Watch CBS News

Changing Weather Pattern To End The Week

By Ashton Altieri

DENVER (CBS4) - The ridge of high pressure responsible for the sunny, dry, and very warm weather we experienced on Wednesday has moved east of Colorado. This opens the door for a spring cold front to drop into the state from Wyoming. The front is moving very slowly and likely won't pass over the Denver metro area until after 4 p.m. Therefore temperatures will remain above normal for late May with highs in the upper 70s before noticeably cooler weather settles in for Thursday night and Friday.

The cold front will also be the focus for scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening on Thursday. The chance for storms in the metro area is about 40%. Chances are higher in the mountains and also on the NE plains including locations such as Fort Morgan, Sterling, Julesburg, Akron, and Burlington.

There is a also chance some thunderstorms may become severe especially for areas on the NE plains. The official severe weather outlook has the I-76 and I-70 corridors east of Denver under a "slight" risk for severe weather on Thursday which is a 2 on a scale from 1-5. Damaging wind is possible but the greater concern is hail over 1" in diameter. The Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins is under a "marginal" risk which is at the bottom of the severe weather threat scale.

Then another round of showers and thunderstorms is expected on Friday afternoon and once again severe weather will be possible. The "slight" risk area shifts a little farther west on Friday and includes the Greeley area. And once again the primary concern will be large high.

Looking ahead to Saturday, showers and thunderstorms appear likely although it will not rain all day. But it will certinally be the wettest and coolest day of extended the holiday weekend.

Ashton Altieri is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist. Watch him on the CBS4 Morning News weekdays from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. Connect with Ashton on Facebook and on Twitter @AshtonCBS4.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.