280 FXUS65 KBOU 060105 AFDBOUArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 705 PM MDT Fri Sep 5 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Still smokey aloft over the CWA overnight and on Saturday.
- Increase in coverage of showers and storms today through this weekend, but mainly over the higher terrain.
- Warmer with fewer showers and thunderstorms next week.
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.DISCUSSION /Through Friday/... Issued at 137 PM MDT Fri Sep 5 2025
An upper level ridge centered over the Great Basin will produce a northwest flow aloft. This will continue to help transport wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest and western Canada into Colorado today and Saturday. There will be enough moisture and instability for scattered showers and thunderstorms. The showers/storms will be most numerous across the higher terrain south of I-70. For the lower foothills and eastward, cloud cover and smoke will help keep the airmass cool and capped. Chances for showers or storms to move off the higher terrain are low. If a couple happen too, they are expected to be weak and short lived. Much of the same is expected for Saturday, though high temperatures warm up into the mid to upper 70s.
The ridge flattens some by Sunday as it begins to drift eastward. Temperatures warm more with highs expected to reach to the lower to mid 80s across northeast Colorado. Another round of afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms are expected over the higher terrain. Chances for showers and thunderstorms will be higher across the urban corridor and eastern plains Sunday, due better instability, weaker cap, and westerly flow pushing the storms more eastward.
For next week, the upper level ridge will slide east across Colorado Monday. This will bring warmer temperatures with highs climbing into the 80s across northeast Colorado. There may be enough moisture for weak showers and storms over the higher terrain, but most areas should remain dry.
The upper level ridge will be east of Colorado Tuesday and stays east of the state through Thursday. This will produce a southwest flow aloft through at least Thursday. High temperatures will be above normal under this pattern with mid to upper 80s expected over northeast Colorado each day. The GFS and ECMWF ensemble members don`t favor any organized waves or precipitation events Tuesday through Thursday. However, there`s just enough moisture for isolated/scattered showers and thunderstorms, mostly over the higher terrain each day.
For Friday and into next weekend, models trending towards an upper level trough digging south into the Desert Southwest or southern California. This should produce some sort of southwest to southerly flow aloft across Colorado. Too soon to tell how much, but this pattern should be able to tap into some subtropical moisture. Will trend temperatures down and PoPs up for this pattern, but if this pattern is slow to evolve, we could see another warm and dry day.
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.AVIATION /00Z TAFS through 00Z Sunday/... Issued at 702 PM MDT Fri Sep 5 2025
Models keep an easterly component to the surface winds at DIA through with evening, with weak drainage winds expected by around 06Z. Will the leave the smoke in the TAF during the daylight hours early this evening, then again Saturday morning onward. Models cross sections and soundings indicate there could still be a SCT040-050 cloud deck this evening, but then no ceiling issues likely after 06Z later tonight. &&
.BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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DISCUSSION...Meier AVIATION.....rjk
NWS BOU Office Area Forecast Discussion