It’s a mild but windy start to the morning across the area, thanks to strong west winds coming down from the foothills overnight. Some spots near the foothills may not have dropped much below the upper 40s, while areas farther east were a bit colder. Winds will pick up again later this morning and through the afternoon, with gusts around 30 to 45 mph for much of the plains. With temperatures climbing into the 70s and very dry air in place, fire danger will stay high along the I-25 corridor and across the plains.
The warm, dry, and windy pattern continues into Saturday and will likely be the most active day for fire weather. Afternoon temperatures should reach the mid 70s on the plains, and winds will be even stronger than Friday with widespread gusts of 40 to 55 mph possible. The combination of warmth, dry air, and gusty winds will keep critical fire weather conditions in place through the day.
Saturday evening brings a big change as a strong cold front moves in from the north. Snow will begin developing in the mountains Saturday evening and continue overnight, with blowing snow and reduced visibility making travel difficult through early Sunday morning.
If you’re heading into the high country late Saturday or early Sunday, be prepared for winter driving conditions.For the lower elevations, a quick round of light snow showers is possible overnight Saturday into early Sunday morning. Accumulations should stay fairly light for most areas, generally around an inch or less, though a few localized spots could see a bit more.
Temperatures will drop quickly behind the front, and strong north winds gusting up to 45 to 60 mph will make Sunday feel much colder with sub-freezing wind chills.After the weekend cool-down, a rapid warm-up begins Monday and continues into Tuesday as high pressure builds over the western U.S.
Temperatures will climb back into the 70s early in the week, and the warming trend may continue into mid to late week. In fact, some areas could challenge record highs if the warmer pattern holds.
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