Category: Tropical Weather (Page 1 of 20)

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

August 27, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team / 1 Comment

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 24, 2026

August 24, 2026 / Ben Castellani / 0 Comments

A stubborn late‑summer pattern is locked in across the Front Range this week. While it won’t bring major shifts, it will deliver subtle day‑to‑day changes worth watching. A strong subtropical ridge keeps monsoonal moisture just high enough for daily storm chances, yet still too disorganized to produce reliable rainfall — a theme all summer. With shifting flow aloft, a mid‑week cold front and moisture bump, and a gradual drying trend late in the week, there’s plenty to unpack, from renewed severe potential to evolving flash‑flood risks and ongoing drought concerns. Read on as we break down the key ingredients driving this persistent — and likely still underperforming — monsoon pattern.

This Week in Colorado Weather: August 17, 2026

August 17, 2026 / Andy / 0 Comments

A series of subtle weather shifts will shape the upcoming week along the Front Range, beginning with a return to warmer temperatures and a brief interruption of monsoonal moisture. A midweek frontal passage then reintroduces instability, moisture transport, and an uptick in storm coverage — including the potential for some severe cells. Heat will rebuild late week as the ridge re-strengthens over the area, before another likely resurgence of monsoonal flow enters the discussion for next week. Read on for all the details.

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

August 13, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team / 2 Comments

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.

This Week in Colorado Weather: July 27, 2026

July 27, 2026 / Ben Castellani

Eastern Colorado just came off a truly blistering weekend, with Denver and Boulder both shattering daily records as temperatures surged past 100°F on back‑to‑back days. Now the pattern is shifting, at least temporarily. An unusually juiced monsoon plume will set the stage for more robust afternoon storms through mid‑week, including a legitimate threat for locally heavy rainfall and burn‑scar flooding. But the faucet will shut off quickly. A rapidly intensifying Southwest heat dome will retrograde into Arizona late‑week, cutting off monsoon flow, drying out northern Colorado, and potentially steering wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest into the state as winds shift. By the weekend, the Front Range will sit on the fringe of that expanding heat dome, meaning another round of hot, dry weather and potential triple-digit readings again. Read on for all the details.

Colorado Monsoon Update: Storm Coverage Explodes Midweek as Monsoon Moisture Finally Breaks Through Into the Front Range

July 22, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

A surge of true monsoon moisture is finally breaking through the Front Range’s persistent dry shield. After Tuesday night’s northern‑tier storms offered a preview, the next two days will bring the real deal: widespread convection, highly anomalous moisture, torrential rainfall rates, and the best shot at real rain we’ve had in weeks. If you’ve been waiting for a break from the seemingly never-ending heat of summer and a return of stormy skies, the next few days are poised to deliver.

This Week in Colorado Weather: July 20, 2026

July 20, 2026 / Andy

After more than a week of relentless heat, the Front Range is finally heading into a pattern change — but not before we break a few records and squeeze out one more day near 100°. This week will bring a notable shift: true monsoon moisture is poised to surge over the Continental Divide, storm chances finally return and temperatures finally ease… at least for a moment. We break down what’s driving this stubborn heat, when the storms arrive, and why flash-flood concerns may quickly replace heat and fire danger as Colorado’s primary weather story.

Colorado Forecast Update: Fourth of July Weekend Brings Heat, Haze, and a Hint of Storms

July 2, 2026 / BoulderCAST Team

Colorado has been stuck in a dry, windy southwest‑flow pattern all week that has led to more than 130,000 acres of forest and shrubland burning across the state in nearly a dozen large fires. Now, as we head into the holiday weekend, the pattern finally shows some give: winds ease, temperatures climb, and a slow return of low‑level moisture should allow a few storms to sneak back into the Front Range. It’s not a full reset — meaningful rainfall will still be hard to come by for now — but the atmosphere is nudging Colorado toward a more familiar early‑July rhythm just in time for the Fourth. We break down how this evolving setup will shape the weekend’s weather, fire danger, and your outdoor plans.