textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- Red Flag Warnings remain in place for much of the plains for this afternoon and this evening, with snow picking back up over the central mountains later this evening.

- Tomorrow's Fire Weather Watch has been expanded into portions of the I-25 corridor that may not see effects of our morning cold frontal passage until later in the day.

- Dry and mainly quiet weather is in store for the weekend, with hardly any wind by springtime in Colorado standards. An active pattern resumes next week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/

Issued at 1233 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Today..We remain cooler than we have been, but still around 10 to 12 degrees warmer than normal, for daytime highs today. This means temperatures in the 70s and low 80s on the plains, with 60s for mountain valleys. Our flow aloft starts out fairly zonal behind yesterday's departing system, becoming more and more southwesterly aloft ahead of tomorrow's system. This will mean increasing westerly and southwesterly winds with warm and dry downsloping. Humidity values look to drop into the low to mid teens across most of our plains today, which has led to another Red Flag Warning for this afternoon and this evening. This is valid for all areas along and east of I-25 to the Kansas border. Please avoid activities that could start a wildfire today!

Tonight..Models bring our next system into Wyoming late tonight, which will help to spread snow back into the central mountains. Snowfall amounts look to range from around 2 to 5 inches across the higher peaks of the west facing slopes of the central mountains to just an inch or so across the northern Sangres, the San Juans, and the La Garitas. Though light snow continues into Friday morning, heavier snowfall rates will be late this evening through the overnight hours tonight, with heaviest rates between midnight and 6 AM. West winds will also be strong at this time, reaching gusts to around 50 mph over the central mountains and the Sangres. This will lead to poor visibility and degraded travel conditions in blowing snow tonight, especially over mountain passes. Overnight lows on the plains look to dip into the 30s and low 40s, with 20s for mountain valleys and the Palmer Divide.

LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1233 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Friday..

Models keep the low just north of the Colorado border throughout Friday, sending a cold front south across our plains Friday morning. The timing of this front will create a very tricky forecast situation for possible critical fire weather conditions. For now, models seem to agree that the front will be dry, and that precipitation chances along and behind the front on the plains are negligible. What models don't agree on is timing and progression of the front, and how long the westerlies will persist near the mountains. Highest confidence in 3 hours of sustained critical fire weather conditions remains across the San Luis Valley, where a Fire Weather Watch was already in place. Confidence is increasing for our gap flow areas as well, which has led to the addition of Fremont, Pueblo, Huerfano, and western Las Animas counties for Friday's Fire Weather Watch. Areas that may need to be added depending on how our front ends up coming in might include El Paso county, and portions of our eastern plains, especially south of Highway 50. Daytime highs on Friday will also depend on frontal passage timing, with most plains and mountain valley locations looking to top out in the 50s and low to mid 60s.

Saturday and Sunday..

We remain in northwest flow aloft for Saturday, but it becomes a little messier by Sunday. We warm up a few degrees both days, with highs in the 60s Saturday and back into the 70s on Sunday on the plains. We stay dry for all areas on Saturday, but at this time critical fire weather conditions are not expected with generally lighter winds. A disturbance passing to our south and weakening as it does so may bring some spotty, light rain and snow showers to the San Juans and southern Sangres, but coverage looks to be sparse.

Monday Onwards..

We warm up gradually for Monday through Wednesday, with generally unsettled weather in southwest flow off an on throughout the period. Models hint at a more significant system around the Thursday or Friday timeframe. If this forecast remains on track that would make Wednesday most likely the warmest and windiest day ahead of the incoming system.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 509 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

VFR conditions are anticipated during the next 24 hours at all 3 taf sites, KPUB, KALS and KCOS.

The main concern will be the winds during the next 24 hours. A lee trough will develop in advance of a cold front that will cross the region later tonight. Gusty west to southwest winds will develop by this afternoon, and will shift to northwest later tonight.

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening for COZ222-224-228>230. Red Flag Warning from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening for COZ227>237.