Colorado Weather: Stagnant Week Ahead With Hot Temps, Scattered Afternoon Storms

DENVER (CBS4) - The week ahead won't be too exciting when it comes to the weather across Colorado. A large ridge of high pressure in place will keep the forecast pretty much the same from day to day with hot afternoon highs and comfy nights.

Each afternoon will feature isolated to scattered showers and storms. The chances will vary a bit from day to day and they will actually favor western Colorado for a change. Denver and the Front Range will see the highest storm chances around mid-week.

Because upper-level wind speeds are on the light side we will have to watch storms closely for the potential to produce locally heavy rain. While that threat is low it's not zero, especially around recent burn scars or in places with terrain that is very prone to flash flooding.

Stagnant weather patterns in the middle of summer can often lead to issues with the air quality in Colorado, especially in the very populated Interstate 25 urban corridor. The state health department has reissued an Ozone Action Day Alert for areas in the Front Range below 7,500 feet through Sunday afternoon. High amounts of ground-level ozone will combine with some elevated wildfire smoke to reduce visibility and create health concerns for sensitive groups.

We continue to see occasional problems with the air quality in Routt County due to area wildfires. The amount of smoke varies throughout the day based on localized wind patterns, but overall, the wind is light and the smoke is thick at times. You'll want to limit your time outside in this part of the state if you are sensitive to wildfire smoke in the air.