After a very warm start to the week, relief is in site for Nederland and the Front Range foothills of northern Colorado. A cold front will push southward across the area on Thursday, passing through the Denver metro area sometime between 11 AM and noon. Behind this front, much cooler air will settle in. Moisture will be on the increase during the afternoon and evening hours as well as weak upslope flow develops along the foothills east of the Continental Divide. It is late June, and the sun is high in the sky. The strong insolation (heating from the sun) combined with this cool, relatively moist air mass will result in some scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The winds over Nederland and the foothills will favor fast moving thunderstorms with brief periods of light to moderate rainfall. These storms will not result in significant precipitation, but may be enough to wash away some of the pine pollen.
Models are hinting at low level clouds and upslope fog/light drizzle developing in Ned Thursday night into Friday morning with temperatures dropping into the upper 30s. The cool weather will continue into the weekend with highs on Friday and Saturday reaching only in the mid to upper 50s! Yes, 50s! There will be some low level cloudiness, perhaps a broken layer of stratocumulus, but the atmosphere appears more stable limiting the change of showers and thunderstorms. The pleasant weather will continue on Sunday with moderating temperatures. Overall, not bad for outdoor activities, although there is still quite a bit of snow in the high country.
Most folks in Ned do not have air conditioning. We open our windows on these summer nights to cool our homes. The next several days will be great for sleeping and even a tad chilly in the mornings. Enjoy this cool down! Summer is just beginning.