050 FXUS65 KPUB 082018 AFDPUBArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 218 PM MDT Wed Oct 8 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Warming and drying conditions will persist over the plains, while increasing heavy rain and some thunder moves into the mountains.
- Excessive rainfall risk maximizes across the Eastern San Juan mountains Friday night and Saturday with localized flash flooding possible.
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... Issued at 211 PM MDT Wed Oct 8 2025
Precipitable waters continue to increase across the Desert SW as southwest flow aloft continues to advect 200+% of normal TWPs northeastward ahead of hurricane Priscilla. Blended TPW from Polar Satellite imagery already shows values of 150% of normal spreading into our southern mountains. Area radars show some weak convection developing across the southern mountains, San Luis Valley and Raton Mesa region, though CAPE values under 500 J/kg should keep these on the weak side.
Moisture continues to increase tonight into Thursday with dew points rising into the upper 30s to lower 40s across the western mountains by Tue afternoon. Lows tonight across the interior valleys will start to warm, with most locations staying above freezing aside from the higher peaks and the upper Arkansas River Valley around KLXV. A round of showers will spread into the southwest mountains overnight with a better chance of showers and thunderstorms Thursday afternoon as leading shortwave energy lifts across the four corners region. Although widespread rainfall amounts are not predicted to be all that heavy yet, precipitable waters approaching 200% of normal could yield some locally heavy rainfall. Rainfall Thursday into Friday will be the first round of wetting rainfall heading into the heavier QPF amounts expected later in the period. For the remainder of southern CO on Thursday, showers and thunderstorms will be more isolated and confined to the mountain areas. The southeast plains will remain dry and warm with temperatures staying above normal. -KT
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.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... Issued at 354 AM MDT Wed Oct 8 2025
The upper ridge will continue shoving east as we head towards the weekend. Temperatures remain above normal for at least a few more days as the trough axis out west deepens and moves onshore. A cold front will be forced down across the plains late weekend into early next week, dropping highs over the plains by 10 degrees or so. Additionally, precipitation will become more widespread across the higher terrain, with QPF continuing to trend upwards along with available moisture. We could be seeing heavy rainfall and thunderstorms over portions of the Continental Divide, and possibly some flash flooding concerns. At this time, little to no snow is expected due to lingering warm temperatures. The moisture will be increased further due to the tropical cyclone remnants off the west coast of Mexico, though deterministic guidance still varies a bit on where to send the main energy from the storm.
Model solutions diverge with the overall pattern further into next week, but overall a series of troughs is anticipated to develop over the CONUS, giving us cooler, wetter, and generally more active weather through the long-term forecast period.
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.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1136 AM MDT Wed Oct 8 2025
VFR conditions expected over the next 24 hours with winds increasing from the south to southeast at KCOS and KPUB with gusts to around 15-20 kt at times in the afternoon. KALS will see winds increase out of the southwest with gusts up to 24 kts during the afternoon. Best chance for -SHRA/-TSRA will be at KALS in the 22-01z window. Otherwise, expect light diurnally driven winds overnight with an increasing mid to high deck in the afternoon. -KT
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.PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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SHORT TERM...KT LONG TERM...GARBEROGLIO AVIATION...KT
NWS PUB Office Area Forecast Discussion