208
FXUS65 KPUB 180515
AFDPUB
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1115 PM MDT TUE MAR 17 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- THE HEAT WAVE HAS COMMENCED, HOTTEST DAYS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
- MARGINAL CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TOMORROW FOR PARTS OF
THE REGION.
- SATURDAY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A SIGNIFICANT CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER DAY.
- A BIT COOLER SUNDAY INTO NEXT WEEK.
SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 100 PM MDT TUE MAR 17 2026
THE WARM AIR HAS REACHED THE REGION AS TEMPS AT THIS HOUR WERE
ALREADY APPROACHING 70 OVER PARTS OF THE PLAINS, AND WILL LIKELY
RISE INTO THE THE M/U70S BEFORE THE DAY IS THROUGH. THESE TEMPS ARE
ONLY A FEW DEGREES FOR THE RECORD FOR TODAYS DATE.
IT IS ONLY GOING TO GET WARMER TOMORROW WITH MAX TEMPS IN THE L/M80S
ACROSS THE PLAINS AND MID 70S OVER THE VALLEY. THERE WILL BE A
GOOD CHANCE THAT WE WILL BREAK THE KALS DAILY HIGH TEMP, BUT MAY
BE A FEW DEGREES SHORT FOR THE OTHER TWO PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES.
ANOTHER CONCERN FOR TOMORROW IS WE WILL LIKELY HIT MARGINAL CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND FREMONT COUNTY,
AS RH VALUES WILL BE BELOW 15%, WINDS WILL GUST TO 25 MPH OR MORE
AND FUELS IN THESE REGIONS ARE CRITICAL.
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/
ISSUED AT 100 PM MDT TUE MAR 17 2026
FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY IT IS GOING TO BE HOT. WE WILL LIKELY BREAK
TEH ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH FOR BOTH DAYS
FOR ALL 3 TAF SITES (SEE CLIMATE SECTION BELOW). MAX TEMPERATURES
WILL RANGE FROM THE LOWER 80S TO LOWER 90S ACROSS THE REGION. AS FOR
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS, SPOTTY CRITICAL CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY
(WINDS WILL BE RELATIVELY LIGHT THIS DAY), BUT ON SATURDAY WINDS
WILL BE STRONGER AND RH WILL BE WELL BELOW 10 PERCENT, LIKEWISE,
SATURDAY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A BUSY FIRE WEATHER DAY.
BY SUNDAY, THE RIDGE BREAKS DOWN, AND TEMPERATURES WILL DECREASE,
BUT TEMPS WILL STILL BE ABOVE NORMAL INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
OVERALL, IT LOOKS TO CONTINUE TO BE DRY OVER THE PLAINS, AND WE
MAY SEE SOME PRECIP OVER THE MTNS AFTER THE WEEKEND GOES BY.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 1111 PM MDT TUE MAR 17 2026
VFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA OVER THE NEXT 24
HRS, INCLUDING THE THREE MAIN TAF SITES OF KCOS, KPUB AND KALS.
SURFACE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE DIURNALLY DRIVEN, AND GENERALLY
12 KTS OR LESS.
CLIMATE
ISSUED AT 100 PM MDT TUE MAR 17 2026
LCD SITES MARCH 18TH-21ST RECORD HIGHS
ALS...WED...MAR 18...73F...2017
ALS...THU...MAR 19...72F...1907
ALS...FRI...MAR 20...72F...2004
ALS...SAT...MAR 21...72F...1997
COS...WED...MAR 18...80F...2017
COS...THU...MAR 19...80F...2017
COS...FRI...MAR 20...76F...2017
COS...SAT...MAR 21...75F...1995
PUB...WED...MAR 18...85F...2017
PUB...THU...MAR 19...86F...2017
PUB...FRI...MAR 20...84F...2017
PUB...SAT...MAR 21...82F...2016
THE ALL TIME RECORD MARCH MAX TEMP FOR ALAMOSA .........IS 76.
THE ALL TIME RECORD MARCH MAX TEMP FOR COLORADO SPRINGS IS 81.
THE ALL TIME RECORD MARCH MAX TEMP FOR PUEBLO ..........IS 86.
PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ222-
224.
SHORT TERM...HODANISH
LONG TERM...HODANISH
AVIATION...MOORE
CLIMATE...HODANISH/MW
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