Category: Fire Weather (Page 2 of 35)

Premium BoulderCAST Daily – Wed 04/08/26 | Near-critical fire danger ahead of a cold front, rain chances tick up late-week

April 8, 2026 / Ben Castellani

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This Week in Colorado Weather: April 6, 2026

April 6, 2026 / Andy

This week leans warm and deceptively calm across the Front Range, but there’s more going on under the hood than the mild afternoons suggest. A couple of brief cold fronts, a parade of passing shortwaves, and even a midweek fire‑weather setup all take turns shaping our pattern. Rain chances stay meager, frost may sneak in early Tuesday, and late‑week energy could stir up a few isolated showers. We break down what to expect—and what not to count on—in our latest weekly outlook.

March 2026 Graphical Weather Review: The warmest March on record by a massive margin (and warmer than all but a few Aprils)

April 3, 2026 / Ben Castellani

March 2026 delivered one of Colorado’s most jarring spring months on record with temperatures skyrocketing to unprecedented levels as the region shattered long‑standing warmth records for weeks on end. Western snowpack rapidly declined during this multi-week heatwave, reaching historic lows in a majority of basins across the West, including every major basin in Colorado. Brief interjections of snow occurred during the month across the Front Range, but most the state ended with well below normal precipitation. Here’s a quick and colorful graphical recap of our weather during March and how it relates to climatology.

This Week in Colorado Weather: March 30, 2026

March 30, 2026 / Andy

March is supposed to bring hints of spring, not the kind of heat that rewrites the record books and eats away snowpack like it’s June. Yet here we are again, recapping another weekend of astonishing warmth, more broken records, and a dire Westwide snowpack situation that has become genuinely alarming. We walk through just how extreme the heatwave has been, why Colorado’s water outlook is now in uncharted territory, and what the coming early April pattern shift might (or might not) do to slow the damage that’s already been done. Let’s dig in.

This Week in Colorado Weather: March 23, 2026

March 23, 2026 / Ben Castellani

As if last week’s record‑smashing heatwave wasn’t enough, the atmosphere has decided to double down this week. After a brief cooldown, we’re gearing up for another round of exceptional warmth—with Colorado’s snowpack plunging to levels more typical of early summer than March. In today’s update, we break down the new records already in the books, the alarming snowpack decline, and what to expect as a second pulse of historic warmth takes aim at the Front Range.

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.