textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- Light to moderate snow accumulations for the Southwest and Central Mtns with early season advisories in place.

- Cool and breezy Thursday, with rain and snow showers into the Pikes Peak region.

- Hard Freeze for San Luis Valley tonight and Thursday night, with freezing temperatures and or frost expected across the southeast Plains Thursday night and Friday night.

- Warmer and drier into early next week, with another storm system moving across the Rockies through the middle of next week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 138 PM MDT Wed Oct 14 2026

Current water vapor imagery and upper air analysis has moderate to strong south to southwest flow aloft in place across the Rockies, with an upper low lifting out across southwest Colorado at this time. Regional radars have showers and embedded thunderstorms lifting out ahead of the system across the San Luis Valley into the Upper Arkansas River Valley at this time, with CDOT cams indicating snow and slushy roads at both Wolf Creek and Monarch Passes at this time.

For the rest of today into tonight, said upper low continues lift out across south central and into northeastern Colorado, with banded precipitation continuing to lift out across south central and southeast Colorado. Precipitation winds down from southwest to northeast through tonight, as flow aloft becomes more west to northwest behind the passing system. Storms could bring heavy rainfall, along with small hail and gusty winds, as lapse rates and instability increase through late afternoon and evening with the upper low translating across the region. While storms will be moving, will need to monitor for possible flash flooding on the Aspen Acres burn. Otherwise, current Winter Weather Advisories for the eastern San Juan Mtns and eastern Sawatch and western Mosquito Ranges remain on track for ending at 00Z and 06Z respectively. A couple of inches of snow will also be possible across the higher terrain of Southeast Mtns and Pikes Peak region through the evening with said passing storms.

Skies clear across western portions of the area overnight, leading to cold overnight lows in the 20s and 30s across the higher terrain, with current Freeze Warning for the San Luis Valley remaining on track. Further east, clouds will be slow to clear across the plains with weak easterly low level flow remaining in place. This will keep temperatures in the mid 30s to mid 40s across the southeast plains overnight.

Moderate northerly gradient flow develops through the day tomorrow, as said upper low across northeastern Colorado continues to lift north and east into the Northern High Plains. This will develop gusty northerly winds of 20 to 40 mph across eastern Colorado tomorrow morning, with wrap around showers developing across the Pikes Peak region and the southeast mountains through the morning and afternoon. With cool air in place behind the parting system, and snow levels down to around 7000 feet, could see some light snow accumulations in the Pikes Peak region and on grassy areas along the Palmer Dvd. Highs tomorrow to remain below seasonal levels mainly in the 50s across the plains, in the 30s and 40s across the higher terrain, save for 50s across the high mountain valleys.

LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/

Issued at 138 PM MDT Wed Oct 14 2026

With drier air working into the region and weakening gradient winds, Thursday night lows in the 20s are expected across the higher terrain, with lows in the 30s across the plains, leading to the potential for frost and the first freeze of the season across southeast Colorado. Will keep Freeze Watch in tact for northern portions of the plains for Thursday night, and may need to add areas to it, as latest model data is slightly cooler across southern portions of the southeast plains. May need to add another Freeze Watch/Warning for Friday night as well across the plains, with latest data indicating the end of the growing season becoming more likely across southern Colorado.

Otherwise, warmer and drier conditions remain in the offing for the weekend into early next week, as upper level ridging builds into the region from the west. This gives way to increasing southwest flow aloft ahead of another system moving across the Great Basin bringing increasing chances of precipitation to areas along and west of the ContDvd through the middle of next week, with models differing on the timing and location of said system lifting out across the Rockies through the end of next week.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1200 PM MDT Wed Oct 14 2026

MVFR/IFR conditions remain expected at COS and PUB through at least 06Z with low level east to southeast upslope keeping low clouds and fog at the terminals, briefly interupted by scattered showers and a possible thunderstorm between 20Z-02Z. Upper system passes through the evening, with flow becoming more north to northwest after 06Z helping to raise cigs, with VFR conditions then expected after 12Z with gusty northerly gradient winds developing at the terminals through the rest of the taf period.

Mainly VFR conditions at ALS, with brief MVFR conditions with scattered showers and a possible thunderstorm, lift out across the San Luis Valley. Gusty southerly winds of 25-35kts to continue through the afternoon. Winds diminish and skies clear with more west to northwest flow developing behind the passing upper system.

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Winter Weather Advisory until midnight MDT tonight for COZ058- 060. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MDT this evening for COZ068. Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 8 AM MDT Thursday for COZ069>071. Freeze Watch from late Thursday night through Friday morning for COZ084-085-095-096.