Category: Climatology (Page 2 of 69)

These posts contain information about the long-term weather patterns of Boulder County. Potential topics may include 30-day weather outlooks, El Nino/La Nina, and seasonal forecasts. You will find less about the day-to-day weather, with more focus on longer trends and patterns.

Colorado Heatwave Update: Record-setting March heatwave continues through Saturday with near-critical fire danger—then comes Round #2 next week

March 19, 2026 / Ben Castellani

Wednesday’s remarkable 80° warmth marked the start of a stretch that’s far more reminiscent of early summer than mid‑March here in Colorado. An unusually strong ridge of high pressure is now locked over the region, setting the stage for several more days of exceptional heat with widespread record temperature destruction and increasing fire concerns. A brief cooldown will arrive over the weekend, but the broader pattern remains firmly tilted toward above‑normal temperatures the rest of the month, including a secondary heatwave already brewing for next week. Here’s a look at how this historic heatwave setup will unfold across the Front Range in the many days ahead.

This Week in Colorado Weather: March 16, 2026

March 16, 2026 / Andy

Colorado may be easing into the week on a calm, cool note, but the atmosphere has no intention of staying quiet — and the shift ahead isn’t the one you might expect. While a major storm system pounds the eastern half of the country, a powerful ridge is quietly taking shape off the West Coast, ready to drive an exceptional, record‑shattering March heatwave straight into the Front Range. With gusty downslope winds on the way and the strong likelihood of multiple all‑time records falling, this week is all about the heat. How hot will it get and when will the heatwave end? Let’s take a look.

Colorado Forecast Update: Brief but extreme fire danger on Saturday with Xcel planning to shut off power. Then comes the snow. Then the record heatwave.

March 13, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

Colorado just wrapped up one of its wildest weather weeks of the season: persistent fire danger, surprise snow, historic damaging winds in Fort Collins, and a sudden arrival of dense wildfire smoke from Nebraska. Even worse, the atmosphere isn’t done with us yet. As we head into the weekend, a fast‑evolving setup is lining up another round of high‑impact conditions for the Front Range, from extreme fire danger to an abrupt overnight flip to snowflakes. And once we get through that, next week brings a pattern shift so extreme it’s poised to rewrite March climatology and decimate the already anemic snowpack across the entire West. Let’s get into it.

Colorado Forecast Update: Powerful downslope winds, repeated fire weather days, weekend snow, and a long-lasting unprecedented March heatwave ahead

March 11, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

After Tuesday’s surprise temperature split and a sneaky round of overnight rain‑to‑snow, the Front Range is gearing up for a volatile stretch ahead defined by powerful downslope winds, repeated fire weather days, and a weekend cold front with a few snowflakes behind it. And beyond that? An unbelievably intense mid‑March heat wave that will rewrite the record books and kick off snowmelt across much of the West next week. Let’s get into the details.

This Week in Colorado Weather: March 9, 2026

March 9, 2026 / Ben Castellani

Warmth, wind, and a whole lot of déjà vu are back on the menu along the Front Range this week. After Sunday’s near‑record heat wiped out most of Friday’s snow, the pattern ahead looks suspiciously like the one we’ve been stuck in all winter — breezy downslope days, a meaningless cold front, and another surge of unseasonable warmth waiting in the wings. Fire danger, early Mountain snowpack melt, and record high temperature records will all come into play as we head deeper into the week and the month of March. Read on for all the details.

Winter Storm Recap: A welcomed overachiever for portions of Denver and a healthy dump of moisture for all

March 7, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

Our late‑week spring storm delivered a far more impressive performance than early models suggested. What looked like a modest, fast‑moving system slowed down, reorganized, and ultimately dumped a surprisingly healthy swath of heavy, wet snow across the Front Range. From booming Foothills totals to a rare over‑performance at DIA, this one had plenty of action worth unpacking. Let’s take a look at how the storm evolved, where our forecast missed the mark, and just how quickly we’ll be warming back into the 70s.

February 2026 Graphical Weather Review: Yet another exceptionally warm, dry and nearly snowless month of “winter”

March 4, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

February 2026 ran exceptionally warm, dry, and almost snowless across the Front Range—another month that felt more like an early spring preview than the heart of winter. Warm spells were frequent, with multiple days soaring into the 60s and even low 70s, while true winter cold was only brief and muted. February was a month defined by sunshine, downslope winds, fire danger, and a striking lack of moisture. It was officially Boulders 3rd warmest and 9th driest February on record. Here’s a quick and colorful graphical recap of our weather during February and how it relates to climatology.

This Week in Colorado Weather: March 2, 2026

March 2, 2026 / Andy

Meteorological winter wrapped up in the most 2025–26 way possible: not with snow, but with a wildfire at the base of the Flatirons—an unsettling bookend to what has been Boulder’s warmest winter on record by a wide margin. This week keeps the volatility going, with a near‑record warm Monday, a sharp cool‑down and rain on Tuesday, and a second late‑week system that could bring snow for everyone depending on how the trough organizes. It’s a classic early‑March pattern with warm spells, cold fronts, and plenty of uncertainty. Read on as we break down what to expect throughout the highly variable week of weather ahead in the Front Range.