Pueblo cools 30 degrees after 80-degree Friday

A cold front crossed Colorado on Friday, October 23, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures to the Pueblo region. After a final day of warmth, the area is set for a cooler and wetter weekend. The high temperature in Pueblo reached 80 degrees, while the low was 52. By Saturday, the high temperature is forecast to fall into the 50s, a 30-degree decline from the previous day.

Morning conditions in Pueblo featured temperatures in the 50s with breaks in cloud cover. Sunlight emerged around 10 a.m. along Interstate 25 as clouds cleared. The front advanced from the west, bringing additional cloud cover and generating storms farther south. On the south side of Pueblo, the chance of rain was between 10% and 20% on Friday. More substantial rain chances are expected during the weekend.

Nearby communities experienced varying conditions. Canon City saw a 20% to 30% chance of afternoon showers, with a high of 75 degrees and a low of 49. Woodland Park reached a high of 58 degrees and a low of 39, with afternoon clouds following morning sunshine. Monument and the Tri-Lakes area recorded a high of 69 degrees and a low of 43. Saturday highs in these areas are expected to remain in the 50s.

Farther south, Walsenburg and Trinidad reached highs of 73 and 74 degrees, respectively. Both cities recorded lows of 49 degrees. Friday is the warmest day for these locations over the next seven days. Weekend highs will drop into the 50s. Colorado Springs had a forecast high of 73 degrees and a low of 47. The front may support thunderstorms farther east and along the southern portion of Interstate 25.

The eastern plains saw a return of thunderstorms by Friday evening after a sunnier start. Afternoon temperatures in that area reached the 70s and 80s, with lows in the 50s. Mountain forecast highs were in the 60s and lows in the 30s. Lingering moisture and flooding remain concerns in southwestern Colorado, where water levels may take time to recede.

Conditions are expected to calm down next week. Sunshine and partly cloudy skies will return, with temperatures gradually warming into the 60s. The preliminary outlook for Halloween calls for dry weather and temperatures in the 50s and 60s, though that forecast could change.