Marty’s Sunday Morning Forecast – Cooler, Rain, Thunder, Mountain Snow – 5/24/20
Overview: We’re tracking much colder air, rain, thunder, and even some mountain snow as we approach Memorial Day. The air should dry out and gradually warm again starting Tuesday.
Today: Any patchy low clouds will break up quickly this morning, but we’ll be windy at times as the cooler air rushes over the area. Although the cooler air will negate fire weather concern over eastern Colorado, the San Luis Valley will sill experience conditions favorable for the spread of wildfires so a Red Flag Warning goes into effect again today from 12 PM until 8 PM. Speaking of wildfires, the Cherry Creek and 466 fires burning in eastern Las Animas Counties will lead to poor air quality at times, so an Air Quality Alert remains in effect for eastern Las Animas and southern Bent County until 9 AM today.
The afternoon will be breezy and cooler with high temperatures in the 60s to lower 70s for the plains with some 50s over the mountains prior to precipitation starting. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop over and near the mountains early to mid-afternoon and then spread east/northeast as we approach the evening. Severe weather does not appear likely along the I-25 corridor, but stronger cells could produce frequent lightning, small hail, and chilly wind gusts. Over the plains east of the I-25 corridor, particularly along and south of the Arkansas River, the strongest storms could become severe this afternoon and evening with hail to near an inch in diameter and thunderstorm wind gusts to near 60 mph the primary threats.
Tonight: Rain and thunderstorms are likely over much of the area this evening with significant rainfall expected for some. Over the higher terrain (above ~8,000 feet) around the Pikes Peak Region, and possibly over the mountains to the southwest of Pueblo some wet snow is likely at times into Monday morning with a couple of inches possible on the cooler surfaces. Lower elevations will receive all rain through the night with temperatures cooling into the 30s and 40s along and west of I-25 with 40s to near 50 for the far eastern plains.
Extended: Memorial Day will start mostly cloudy and maybe a little wet with precipitation becoming increasingly spotty as the clouds gradually decrease. The air will be chilly for a while with temperatures only in the 40s and 50s for the higher terrain along and west of I-25 into early afternoon, but 50s and 60s are likely for most areas as the afternoon progresses.
The air should warm some on Tuesday with isolated, daily showers most likely along Continental Divide. As easterly flow develops later in the week we might expect some late night/early morning low clouds along the eastern slopes of the mountains and plains, but the afternoon hours look to be partly cloudy, breezy and warmer with most areas on the eastern plains of Colorado remaining pretty dry, but isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible along and west of the I-25 corridor at times.
