Category: Long-Range (Page 1 of 17)

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

October 17, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team / 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.*

Hydrologic Failure — How Every Season Conspired to Produce Boulder’s Driest Water Year on Record

October 6, 2026 / Ben Castellani / 0 Comments

Boulder just endured its driest water year on record, closing out twelve months with only 10.65 inches of precipitation — barely half of normal and nearly at desert-level. From a failed snow season to record spring warmth and a monsoon that largely bypassed the city, every season conspired to keep Boulder locked in a warm‑and‑dry feedback loop. Reservoirs and upstream snow storage will cushion the blow for now, but the bigger question looms: what happens if we start stringing years like this together?

This Week in Colorado Weather: September 7, 2026

September 7, 2026 / Andy

The shortened work week arrives with a bit of a plot twist as Tropical Storm Marie sends a surge of deeper moisture straight into Colorado. That boost will keep scattered storm chances alive through Tuesday before a midweek cold front briefly dries us out and knocks temperatures back into more comfortable territory. But the break won’t last — late‑week heat is set to rebuild quickly, and weekend guidance is already hinting at yet another unsettled pattern trying to form, with a fresh plume of subtropical moisture lurking on the horizon. This summer’s stubborn, underperforming monsoon looks determined to limp well into September. Read on as we unpack the setup and what it will mean for weather along the Front Range this week.

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

September 3, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

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.

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

September 2, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

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.

This Week in Colorado Weather: August 10, 2026

August 10, 2026 / Andy

As we kick off the week, the Front Range is staring down a few more days of stubborn August heat — but that pattern is about to crack. A midweek shift will pull cooler air, deeper monsoon moisture, and widespread storms back into Colorado, including a real shot at heavy rainfall. After weeks of haze, heat, and bone‑dry afternoons, the atmosphere finally looks ready to turn the page. We break down what this transition means for the Boulder-Denver area, and how long the cooler, wetter pattern is poised to stick around.

This Week in Colorado Weather: June 29, 2026

June 29, 2026 / Ben Castellani

The last weekend of June didn’t just sizzle — it erupted. As a powerful early‑summer trough carved into the Great Basin, the Southwest lit up with new fires and thick smoke thanks to some of the most volatile atmospheric conditions we’ve seen this season. Colorado wasn’t spared, either: several fast‑growing fires ignited across the Western Slope and Mountains, sending plumes straight into the Front Range. And with a stubborn dipole pattern locking in place across the nation, the week ahead promises more wind, more dryness, and more smoke — plus a few twists in the forecast you’ll want to keep an eye on. Let’s break down what’s driving this outbreak, what it means for the Boulder–Denver corridor, and when relief may finally arrive.

May 2026 Graphical Weather Review: A Tale of Two Storms — Damaging Snow and a Deluge of Rain Put a Dent in the Drought

June 4, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

May 2026 delivered a true roller‑coaster pattern along the Front Range. Despite finishing warmer than average, the month was punctuated by two significant chilly precipitation events that funneled a remarkable amount of moisture into Boulder and Larimer Counties. The first arrived as a damaging late‑season snowstorm, wrecking leafed‑out trees across the region, while the second system — fortunately — remained all rain at lower elevations.

Together, these systems provided meaningful drought relief, though the broader hydrological picture across Colorado and the West remains deeply strained. Here’s a graphical look at how May unfolded across Boulder, Denver, and the Front Range — and how it compared to climatology.