Author: BoulderCAST Team (Page 1 of 50)

This post had major contributions from at least two members of our team. The more meteorologists the better, right?

CONTEST: It’s that time again! Enter your first snow prediction for a chance to win! ❄️☃️

October 17, 2026 / / 0 Comments

12th Annual BoulderCAST First Snowfall Contest

Ready or not, snow season is lurking out there somewhere. Maybe you’ve already dusted off the skis, mounted the winter tires, or convinced yourself that buying an Epic Pass counts as meteorological preparedness. Now comes the big question: when will we see our first measurable snowfall of the season? If recent years have taught us anything, it’s that Mother Nature doesn’t always follow the script. We’ve experienced both the earliest and latest first snows on record within the last six years, proving that just about anything is on the table.

That’s why it’s time once again for the BoulderCAST First Snowfall Contest. Take a look at Boulder’s snowfall history within, then submit your prediction for the date of Boulder’s first measurable snow (0.1″ or greater) and how much will fall. The closest forecasts will earn prizes, bragging rights, and the satisfaction of being more accurate than your friends.

*This contest has closed to entries.*

Continue reading

September 2026 Weather Review: Extreme Drought Rolls On Alongside Boulder’s 16th Consecutive Warmer Than Normal Month

October 7, 2026 / / 0 Comments

September 2026 will be remembered as the month that put an exclamation point on an extraordinary water year of heat and dryness in Boulder, with less than 20% of normal precipitation falling during the month and temperatures more than five degrees above average. Despite a strong late-season monsoon, moisture largely avoided the Front Range, and especially Boulder County, culminating with a great modeling collapse of a significant rain event in the final days of the month tied to the remnants of Hurricane Polo.

Here’s a graphical look at how September 2026 unfolded across Boulder, Denver, and the Front Range — and how it compared to climatology.

Continue reading

A Soaker or a Near‑Miss: Will Hurricane Polo’s Remnants Push Far Enough North to Drench Denver and Boulder? (Updated)

September 29, 2026 / / 0 Comments

A slow‑building, tropical‑charged system is about to make its move on Colorado — and the setup behind it is far more complex than your typical late‑September storm. As Hurricane Polo’s remnants collide with a impressive Pacific upper‑low, the stage is set for a rare, moisture‑laden system that could deliver anything from a major rain event to a near‑miss for Boulder and Denver. We break down why the models are struggling, what the key track differences mean for your neighborhood, and where flooding and high‑elevation snow may become real concerns as the storm unfolds.

UPDATED Tuesday Sep 26 5:00PM: Updated rainfall forecast map and some wording to account for growing confidence the bulk of the storm will miss the Denver Metro area. 

Continue reading

Colorado Forecast Update: Thursday Gloom, a Beautiful Weekend and Some Big, Wet Questions for Next Week

September 24, 2026 /

The pattern is gradually shifting across Colorado, with lingering moisture keeping Thursday cool and cloudy before drier, warmer weather settles in for the weekend. Beyond that, the forecast becomes much less certain as the first significant autumn trough approaches from the west and potentially interacts with the remnants of Hurricane Polo across the southern Rockies. There are several possible outcomes for early next week in the Front Range, ranging from a quick cooldown with some showers to a much wetter setup. We break down what the models are showing, what we’re confident in, and what remains uncertain.

Continue reading

Boulder County Rolls Back Fire Restrictions as Extreme Drought Persists

September 11, 2026 /

Boulder County just rolled back its fire restrictions—right as we close the book on one of the hottest, driest, most fuel‑parching summers in recent history. The county says “improved conditions” justify easing the bans, yet rainfall has been almost impossible to come by within county limits, Extreme Drought now blankets 84% of the county, and fuel moisture is objectively worse today than when restrictions were last ramped up back in late June. It begs a very reasonable question: what exactly has improved? We break down the data behind the decision and examine why Boulder County’s fire environment remains primed as we step closer to autumn—historically one of our area’s most volatile fire seasons in recent years.

Continue reading

August 2026 Weather Review: Boulder Notches 2nd Hottest August on Record and 15th Consecutive Month Warmer Than Normal

September 4, 2026 /

August 2026 was a month defined by brutal heat, episodic monsoon relief, intermittent smoke, and continued climatological extremes across the Front Range, with most of the West extending a long‑running warm anomaly that has defined the past year and a half. Boulder notched its 2nd‑warmest August on record, capping 15 consecutive months averaging above‑normal temperatures, and even tied its all‑time record high of 104°F during one of several extreme heat pulses. During the month, new records were also set for the number of 95° and 100° days in a single calendar year — a clear marker of how historically persistent the heat has been. The month also featured a brief but meaningful uptick in monsoon moisture, especially in the southern Denver Metro area, where localized downpours provided slight drought improvement and a temporary break from the otherwise parched pattern.

Here’s a graphical look at how August 2026 unfolded across Boulder, Denver, and the Front Range — and how it compared to climatology.

Continue reading

Labor Day Weekend Forecast: Can Hurricane Marie’s Tropical Moisture Crack Colorado’s Stubbornly Dry Pattern?

September 3, 2026 /

A stubborn late‑summer pattern refuses to budge across the West, and Colorado is once again caught in the middle — but this holiday weekend comes with a tropical twist. As Hurricane Marie drifts offshore of Baja California, pulses of subtropical moisture will begin sneaking into the state, boosting storm chances in the High Country and adding some intrigue to an otherwise familiar stretch of warm, southwest flow. If you’re heading outdoors for Labor Day weekend, especially in the Mountains, you’ll want to keep an eye on the sky — the atmosphere has a few surprises lined up.

Continue reading

A Monsoon in Name Only: Inside One of Colorado’s Hottest, Driest Summers on Record

September 2, 2026 /

Summer 2026 is beginning to wrap-up, but before we close the books on one of Colorado’s most punishing warm‑season patterns in recent memory, we’re taking you through the full story — from the record‑warm, snow‑starved winter that set the stage, to the monsoon that never quite cohered leaving fuels critically dry statewide, to the heat dome that kept both day and night historically warm.

Read on as we break down why Boulder’s rainfall never materialized this summer, why Denver fared only marginally better, how nearly 250,000 acres burned statewide, and why half of Colorado is now in Extreme or Exceptional Drought. This summer has certainly been one for the record books, in more than one way.

Continue reading

« Older posts

Privacy Policy

© 2026 Front Range Weather, LLC

Up ↑