in Colorado Springs is 81. In Pueblo, the record warmest March day is 86. It is possible that we tie that, or surpass that today, in both cities.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 81; Low: 50. After upper 70s on Wednesday, we are expected to make a jump into the 80s this afternoon, and should stay there through Saturday. If we hit 81 degrees this afternoon, it'll break the daily record of 80 degrees from 2017, and tie the all-time March heat record of 81.
Pueblo forecast: High: 87; Low: 42. Temperatures yesterday soared into the 80s for the second time this month in Pueblo. We'll get back there again today, while chasing both a daily and all-time March heat record. It currently sits at 86 degrees.
Canon City forecast: High: 86; Low: 50. Yesterday was nice, verging on very warm. Today will be very warm, verging on hot. Highs will soar into the middle 80s today, with further warming expected through Saturday.
Woodland Park forecast: High: 73; Low: 41. 70s in March in Woodland Park!?! That's right! Today's highs will soar into the 70s for the first time this month, with 70-degree plus temperatures continuing each afternoon through Saturday.
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: 70s/80s; Low: 40s/50s. Winter will end on a warm note, with highs in northern El Paso County on Thursday soaring into the upper 70s and very low 80s. Lows tonight will be unseasonably warm as well, only cooling down to 40s and very low 50s.
Plains forecast: High: 80s; Low: 40s. Soaring heat on the Plains will push temperatures into the middle to upper 80s this afternoon. By Friday, some areas will see 90 degree plus heat!
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 80s; Low: 40s/50s. An unprecedented March heat wave will continue to warm on Thursday, with highs this afternoon climbing well into the 80s.
Mountains forecast: High: 60s/70s; Low: 30s/40s. Snow will be melting very quickly in the mountains over the next week. Highs this afternoon will warm into the 60s and 70s in the mountains today, with our mountain valleys today unbelievably warm, soaring into the 70s and lower 80s.
Extended outlook forecast:
The peak of the heat wave will occur from Friday to Saturday, and it will feel like mid-summer. Our latest forecast high in Colorado Springs on Saturday is 88 degrees. The average high on July 1st in Colorado Springs is 86 degrees! The record on July 1st is 96...which means Saturday's forecast high is a mere 8 degrees from the all-time July 1st high temperature record in Colorado Springs. We expect widespread 90 degree temperatures in the lower Arkansas River Valley. Pueblo has never recorded a 90-degree day in March, and that seems very likely to occur. Expect continued hot, dry, and sunny conditions. Winds will remain relatively light Friday but fire danger stays elevated due to the extreme heat, dry air, and increasingly dry fuels.
Stronger breezes return on Saturday, and this day is likely to see Red Flag Warnings due to the blend of record-smashing heat, dry air, and stronger wind.
A breezy cold front will drop us down to the 60s and 70s Sunday before we begin to see our ridge return next week. Temperatures climb Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday - reaching the mid-80s to lower 90s by mid-week on the Plains.
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