Tonight's Forecast:
Showers and thunderstorms continue this evening with a break between two batches of energy this evening. The main thunderstorm threats will lie within the two main areas of storm development - with showers between these bands unlikely to contain lightning.
Overnight, showers will persist. By sunrise, additional moisture will move into the plains leading to a corridor of showers, but they'll largely take until after the morning commute to move into I-25.
Check the extended forecast for more details on what to expect through Wednesday.
Colorado Springs forecast: Low: 43; High: 54;
Off and on rain showers with embedded thunder through dinnertime. Then, a break, before more showers return late tonight with more isolated thunder potential. Showers will continue on Monday morning but will be isolated during the AM commute. South winds at 10-20 mph (to 25 mph until around 9 PM tonight).
Pueblo forecast: Low: 47; High: 61;
Rain tonight in the Steel City - but you're mostly done with the rumblers. Rain will be off-and-on throughout the evening and overnight and should be patchier than what you saw this afternoon (more of the "5 minute shower" type of storms). South winds early, shifting southeast, at 15-25 through 9PM, then 10-15 mph after.
Canon City forecast: Low: 46; High: 55;
Another thunderstorm is possible before 10PM tonight, otherwise you'll see off-and-on showers tonight. East winds at 5-10 mph.
Woodland Park forecast: Low: 35; High: 47;
You'll get a bit of everything tonight - rain, snow, thunder all possible. Nothing lasts too long though. Mountain waves, like waves in the ocean, have peaks and troughs...meaning you'll alternate periods of light to moderate showers with periods of cloudiness. South winds at 10-15 mph. More sustained moisture -and showers- will arrive Monday.
Tri-Lakes forecast: Low: 40s; High: 50s;
Rain showers with a few rumbles of thunder. Otherwise cloudy. South winds at 10-25 mph through midnight, then 10-20 mph.
Plains forecast: Low: 40s; High: 50s;
Mainly dry early tonight aside from a quick and isolated shower...storms will generally take until 8/9 AM Monday to really start hitting you. But, cloud cover will increase. It'll also be breezy with southeast winds at 15-30 mph, shifting south at 10-20 mph after midnight.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: Low: 41; High: 57/59;
Rain and thunderstorms mixed with periods of cloudiness. South winds at 10-15 mph.
Mountains forecast: Low: 30s; High: 40s/50s;
Thundersnow tonight in the mountains. Snow won't accumulate. South winds at 10-15 mph decreasing to 10 mph after midnight.
Extended outlook forecast:
The forecast remains on track. Low pressure slowly pivoting through the Four Corners and then New Mexico will swing multiple rounds of energy into southern Colorado over the next 72 hours. Light showers are expected Monday morning. Rain will increase in intensity during the afternoon with embedded thunderstorms. Flash flooding is possible wherever storms train. Storm training means multiple storms form and then move over the same areas in a line. As a result, the flood risk tomorrow is isolated - as by percentage, most of the region won't get those conditions. But it's likely some small part of the region will. Stay weather aware.
Tuesday should be the "headline" day of this event. As the low tracks east, it will get closer to a blocking ridge to the east (this is called an omega block). The tighter spacing will increase the "pull" the storm has in bringing moisture into Colorado. Meanwhile, it will be flinging a large and potent swath of mid-level energy into the area. Combined, this means heavy rain is expected Tuesday. The NOAA Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has southern Colorado Springs, and Pueblo in a slight (2 out of 4) risk for flash flooding on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the cold temperatures should bring the snow level down to around 8,000 feet. This will result in heavy snow in Teller County on Tuesday afternoon that I expect will impact travel along U.S. 24. I do not expect this snow to stick to roads during the daytime, but visibility could be limited. Once the sun sets, snow is likely to stick, and the Wednesday morning commute is likely to be impacted. This may also apply to Monument Hill but the forecast is more iffy due to being very close to the cutoff elevation.
Wednesday will have remnant showers, an isolated t-storm is possible in the afternoon.
The foothills and mountains retain shower and storm chances straight into the weekend - of a more "typical" daily PM chance variety, while the plains should generally dry out.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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