A Pleasant Weekend Followed by Warming Temperatures

Serene weather will prevail over the Northern Front Range of Colorado into the middle of next week. A cold front, associated with a shortwave crossing the Northern Tier of the United States, will sag southward over Colorado Saturday afternoon and evening bringing cooler temperatures, especially east of the Continental Divide. While there is not much moisture associated with this front, an isolated shower or thunderstorm cannot be ruled out, especially south  of I-70 where moisture and forcing will be more optimal.  This respite in temperatures will be short lived.  A strong ridge of high pressure, with heights up to 594 daM will settle over Colorado on Monday and remain there through the middle of the week.  Hot temperatures will be the rule across the Eastern Plains where highs will reach into the mid 90s.  The foothills will see temperatures in the upper 70s to near 80F.  Models differ in the exact position of this ridge, especially later in the week.  If the ridge axis slowly pushes into eastern Colorado and the High Plains, southwest flow will set up over the mountains, bringing in moisture and the possibility of afternoon and evening thunderstorms.  Right now, Sunday and Monday look to be dry, with increasing chances of precipitation in the mountains through the rest of the week. Upper level flow will be nearly locked between this ridge and a deep trough off of the Pacific Northwest coast, meaning that this hot weather will be around a while. The ‘squeeze play’ between the Pacific Northwest trough and the Southwest ridge will determine how much moisture ultimately arrives in Colorado next week. Summer is not over.

Leave a Reply