Colorado’s mountains could see a brief reprieve before heat, potential fire danger return this weekend
Most of Colorado’s Western Slope is already experiencing moderate or higher drought conditions

Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Colorado’s mountain region could see a brief reprieve from the hot weather over the next few days — but the heat, and potential fire conditions, are expected to return by the weekend.
After above normal, but not record-breaking, temperatures this past weekend, National Weather Service forecasters said Coloradans can expect near-normal or slightly below-normal temperatures, and maybe even some precipitation, through Wednesday.
“It’s been hot for a while,” National Weather Service Boulder Office meteorologist Braeden Winters said. “We’re actually looking at a few degrees below normal across the region. Up in the mountains, it’s a little closer to near-normal temperatures for the next few days.”
The temperature in Glenwood Springs is forecast to be in the mid-to-high 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday, while temperatures higher in the mountains will be cooler, according to the National Weather Service.
Summit County is forecasted to see temperatures in the mid-to-high 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday, while Vail and Aspen can expect temperatures in the mid-70s and Steamboat Springs could see temperatures Tuesday reach a high of 82 degrees.
There is a chance of thunderstorms across the mountain region Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, Winters said. But the precipitation is likely to “hug the mountains pretty closely,” following the Continental Divide, he said.
There is a 30-40% chance of afternoon thunderstorms Tuesday and Wednesday in areas like Vail and Summit County, according to the National Weather Service. But forecasts call for only a 20% chance of rain showers or thunderstorms those afternoons in Aspen and precipitation will be even less likely in Glenwood Springs.

“That stream of moisture that is bringing this precipitation potential is expected to move back to the east by Thursday,” Winter said. “That’s also when we start to heat up again.”
Forecasts call for a return for hot, dry weather Thursday through the weekend. Temperatures in Vail and Summit County could climb to about 80 degrees, while temperatures in the mid-80s are forecasted in Aspen and Steamboat Springs and Glenwood Springs could see temperatures in the mid-90s, according to the National Weather Service.

As warmer temperatures return, Winters said Coloradans should be prepared for elevated fire danger and potential red flag warnings, which the National Weather Service issues when weather conditions and dry fuels combine, creating an increased potential for wildfires.
Most of Colorado’s Western Slope is already experiencing moderate drought conditions, with additional warm weather and the low likelihood of rain this week, Winter said. But by Monday, it is possible that precipitation could return, though the forecast that far out is less certain, he said.
Looking further ahead, the Climate Prediction Center forecasts that above-normal temperatures are likely to continue on the Western Slope over the next three months, while precipitation has equal chances of being above or below normal in that timeframe.
