Issue Date: 9/9/2016
Issue Time: 9:15 AM
NO FLOOD THREAT IS FORECAST.
The main weather story today will be the passage of a cool front from the north. There is not much moisture associated with the front, so it will result in cooler temperatures and little else. You can see just how dry the atmosphere is over much of Colorado in the IPW graph below; Boulder, Grand Junction, and Shriever AFB are all hovering around 0.3 inches. A few mid-/high-level clouds will develop over the Front Range/Southeast Mountains and adjacent lower elevations in the slightly upslope flow regime behind the front, but no precipitation is expected. Over the High Country and Western Slope, gusty winds will be noticeable, but with lesser wind speeds than yesterday afternoon.
The lone exception to today’s dry forecast will be across the Raton Ridge and far Southeast Plains where a bit better moisture will hang on. Most of the activity is expected to remain south and east of the area in neighboring states, but one or two isolated showers/thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. Rain rates are expected to stay below flash flood thresholds, so no flood threat is forecast today.
Today’s Flood Threat Map
For more information on today’s flood threat, see the map below (hover over threat areas for more details). For Zone-Specific forecasts, jump below the map.
Zone-Specific Forecasts
Urban Corridor, Palmer Ridge, and Northeast Plains:
Mostly sunny and dry conditions will prevail today, with cooler temperatures expected. A few mid-/high-level clouds will be noted near the mountains and along the Palmer ridge. Overnight, temperatures will fall to seasonably cool values, with many locations dipping into the 40s.
Raton Ridge and Southeast Plains:
Mostly sunny and dry will be the main weather story today, with an isolated thunderstorm or two possible during the afternoon/evening hours. Brief moderate-to-heavy rain up to 0.4-0.8 inches/hour will be all the atmosphere can muster, which is below flash flood thresholds.
Timing: 4 PM – 11 PM
Front Range, Southeast Mountains, Northern Mountains, Northwest Slope, San Juan Mountains, Southwest Slope, San Luis Valley, Central Mountains, and Grand Valley:
Sunny, dry, and gusty winds will be the main weather impacts during this forecast period. Temperatures will be cooler than yesterday due to the cool frontal passage. Overnight lows will be on the chilly side, with a Freeze Watch issued for portions of the Northwest Slope and Northern Mountains.
