538
FXUS65 KPUB 211833
AFDPUB
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1233 PM MDT SAT MAR 21 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ALL THREE OF OUR CLIMATE SITES ARE ON TRACK TO POTENTIALLY TIE
OR BREAK ALL-TIME *APRIL* MONTHLY HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS
TODAY, WITH HIGH FIRE DANGER ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION.
- A COLD FRONT ARRIVES EARLY TOMORROW MORNING, BRINGING COOLER
(BUT STILL WARMER THAN NORMAL) TEMPERATURES FOR OUR SUNDAY
AND MONDAY.
- CONTINUED ANOMALOUSLY WARM TEMPERATURES AND CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED FOR NEXT WEEK.
SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/
ISSUED AT 1225 PM MDT SAT MAR 21 2026
CURRENTLY..
AS OF NOON, CLEAR SKIES, SINGLE DIGIT HUMIDITIES, AND CLIMBING
TEMPERATURES ARE BEING OBSERVED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
COLORADO. WINDS ARE MAINLY LIGHT, BUT LOCATIONS ALONG THE UPPER
ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY ARE SEEING GUSTS TO 25 MPH THIS HOUR. GUSTIER
WINDS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION IN THE NEXT
COUPLE OF HOURS. THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY HAS ALREADY 78F THIS HOUR, LA
JUNTA IS AT 80F, TRINIDAD IS AT 82, AND PUEBLO IS AT 83F.
REST OF TODAY..
WITH INCREASING WINDS AND RISING TEMPERATURES, TODAY'S MAIN CONCERN
IS HIGH FIRE DANGER. PLEASE AVOID ANY ACTIVITIES THAT COULD SPARK A
FIRE TODAY! ANY NEW STARTS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, AND RED
FLAG WARNINGS REMAIN IN PLACE WELL AFTER SUNSET, THROUGH 11 PM.
SMOKE IS EXPECTED NEAR OUR CURRENT WILDFIRES AND NEAR ANY NEW FIRES
THAT MAY START TODAY, AND THOSE VULNERABLE TO WILDFIRE SMOKE OR POOR
AIR QUALITY ARE ADVISED TO LIMIT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WHEN SMOKE IS
PRESENT. TEMPERATURES ARE ABSOLUTELY ON TRACK TO TOPPLE DAILY AND
MONTHLY TEMPERATURE RECORDS. THOSE SENSITIVE TO HEAT MAY WANT TO
LIMIT ANY STRENUOUS OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TODAY. ALL THREE OF OUR
CLIMATE SITES ARE FORECAST TO TIE OR BREAK THEIR *APRIL* MONTHLY
RECORDS TODAY:
STANDING APRIL RECORD FORECAST
C. SPRINGS 87 87
PUEBLO 94 95
ALAMOSA 80 82
TONIGHT AND SUNDAY..
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES LOOK TO REMAIN JUST AS WARM OR WARMER FOR
SOME LOCATIONS AS WHERE WE WERE LAST NIGHT, THANKS TO CONTINUED
WESTERLY FLOW AND MIXING. THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND UPPER ARKANSAS
RIVER VALLEY LOOKS TO SEE LOWS IN THE 30S, WITH MOST OTHER/LOWER
ELEVATION LOCATIONS REMAINING IN THE 40S AND 50S. MODELS BRING A
COLD FRONT ACROSS THE PLAINS NEAR SUNRISE TOMORROW MORNING, USHERING
IN GUSTY NORTH WINDS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES, BUT NOT MUCH IN THE
WAY OF PRECIP CHANCES. WINDS LOOK TO GUST TO 35 OR 40 MPH ON OUR FAR
EASTERN PLAINS AND OVER EL PASO COUNTY AS THE FRONT IS PUSHING
THROUGH, WEAKENING THROUGHOUT THE LATE MORNING HOURS. THIS FRONT
WILL HELP TO KEEP TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S FOR ALL LOWER ELEVATION
LOCATIONS TOMORROW, TO INCLUDE THE SAN LUIS VALLEY. DEWPOINTS ALSO
HOP FROM NEAR ZERO TODAY TO 20S AND 30S FOR TOMORROW, WHICH WILL
BRING RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES INTO THE TEENS AND 20S FOR TOMORROW
AFTERNOON. CLOUD COVER INCREASES THROUGHOUT THE DAY BEHIND THE
FRONT, BUT MEANINGFUL PRECIPITATION IS NOT LIKELY. A FEW VERY LIGHT
SHOWERS MAY BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE PIKES PEAK
REGION, BUT ONLY WITH TRACE AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE POSSIBLE.
LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 1225 PM MDT SAT MAR 21 2026
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY..
OVERNIGHT LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING WILL BE MUCH COOLER
THAN THE PREVIOUS SEVERAL NIGHTS, BUT STILL AROUND 10 DEGREES WARMER
THAN NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. MOST OF THE PLAINS LOOKS TO COOL
INTO THE 30S AND LOW 40S, WITH 20S FOR MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. RIDGING
BEGINS TO SET BACK UP ACROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY, ALLOWING OUR
TEMPERATURES TO WARM INTO THE MIDDLE 70S TO LOW 80S FOR MOUNTAIN
VALLEYS AND PLAINS LOCATIONS. OUR FLOW ALOFT BECOMES SLIGHTLY MORE
NORTHWESTERLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WITH JUST ENOUGH FLOW TO LIKELY
LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS OVER PORTIONS OF THE HIGH
COUNTRY, THE SAN LUIS VALLEY, AND THE I-25 CORRIDOR. PRECIPITATION
IS NOT EXPECTED.
TUESDAY ONWARDS..
WE REMAIN ON THE NORTHERN/NORTHEASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE
THROUGH MID-WEEK, KEEPING WESTERLY AND NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER
THE REGION. THIS SETUP WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER ROUND OF WARMER THAN
NORMAL, AND POSSIBLY NEAR RECORD, TEMPERATURES FOR TUESDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER AND
NEAR THE MOUNTAINS FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, AND BECOME MORE
WIDESPREAD ON THURSDAY DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF AN INCOMING COLD
FRONT. MODELS HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH ON WHETHER IT WILL ARRIVE
THURSDAY OR EARLY FRIDAY. EARLIER ARRIVAL WILL STAVE OFF FIRE DANGER
CONCERNS FOR THURSDAY. HIGHS ON FRIDAY AND NEXT SATURDAY LOOK TO
COOL BACK DOWN SOMEWHAT BEHIND THE DEPARTING WAVE, BUT ARE LIKELY TO
REMAIN WARMER THAN NORMAL. MOISTURE POTENTIAL WITH THE LATE WEEK
SYSTEM IS LOOKING MEAGER..
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/
ISSUED AT 1107 AM MDT SAT MAR 21 2026
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL THREE TAF SITES, KCOS, KPUB,
AND KALS, FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS ARE
PRESENT OVER MUCH OF THE AREA CURRENTLY, BUT SOUTHERLY AND
WESTERLY WINDS ARE LIKELY TO PICK IN SHORTLY AFTER 19Z OR SO.
INCREASED MIDDLE AND UPPER-LEVEL CLOUD DECKS ARE ALSO EXPECTED
THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. WINDS SLACKEN AFTER SUNSET. A COLD FRONT
IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH KCOS AND KPUB NEAR SUNRISE. AROUND
12Z OR SO, WITH NORTHERLY GUSTS AROUND 25 TO 30KT POSSIBLE FOR A
FEW HOURS LATE IN THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN AND SHIFT
NORTHEASTERLY AND EASTERLY BEHIND THE FRONT QUICKLY. PRECIPITATION
IS NOT EXPECTED.
CLIMATE
ISSUED AT 1230 PM MDT SAT MAR 21 2026
LCD SITES MARCH 20TH-21ST RECORD HIGHS
ALS...SAT...MAR 21...72F...1997
COS...SAT...MAR 21...75F...1995
PUB...SAT...MAR 21...82F...2016
THE ALL TIME RECORD MARCH MAX TEMP FOR ALAMOSA .........IS 78.
THE ALL TIME RECORD MARCH MAX TEMP FOR COLORADO SPRINGS IS 81.
THE ALL TIME RECORD MARCH MAX TEMP FOR PUEBLO ..........IS 89.
THESE ALL TIME RECORD MARCH MAX TEMPERATURES WERE SET OR TIED
YESTERDAY (FRIDAY MARCH 20, 2026).
PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ220>230-
237.
SHORT TERM...EHR
LONG TERM...EHR
AVIATION...EHR
CLIMATE...MOZLEY
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page