Finally! A brief break from the wild weather!
It’s a calm and pleasant Saturday evening, with mostly clear skies and light winds setting the stage for a cool night across the area. After a sunny and dry afternoon, good radiational cooling will take over tonight. That means temperatures will dip quite a bit—down to the low 50s in the urban corridor, upper 40s across the eastern plains and foothills, and even some chilly upper 30s in the mountain valleys. It’s the kind of night where you might want an extra blanket if you’re camping or staying in the high country.
Things start to change early Sunday morning as a cool front slides through, pushed along by a weather system moving across southern Canada. The front itself will be shallow and weak, but enough to bring in some low clouds—stratus—across the plains and into the foothills. Don’t expect a gray day, though. Once the sun gets higher, the clouds should burn off by midday, and we’ll see a mix of sun and clouds in the afternoon. That sets the stage for a bit of afternoon instability, especially near the foothills, I-25 corridor, and Palmer Divide, where a few strong thunderstorms could pop up. These may bring gusty winds around 50 mph and even hail up to golfball size. Not everyone will see storms—they’ll be pretty isolated—but keep an eye to the sky just in case.
By Monday, we’re under a different pattern, with weak northwesterly flow and a drier air mass in place. The day will start out quiet, but some scattered afternoon showers and storms are likely to form over the mountains and drift southeast. The best chances will be south of I-70, especially around South Park and the Palmer Divide. These storms won’t be particularly strong, but they could bring some brief heavy rain, lightning, small hail, and gusty winds. It will be a bit cooler than usual too, with highs in the upper 70s on the plains and 60s to low 70s in the high country.
Tuesday looks a bit warmer as southerly flow returns and a ridge of high pressure starts to build over the state. That will bring some warming , which should limit storm development east of the mountains. Still, expect a few afternoon thunderstorms over the higher terrain, but they probably won’t have the strength or organization to move very far east. With less cloud cover and a building ridge, temperatures will climb into the mid-80s across the plains, while mountain areas warm into the 70s.
Looking ahead to the middle and end of next week, we stay in a warm and somewhat stormy pattern. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms remain possible each day. The plains may see a few of these storms drift eastward, but the moisture isn’t all that impressive. Highs will hold in the mid to upper 80s for much of the area. Then, big changes may be on the way starting next weekend. Models are hinting at a hot and dry pattern taking over as a ridge sets up over the region—typical for mid-June in Colorado. That could mean 90s on the plains and urban corridor as we head into the second half of the month.
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