Western Colorado’s Last Warm Days Before a Big Fall Cooldown

If you’ve been enjoying the stretch of warm, quiet fall weather, soak it up while you can.

Big changes are right around the corner, and western Colorado is about to trade sunshine and short sleeves for clouds, rain, and even a touch of mountain snow.

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Last Chance for Nice Weather in Western Colorado?

According to the National Weather Service, high pressure is still hanging on today and Friday, keeping skies mostly clear and pumping in warmer air. Afternoon highs will run about 10 degrees above normal, so it’ll feel more like early September than October.

You’ll also notice those breezy southwest winds picking up when gusts could hit 35 to 45 mph by Friday afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front. In other words, a good couple of days for leaf peeping, but hold on to your hat.

Friday night is when the shift begins.

What Will Western Colorado See Into the Weekend?

Showers and a few thunderstorms are expected Friday evening, spreading across much of western Colorado into Saturday. Highs will tumble by around 15 degrees compared to Friday, putting us about five degrees below normal.

Up high, snow levels will dip to around 10,000 feet Friday night and closer to 9,000 feet by Saturday morning. We’re not looking at major accumulations, but a couple of inches in the higher passes isn’t out of the question.

Conditions in the high country will be chilly and wet, so keep that in mind if you’re traveling or hiking this weekend.

READ MORE: Check foliage maps and weather updates a week or two before your trip to hit peak colors.

By Sunday, the storm system pulls out toward the High Plains. Skies should start to dry out, but cooler-than-normal temperatures will hang around. Early next week looks calmer and warmer, before yet another trough tries to spin up by midweek. Fall weather whiplash at its finest.