Weekend Weather Smorgasbord On Tap For Colorado Mountains

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - If Memorial Day plans take you to the high country over the holiday weekend prepare for a little bit of everything from Mother Nature.

Layered clothing and weather safety skills will be necessary for just about every mountain destination at some point over the next few days.

RELATED RESOURCE: CBS4 Hiking Weather Forecast Page

Capture — Downtown Telluride on May 27, 2016. (credit: www.telluride.com)

HIGH COUNTRY FORECAST BY ELEVATION

12,000 to 14,000 feet - highs generally in the 30s to low 40s with lows in the 20s and a daily chance for snow showers and brief thunderstorms

10,000 to 12,000 feet - highs generally in the 40s to low 50s with overnight lows in the 30s and a daily chance for showers and thunderstorms that could at times contain rain, snow, small hail or graupel and cloud-to-ground lightning

7,000 to 9,000 feet - highs mostly in the 50s to low 60s with overnight lows in the 40s and a daily chance for showers and thunderstorms that could at times contain small hail and cloud-to-ground lightning

LIGHTNING SAFETY

All thunderstorms produce lightning and can be life threatening, even if they haven't been classified as severe.

If you can hear thunder you're close enough to be struck.

When hiking in Colorado during thunderstorm season it's always a good idea to have hikes completed by late morning before thunderstorms develop.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.

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