Today’s Forecast:
Thursday will be the last really warm day for awhile as some big changes are expected here in Southern Colorado on Friday. For today, the downslope flow will bring us a classic case of the "warm before the storm". Highs on the Plains will be slightly cooler than yesterday, but still well above average for this time of the year, topping out in the 60s and 70s.
Strong wind gusts will need to be monitored closely on Thursday, with peak mountain gusts up around 50-60 mph. Gusts on the Plains will be on the 20-40 mph range, with spotty high fire danger a concern due to our dry and windy forecast.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 68; Low: 28. A warm and breezy day on tap for the Pikes Peak Region. Although we'll be slightly cooler than yesterday, the record for today will be lower. Our current record sits at 68° and dates back to 1906.
Pueblo forecast: High: 73; Low: 26. After a record setting high of 77° on Wednesday, today's forecast will be slightly cooler, but still warm enough to reach the 70s. It will also be windy this afternoon, with peak gusts up near 35 mph.
Canon City forecast: High: 70; Low: 31. A windy and warm Thursday will give way to around 30 degrees of cooling Friday and our next chance for snow. Stay tuned!
Woodland Park forecast: High: 54; Low: 22. Mild and windy over Teller County on Thursday, with peak afternoon wind gusts up near 40-45 mph.
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: 50s/60s; Low: 20s. Parts of northern El Paso County will see some pretty strong wind gusts on Thursday, up near 35 mph in some areas. Snow returns on Friday as highs drop by as much as 25-30 degrees.
Plains forecast: High: 60s/70s; Low: 20s/30s. Enjoy the warmth today because we're tracking some pretty big changes to our forecast on Friday as snow moves back into Southern Colorado.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 60s/70s; Low: 20s/30s. Windy and warm on Thursday, with the strongest gusts in eastern Huerfano County up near 50 mph.
Mountains forecast: High: 30s/40s; Low: 10s/20s. Strengthening westerly winds in advance of our next winter storm will bring 50-60 mph wind gusts to the mountains today, with the potential for even stronger wind gusts above treeline.
Extended outlook forecast:
Details surrounding our next winter storm are looking a little bit clearer this morning. We're tracking two distinct cold fronts, one that moves in Friday morning and a second that moves in Friday evening. The first front will bring the potential for a quick burst of snow, but it's the second front that I think will bring us the bulk of the snow, with snow showers continuing into early Saturday morning. Snow totals in Colorado Springs from the storm will be in the 1-4" range, with as much as 4-7" of snow for the Palmer Divide.
After seeing highs in the 30s and 40s on Friday and Saturday, temperatures will rebound into the upper 40s and 50s on Sunday and Monday as sunshine returns to Southern Colorado.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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