textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- Cold front will bring a period of gusty winds tonight along with showers and isolated embedded thunderstorms to portions of the southeast plains.

- Cooler Sunday but warmer again Monday through next week with showers and thunderstorms returning to the forecast late week bringing some spotty rainfall and increasing fire weather concerns.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/

Issued at 1256 PM MDT Sat May 9 2026

Weak echoes on radar across the mountains will continue to develop this afternoon with isolated showers and thunderstorms spreading eastward with time into the evening hours. Upper trough to the northwest will continue to cool the column aloft as it approaches, releasing some elevated instability even into the evening hours as upper forcing from the wave approaches. At the same time, a secondary surge behind the cold front will drop through the plains, increasing the odds of some isolated showers and thunderstorms spreading to the southeast across the plains through the evening and into the overnight hours. CAPE is limited and rather elevated, so gusty winds, lightning and some brief, spotty, light to moderate rainfall would be the primary risks.

HRRR keeps increasing wind gusts with the frontal passage with a period of gusty winds up to 40-45 kts across the plains during the evening hours. So it will be a punchy front when it comes through as far as wind goes. Winds gradually swing around from the northeast to east on Sunday. Stratus and low clouds develop overnight and perhaps some sprinkles/drizzle along the lower eastern slopes of the southeast mountains through dawn, but the upslope is not all that strong by that point, and forcing will have pushed eastward. Overall, not terribly optimistic on rainfall chances or amounts after 06-09z and have trimmed back pops some from National Blend of Models.

Sunday will be cooler with temperatures topping out in the 60s across the plains. Interior valleys may actually be warmer with some low 70s in the afternoon. The southeast plains will be stable, but can't rule out an isolated thunderstorm across the southern Sangre De Cristos and maybe Pikes Peak in the afternoon. Otherwise, remainder of the area will be dry with a nice spring like feel once the morning clouds burn off. -KT

LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 1256 PM MDT Sat May 9 2026

Summer returns as upper ridging out west builds and shifts eastward. Temperatures will climb well into the 80s and lower 90s across the plains on Monday, with 70s to around 80 for the valleys, and 50s and 60s for the mountain communities. Even above timberline, temperatures should top out in the 40s, picking up snow melt and losing the brief small gains we made on snowpack from the previous storm. Tuesday looks equally warm and dry though a front will backdoor into the southeast plains during the day shifting winds from the east. It will remain predominantly dry through this period.

Upper ridge shifts eastward for Wednesday and although the heat continues, we may see a little relief in the form of afternoon clouds and isolated showers and thunderstorms over and near the mountains as a weak disturbance moves across. Any precipitation will be spotty and light.

The pattern becomes a bit more active for the latter half of the work week with more zonal flow and dampening shortwave troughs moving through the westerly flow aloft. Temperatures will remain above normal with some isolated afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms possible over the mountains at times. Some spotty rainfall will be possible but wetting rains (0.10) will be pretty hit or miss, and mostly miss. Winds will also increase through this period as well, so critical fire weather concerns will ramp up again towards late week, especially Thursday and perhaps again next weekend. -KT

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1101 AM MDT Sat May 9 2026

An approaching weather system and cold front will keep winds predominantly northwest to northerly for KCOS and KPUB today with -SHRA/-TSRA developing over the mountains this afternoon and possibly affecting KCOS and KPUB after 21-22z. A strong cold front will bring a northerly wind shift into KCOS towards 03z and into KPUB towards 04Z with gusts up to 40-45 kts from the north for a couple hours after FROPA. Cigs will drop into the MVFR category overnight with with the possibility of -SHRA until 08-09z. Cigs will gradually lift and break round 15-16z for both terminals.

KALS will also see a chance for -SHRA at the terminal this afternoon with gusty northwest winds up to 25 kts. Winds will shift around from the northeast then east overnight as winds pour through La Veta Pass. This will bring a period of elevated easterly winds up to 20 kts towards 09z. -KT

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.