983
FXUS65 KBOU 061839
AFDBOU
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
1239 PM MDT WED MAY 6 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SNOW ENDING THIS AFTERNOON. LINGERING IMPACTS FROM BROKEN TREE
LIMBS AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.
- FREEZING/NEAR FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED IN MOST AREAS
TONIGHT, BUT GUIDANCE HAS TRENDED SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER.
- WARMER SPRINGLIKE WEATHER RETURNS FOR THURSDAY AND REMAINS IN
PLACE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SUMMERLIKE WARMTH EXPECTED BY MONDAY
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. JUST A COUPLE CHANCES OF SHOWERS OR
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
DISCUSSION /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 1238 PM MDT WED MAY 6 2026
SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO TAPER OFF AND END FROM NORTHWEST TO
SOUTHEAST AS THE LATE SEASON WINTER STORM EXITS THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON. WE'LL SEE SOME SUNSHINE RETURN BUT ONLY MODEST
TEMPERATURE RECOVERY. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH WARMING BY MID
AFTERNOON TO HELP THE SNOW LADEN TREES MELT OFF SUFFICIENTLY AND
LIMIT ANY FURTHER SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE OR ADDITIONAL POWER
OUTAGES.
SKIES WILL CONTINUE TO CLEAR THIS EVENING, BUT FASTER DEVELOPMENT
OF A WEAK DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT IN MOST LOCATIONS MEANS LOW
TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER THAN THE
PREVIOUS FORECAST. THIS IS DESPITE THE EXISTING SNOW COVER. WE
THINK MOST AREAS ON THE PLAINS AND I-25 CORRIDOR WILL NOW ONLY
BOTTOM OUT NEAR 30-33F, WITH ONLY THE LOW LYING SPOTS DROPPING
INTO THE UPPER 20S. THUS, WE'LL KEEP THE FREEZE WARNING IN TACT,
BUT A WIDESPREAD HARD FREEZE IS NO LONGER ANTICIPATED IN MOST
LOCALES.
FOR THURSDAY, WE'LL SEE AN INCREASE IN WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND
BREEZES, LOCALLY ENHANCED NEAR THE HIGHER TERRAIN WITH A FEW GUSTS
AROUND 30 MPH. THIS WILL SUPPORT STRONG WARMING DESPITE FRESH SNOW
COVER AND EVEN SOME HIGH CLOUDS. WE'LL JUST SHAVE A COUPLE DEGREES
OFF MAX POTENTIAL, BUT EVEN SNOW COVERED AREAS ALONG/WEST OF I-25
SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH THE MID 60S GIVEN MAY SUN ANGLE AND THE
DOWNSLOPE. WARMER READINGS INTO THE LOWER 70S CAN BE EXPECTED OVER
THE NORTHEAST PLAINS, WITH UPPER 40S AND 50S IN THE MOUNTAINS.
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED HIGH BASED SHOWERS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS
TO 35 MPH BUT ONLY LIGHT RAIN INTO THE EVENING HOURS AS ANOTHER
WEATHER DISTURBANCE APPROACHES. THE MAJORITY OF THESE WILL BE OVER
THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEASTERN PLAINS, WHILE THE I-25 CORRIDOR
SHOULD REMAIN LARGELY DRY WITH SUFFICIENT DOWNSLOPE IN PLACE.
WE CAN'T TOTALLY RULE OUT AN ISOLATED SHOWER FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING, WHILE ANOTHER DISTURBANCE SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT
SHOULD BRING A RETURN OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS AND
SLIGHT/BRIEF COOLING.
A STRONGER RIDGE IS STILL FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL
ROCKIES AND GREAT BASIN FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK, WITH STRONG AGREEMENT
IN THE ENSEMBLES THAT SUMMERLIKE WARMTH (HIGHS IN THE 80S FOR THE
PLAINS AND I-25 CORRIDOR) RETURNS BY MONDAY AND LASTS INTO THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 1206 PM MDT WED MAY 6 2026
THE SNOWFALL IS SLOW TO END AT DIA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. RADAR IS
SHOWING A BACK EDGE TO THE SNOW TO BE ABOUT 1930Z. FOR CEILINGS,
WILL GO WITH BKN-OVC035-040 THROUGH ABOUT 20Z. THEY WILL IMPROVE
SIGNIFICANT AFTER THAT ACCORDING TO CURRENT SATELLITE PICTURES.
THERE WILL BE NO CEILING ISSUES AFTER 00Z.
BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ037-
046.
FREEZE WARNING FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM MDT THURSDAY FOR
COZ038>051.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 3 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ041.
DISCUSSION...20
AVIATION...66
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