Hot and breezy Sunday, fire danger much of the week ahead

TODAY: Good morning and happy Sunday friends! We are smack dab in the middle of two weather systems: heat to our east, and a colder system bringing heavy *SNOW* to the northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana! For us here in Colorado, that means strong gusty winds and hot temperatures once again here on Sunday. We are expecting highs in the upper 80s and low 90s over the Pikes Peak Region, with upper 90s to near 100 degrees along HWY 50. Strong winds and hot/dry conditions will create significant fire weather risk... please be cautious!

OF NOTE: Two new large fires have broken out across western Colorado/Eastern Utah. We are expecting heavy smoke to develop later to today across the I-70 corridor and north to Denver... parts of southern Colorado might be spared today... but heavier smoke is possible later in the week as wind direction shifts.

TOMORROW: Shouldn't see big changes on Monday... if anything we're 4-5 degrees cooler across the board, but not enough to be noticeable. We will remain windy so fire danger remains a concern. Expect highs in the mid-to-upper 80s in the Pikes Peak Region, with 90s over the plains.

THIS WEEK: No big pattern shift looks to be in the cards just yet... we will remain hot and dry for the next 6 to 7 days across the area... eyes point to a *possible* pattern change by mid July which might arrive by July 10th or so... really tough to get any clear indication this far out, but some long-range data points to a more active monsoon pattern. We are watching this closely not only for rain in southeast Colorado, but for our neighbors over the western slope who DESPERATELY need water.