textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- Red Flag conditions continue this afternoon and again Friday for much of the I-25 corridor.

- Above normal temperatures will continue through the weekend.

- A potential storm system looks to impact the area mid next week with increased chances for mountain snow and lower elevation rain.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 1146 AM MST Thu Feb 26 2026

Currently...strong northwesterly flow aloft continues across southern Colorado this afternoon, with gusty surface winds mixing down along the I-25 corridor. Low humidity values have combined with these strong winds to produce high fire danger this afternoon. Temperatures are mild with 60s for most of the lower elevations. A few light snow showers remain over the Central Mountains, and will continue to dissipate this afternoon.

Rest of today and tonight...upper ridging to the west will continue to put southern Colorado under northwest flow aloft. Gusty surface winds will subside this evening with sunset and humidity values recovering into the 40 to 50 percent range. Any lingering snow showers over the Central Mountains will dissipate by late afternoon to early evening. Overnight lows tonight will fall into the 30s and 40s across the Plains, and teens and 20s for the San Luis Valley.

Friday...very similar conditions expected on Friday, with northwest flow across the region. Gusty winds are forecast to mix down along the I-25 corridor, with extremely low humidity values producing high fire danger. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for most of the I-25 corridor, Teller and Fremont Counties during the afternoon and evening. The main question will be how far east the strong northwesterly push, with areas east of I-25 likely remaining easterly lighter winds. Overall, high temperatures will rise into the 60s and 70s. No precipitation is forecast during the day Friday.

LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 1146 AM MST Thu Feb 26 2026

Models have come into better agreement for next week, with the GFS and ECMWF similar in timing with differences in track, while the Canadian very slow and the big outlier.

Friday night through Sunday...upper level ridging will flatten across Colorado over the weekend. Temperatures will remain mild with 60s and 70s across the Plains, and 50s and 60s across the San Luis Valley. A couple of light snow showers may be possible over the Central Mountains by Sunday, with little to no snow accumulations expected. Humidity values will remain low, however, winds look to be much weaker, and widespread critical fire weather conditions are not anticipated at this time.

Monday through Thursday...attention turns to the potential for a series of upper level storm systems to move across the area for early to mid next week. As mentioned above, the first upper system has much better agreement between the GFS, ECMWF and various AI versions, while the Canadian solution is very slow with the storm ejection from Utah. Both the GFS and ECMWF bring the storm system across Colorado Monday night into Tuesday. The GFS is more closed with an upper low, while the ECMWF is more open. A secondary system looks to move across the area by Thursday.

Given the ECMWF and GFS, increasing southwesterly flow will lead to snow showers developing along the Continental Divide by Monday, with precipitation spreading eastward into the Plains Tuesday into Tuesday night. The GFS is more wrapped up, and generates more precipitation across the Plains than the ECMWF. Temperatures look warm, with lower elevation precipitation type more likely rain. The secondary system look to move into the region late in the forecast period, which continued chances for precipitation as it moves across the region.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 455 PM MST Thu Feb 26 2026

VFR conditions are expected at all three TAF sites, KCOS, KPUB, and KALS, for the next 24 hours. Winds are expected to weaken throughout the rest of this evening once the sun sets, with generally light and northerly winds overnight. Westerly and northwesterly winds increase again Friday afternoon, mainly after 17Z, with gusts of 20 to 25kt possible once again at all three stations. Few to scattered mid and upper-level clouds are likely off and on through the forecast period.

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Red Flag Warning until 6 PM MST this evening for COZ222- 226>230. Red Flag Warning from 11 AM to 6 PM MST Friday for COZ221-222- 227>230.