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?

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. 

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

September 24, 2026 / / 0 Comments

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.

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Boulder County Rolls Back Fire Restrictions as Extreme Drought Persists

September 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Colorado Monsoon Update: Subtropical Moistures Surges to End the Week, Cooler and Storm‑Friendly Pattern Holds Through the Weekend

August 13, 2026 /

After weeks of sizzling heat and hydrological disappointment, a deep surge of monsoon moisture is pushing into the Front Range today, with precipitable water values approaching 200% of normal and a highly efficient rainfall environment already in place. Satellite imagery and overnight boundary interactions are signaling an active convective day ahead, with both severe and flooding hazards on the table Thursday. Monsoon storm chances will progressively decrease but ultimately stick around through the weekend alongside below normal temperatures. We dive into the forecast specifics, including the monsoon moisture transport, mesoscale boundaries, severe and flood risk, expected rainfall amounts, and how the weekend will play out as subtropical moisture slowly retreats.

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July 2026 Graphical Weather Review: In Some Respects, Boulder’s All-Time Hottest Month on Record

August 6, 2026 /

July 2026 along the Front Range was relentlessly hot, dry, and devoid of storms, dominated by stubborn upper‑level ridging that fueled long, punishing heatwaves and pushed Denver and Boulder into one of their hottest months on record. Occasional pulses of monsoonal moisture did break through, producing slow‑moving thunderstorms and localized flash flooding near vulnerable burn scars, while wildfire smoke from the West periodically dimmed skies and degraded air quality early in the month. With meaningful rainfall largely absent, Colorado’s severe drought deepened, cementing a July defined far more by heat and haze than by the usual rhythm of afternoon thunderstorms.

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

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