textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- Record warmth Today and Monday with elevated fire weather conditions Sunday across the valleys, and more widespread critical fire weather conditions across southern CO Monday

- Cooler Tuesday and Wednesday with a chance for showers in and near the mountains with accumulating snows across the Continental Divide Wednesday

- Potential for a system late week into next weekend with more widespread precipitation possible depending on the storm track

SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/

Issued at 113 AM MDT Sun Mar 29 2026

Heights subtly rise on Sunday as the flat upper ridge to the south builds northward over southern CO. Still looks like winds will come up just shy of critical fire weather conditions across the valleys and lower eastern slopes. HREF keeps probabilities under 20% of seeing sufficiently high wind gusts (25 mph or greater) spread into the lower elevations. Humidity values will be critically low (under 15%) and we will likely see some spotty areas of critical conditions along the upper Arkansas River Valley of Chaffee and western Fremont county, as well as the southern San Luis Valley. However gusty winds set in rather late in the day (towards 6 PM) and we don't get enough area or long enough duration of critical fire weather conditions to warrant highlights. It will be unseasonable warm again with record to near record highs expected for all three primary climate sites. Isolated high based showers will be possible once again, but these will be spotty and light, producing mainly gusty outflow winds.

Another mild night is expected tonight with enhanced drainage winds into the lee side surface low. Westerly flow will increase overnight leading to poor overnight humidity recovery which sets the stage for more widespread critical fire weather conditions on Monday.

LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/

Issued at 113 AM MDT Sun Mar 29 2026

Critical fire weather conditions will return on Monday for a large portion of the southern CO valleys and southeast plains. Southwest flow aloft increases ahead of a northern stream trough crossing the U.S. Rockies. Weak shortwave energy will also ride through southwest flow across CO deepening the lee side surface low and kicking it eastward once again. With stronger flow aloft, winds should mix down in the afternoon with fairly widespread critical fire weather conditions expected. Some uncertainty still lingers as to how far east the gustier winds will mix and persist. But RHs will be critical once again, and current Fire Weather Watches still look on target. We will likely challenge record high temperatures at Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Alamosa again. Some subtropical moisture gets drawn up from the south with a little better coverage of high based afternoon showers. These will be more gusty wind makers with only spotty light rainfall possible across the southern mountains where moisture quality is a little better.

A cold front will push through the southeast plains on Tuesday bringing cooler temperatures and higher humidities. Will need to watch the San Luis Valley closely as they may see another round of critical fire weather conditions given the persistent strong southwest flow aloft. There will be a better southern draw of moisture into the area, with could keep humidity values just above critical thresholds so confidence is not all that high at th. is point. Should also see some better coverage of showers with enough instability for isolated embedded thunderstorms over the mountains. This will be the first potential day for more wetting rains across the region, with the mountains seeing the best chance of receiving a couple tenths of an inch through Tuesday night.

A progressive but slightly more amplified trough moves through on Wednesday, though timing differs between the models. This brings a better chance of rain and higher elevation snow to southern CO, though the track and speed of the system suggests a quick shot which should limit amounts to tenth or two across the eastern mountains and perhaps up to 0.5 to 0.75 across the Continental Divide where the heaviest will fall across the eastern San Juans. This will fall as snow across the higher elevations with snow levels dropping to around 8500 feet at night. Could see a several inches of accumulation across the southwest mountains for Tuesday Night through Wednesday. A brief rain/snow mix will be possible into the I- 25 corridor early Wednesday but with the progressive trough, this should not amount to much in the way of accumulation.

Thursday will dry out and warm up again with southwest flow increasing ahead of a more potent upper low moving through the Pacific northwest and into the northern U.S. Rockies. Depending on how much precipitation falls on Wednesday and the status of fuels, we may be dealing with another critical fire weather day, especially across the southern areas. This system will bring another uptick in showers to the region for Friday and Saturday. This system has the potential of bringing some colder air in with it, potentially driving snow levels down into the Palmer Divide region Fri Night/Sat. However, the overall more northern storm track in the latest runs suggest this will be another brief shot of precipitation for the majority of the southern CO plains, but at least locations in and near the southeast mountains have a chance at seeing some showers in a post frontal upslope regime on Saturday. Details on the storm track are still prone to change, but for now, overall forecast trends will be towards cooler and wetter conditions. -KT

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/

Issued at 514 AM MDT Sun Mar 29 2026

VFR conditions are expected at all three TAF sites, KCOS, KPUB, and KALS, for the next 24 hours. Winds will be mainly light and diurnally driven through the period, though some gustier conditions will be present for the next few hours at KCOS. At KPUB, wind shear is expected until 14Z. Scattered to broken middle and upper-level clouds are likely off and on through the forecast period.

CLIMATE

Issued at 113 AM MDT Sun Mar 29 2026

March 29th Records... Pueblo: 86 in 1943 Colorado Springs: 75 in 1967 Alamosa: 69 in 2015, 1986, and 1943

March 30th Records... Pueblo: 83 in 2010, 1986, and 1946 Colorado Springs: 78 in 2010 Alamosa: 71 in 2015

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Fire Weather Watch from Monday morning through Monday evening for COZ221-222-224-227>237.