Marty’s Saturday Morning Forecast – Strong Storms Possible – 5/22/2021

Overview:  We’re tracking a chance for strong to severe thunderstorms on Saturday before a stretch of warmer, drier weather settles over the area.

Today:  Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy to windy at times and cooler with scattered showers possible over the plains this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop over more areas this afternoon. Storms along and east of the I-25 corridor could be strong to severe with hail greater than an inch in diameter, damaging thunderstorm wind gusts over 60 mph, and isolated, brief tornadoes all possible. Weaker storms may still produce localized heavy rainfall, small hail, gusty wind, and frequent lightning. Before showers and thunderstorms arrive, temperatures should reach the 70s to near 80 along the Arkansas River with 60s and 70s for most other areas. The air should cool significantly in the vicinity of any showers and thunderstorms.

Tonight:  The threat for severe weather should diminish as the sun sets, but scattered showers and thunderstorms may continue to roll over some areas well into the night. By morning we expect a partly cloudy sky with temperatures in the 40s and 50s.

Sunday:  Mostly sunny, breezy to windy at times and warmer with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s for most areas while our local mountain communities remain mainly in the 60s. Low-level moisture could again support some strong thunderstorms very near to the Colorado/Kansas state line, but elsewhere we expect to remain dry.

Extended:  Most of the week looks warm, breezy, and dry with much less chance for rain. We’ll watch for the possibility that some low-level moisture will slide near the area later in the week and possibly bring isolated thunderstorms to a few areas.