Long-Range

Long-Range

Colorado's Hottest Summer on Record Gives Way to a Wetter, Warmer Fall

Summer 2026 is now in the books as the hottest climatological summer Colorado has ever recorded, and the forecast data suggests fall won't offer a clean break from that pattern, even as the moisture picture starts to shift in a more favorable direction.

Long-Range

What El Niño Actually Does to Colorado Winters, By the Numbers

A grid-point analysis of every El Niño winter back to 1951 tells a more specific Colorado story than "wetter and warmer." Part of it runs backward from what most coverage assumes.

Long-Range

NOAA's Latest El Niño Update: What It Means for Colorado This Winter

NOAA's August update raises the odds of a record-strength El Niño this fall — here's what that does, and doesn't, mean for Colorado.

Long-Range

El Niño Is Strengthening Fast — Here's What That Means for Colorado's Winter

NOAA's latest update pushes the odds toward one of the strongest El Niño events on record. Here's what the forecast data shows for Colorado season by season — and why the payoff is still months away.

Long-Range

Colorado's Monsoon Outlook: A Slow Start Gives Way to a Wetter August and September

July opens dry and warm across Colorado, but the forecast data shows a real shift by late summer — here's what the monsoon signal looks like month by month, and who benefits most.

Drought

How Long Until Colorado Sees Real Drought and Fire Relief?

Between an active, dangerous fire season and a strengthening El Niño, Colorado is caught between two very different timelines. Here's a realistic look at when relief actually arrives — and when it doesn't.

Forecast

Heat, Dry Lightning, and a Drought That Isn't Done

A significant heatwave builds into the weekend as dry thunderstorms raise fire ignition risk mid-week. The bigger story runs well beyond this week.

Forecast

Fire Weather, Fourth of July Storms, and a Drought That Isn't Done

Critical fire conditions through Friday, storm risks on the 4th, and a gradual moisture return — but Colorado's drought story is far from over.

Drought

Colorado's Drought Gets Worse, Not Better, Heading Into Peak Summer

The latest Drought Monitor shows extreme and exceptional drought expanding again across Colorado this week. Here's where things stand — and why the real chance at relief is still months away.

Forecast

Fire Weather, Triple-Digit Heat, and a Drought That Isn't Done

Critical fire weather arrives Saturday and doesn't let up. Here's what the next week looks like — and why the pattern behind it matters all summer long.

Forecast

Fire Weather, Severe Storms, and a Pattern That Won't Let Go

Colorado faces a week of critical fire weather and severe thunderstorms — and the conditions driving both trace back to a drought that keeps deepening. Here's the full picture.

Long-Range

Colorado Summer Outlook 2026 — Warmer Than Normal, With a Monsoon Wildcard

El Niño is confirmed and already shaping Colorado's summer pattern. Above-normal temperatures are the high-confidence call. The precipitation story is more nuanced — and neither changes the drought outlook on its own.