Denver Weather: Where Are The April Showers?
DENVER (CBS4) - With just 12 days left in April, Denver and the Front Range has received precious little moisture in what is usually one of wettest months of the year.
On average, April is the fourth wettest month of the year in Denver and the second snowiest month after March. So far the city has received only 0.01" of precipitation on April 10th and no measurable snowfall.
The primary reason it has been so dry along the Front Range in recent weeks is the unfavorable track virtually every storm has taken since April 1st. Instead of moving over Colorado like many storms often do in early spring, most recent storms have stayed hundreds of miles farther north in Wyoming and Montana. The result has been many windy days in Colorado and almost no moisture outside of the mountains.
The combination of more dry weather on Tuesday together with gusty southwest winds and near record afternoon temperatures will cause the fire danger to soar again. More than half of the state has another Red Flag Warning from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. including almost all of the Eastern Plains, southern Colorado, the Western Slope.
Closer to Denver, the counties on the south and west side of the metro area including Douglas, Jefferson, Boulder, and Broomfield are also included within the Red Flag Warning. Wind gusts will reach as high as 40 mph in these areas and if a fire were to start, it could spread extremely fast. The strongest wind should wait until 3 p.m. and that's when the highest fire danger will starte.
The record high temperature for Tuesday in Denver is 83 degrees from April 19, 1961. That record is likely safe, but afternoon temperatures will be close to 80 degrees around Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins.
A weak cold front will pass over Colorado Tuesday night with very limited moisture. The only precipitation will be high country mainly north of I-70. Rain and snow is expected around Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Areas farther south including Summit, Eagle, and Pitkin Counties could also see a few showers. Any snow accumulation will be minor and mostly above 10,000 feet.
The next chance of any moisture in the Denver metro area will be Friday night into Saturday. The chance for rain 50% which seems good, but unfortunately any rain is expected to be light. There is much better chance for snow in the mountains on Saturday compared to significant rain in Denver. Regardless, it will be much cooler for the weekend.
Before the weekend storm arrives, critical fire danger is expected on Friday. The CBS4 Weather Team has already declared a First Alert Weather Day for Friday because a Red Flag Warning is likely in Denver.
