This week’s weather will be a delicate balance between below and above normal temperatures as the Front Range remains situated between a ridge of high pressure over the West Coast and a persistent trough in the Midwest. This should spell out pleasant and dry weather with no chances for rain/snow and day after day of sunshine.
This week’s highlights include:
- Temperatures hover in the 60’s and 70’s this week
- Heaps of sunshine with no threat of precipitation
- No frosts or freezes expected across the lower elevations
- A series of cold fronts keep temperatures near normal to end the week
- Smoke/haze lingers off and on thanks to nearby wildfires
DISCLAIMER: This weekly outlook forecast is created Monday morning and covers the entire upcoming week. Accuracy will decrease as the week progresses as this post is NOT updated. To receive daily updated forecasts from our team, subscribe to BoulderCAST Premium.
Pleasant temperatures Monday
The weather this week is looking quite wonderful thanks to a delicate balance between a ridge of high pressure to our west and a persistent trough over the Great Lakes and Midwest regions through Friday. Shown below is today’s mid-level atmospheric pattern. The cold front which passed through yesterday was tied to the now present low pressure over the Great Lakes. In its wake, high pressure over California will slowly build eastward, giving us gradual rising temperatures today and Tuesday. That low pressure over the Great Lakes will continue to advance eastward over the next 24 to 36 hours.
The cold front from yesterday has penetrated well into the southern part of the Midwest today, almost to the Gulf Coast (below). Note that over Colorado, we will still be under the influence of upslope winds from the east-northeast direction. Temperatures will warm some from the middle 50’s on Sunday, but still only get into the lower 60’s in most of the Denver Metro. That should make for a great autumn afternoon on Monday.
The air quality is fairly good to begin the week as the large-scale flow has pushed a bulk of the smoke from California away from Colorado. However, we may see some smoke from the Mullen Fire in Wyoming infiltrate back into the Front Range towards sunset on Monday. At least that is what the HRRR-Smoke model is showing for this evening.
HRRR-Smoke near surface smoke content forecast for Monday into Monday evening.
A delicate balance between 60’s and 70’s rest of the week
As we go from today into Friday, Colorado will be between a ridge of high pressure over Nevada and a trough of low pressure setting up over southern Canada and the Great Lakes (below). As of Wednesday, the upper-level jet will largely be to the east and northeast of Colorado. This pattern usually means that we are on the fringe of the coldest air tied to the trough, as well as the warmest air to our west. Normally this also means we see a fair number of cold fronts that penetrate southward from the trough. This looks to be the exact pattern setting up for the remainder of the week.
How does this pattern specifically impact the Front Range? Well, given a lack of moisture embedded in the northwest flow, there will be lots of sunshine with no precipitation for one. Secondly, a back-and-forth transition between below and above average temperatures is expected. With today’s highs in the lower 60’s, the airmass warms a good deal tomorrow into the 70’s as the ridge gets closer (below left). By Wednesday, the first of two cold fronts this week pushes south with the ridge moving back west toward California and the trough moving slightly into northeast Colorado. That should keep temperatures starting out in the upper 70’s but eventually temperatures drop back into the mid to upper 60’s come Thursday (below center). The week ends with a slight warming of the airmass on Friday, with temperatures in the upper 60’s to lower 70’s. Our average highs this time of year are in the lower 70’s, hence the meaning by a deviation below and above normal.
Forecast Specifics:
Monday: A gorgeous day full of sunshine. Some smoke may build into the area towards sunset. Highs in the lower 60’s on the Plains and middle 50’s in the Foothills.
Tuesday: Sunny and much warmer with highs in the middle 70’s for the Plains and middle 60’s in the Foothills.
Wednesday: Sunny and mild with temperatures in the middle to upper 70’s on the Plains and middle 60’s in the Foothills.
Thursday: Cooler under mostly sunny skies. Highs in the mid to upper 60’s on the Plains and middle 50’s in the Foothills.
Friday: Increasing clouds and warmer with temperatures in the lower to middle 70’s on the Plains and lower 60’s for the Foothills.
High Country: A very quiet week overall is expected for the higher terrain. Dry conditions, light winds, and sunny skies will persist over most areas and hiking destinations. Check our SummitCAST page for daily updated forecasts for more than 120 mountain hiking destinations across Colorado. Here’s the forecast for Colorado’s highest peak over the next three days. It’s still 14ers season, folks!
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