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Monsoon Moisture Set To Kick Off August

DENVER (CBS) - The heat of the last few days has been produced over Colorado with the help of a strong ridge of high pressure that was centered over the Rockies. Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday the center of this ridge has moved about 200 miles east and southeast from New Mexico into the Texas Panhandle. This has began a reversal of the mid summer winds known as the monsoon to strengthen as we finish up July.

This flow will get stronger and stronger as we move into Thursday. As a result, after one more sweltering day over the state our temperature will begin to see a drop to near normal levels. The main effect of the monsoon flow though, will be more numerous thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail and strong winds for the second half of the workweek right on into Saturday and Sunday. Beginning with late day thunderstorms on Wednesday that may contain pockets of heavy rain and strong winds for Denver and parts of eastern Colorado.

On Thursday the southerly plume of moisture gets even more robust. This will deliver several potentially strong to severe storms late Thursday afternoon into Thursday night.

This trend will keep temperature over eastern Colorado and Denver in the 80s and 90s. Cooler than the 90s and 100s of the last few days. Plus, through the weekend most of the state can count on scattered late day storms.

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