Current weather · Sep 29, 12:37 PM MDT

40.5700, -105.0790

67°

Slight chance of light rain showersFeels like 67° · Humidity 56%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO · grid 63,99
High
70°
Low
54°
Rain today
24%
Sunrise
6:55 AM
Sunset
6:45 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Tue 12 PMSlight chance of light rain showers67°67°51°56%24%N6 mph9 mph86%14%——
Tue 1 PMSlight chance of light rain showers67°67°51°56%24%NE5 mph7 mph79%14%——
Tue 2 PMSlight chance of light rain showers68°68°50°53%24%N5 mph7 mph87%14%——
Tue 3 PMSlight chance of thunderstorms and slight chance of light rain showers69°69°50°51%17%NNW6 mph9 mph85%17%——
Tue 4 PMSlight chance of thunderstorms and slight chance of light rain showers70°70°49°47%17%NW5 mph7 mph76%17%——
Tue 5 PMSlight chance of thunderstorms and slight chance of light rain showers69°69°49°49%17%WNW5 mph7 mph69%17%——
Tue 6 PMSlight chance of light rain showers66°66°49°54%16%W5 mph7 mph75%8%——
Tue 7 PMSlight chance of light rain showers65°65°49°56%16%SW5 mph7 mph68%8%——
Tue 8 PMSlight chance of light rain showers62°62°50°65%16%WSW3 mph6 mph73%8%——
Tue 9 PMSlight chance of light rain showers61°61°51°70%16%W2 mph3 mph69%5%——
Tue 10 PMSlight chance of light rain showers60°60°50°69%16%NE3 mph6 mph62%5%——
Tue 11 PMSlight chance of light rain showers59°59°51°75%16%NNE3 mph6 mph71%5%——
Wed 12 AM59°59°51°75%9%NE3 mph6 mph69%7%——
Wed 1 AM59°59°51°75%9%NNE3 mph6 mph72%7%——
Wed 2 AM58°58°52°80%9%N2 mph3 mph71%7%——
Wed 3 AMSlight chance of light rain showers57°57°51°80%24%N3 mph6 mph78%5%——
Wed 4 AMSlight chance of light rain showers55°55°51°86%24%N3 mph6 mph78%5%——
Wed 5 AMSlight chance of light rain showers55°55°50°83%24%N5 mph7 mph77%5%——
Wed 6 AMChance of light rain showers55°55°50°83%28%0.00 inN5 mph7 mph77%5%——
Wed 7 AMChance of light rain showers54°54°50°86%28%0.00 inN6 mph9 mph81%5%——
Wed 8 AMChance of light rain showers55°55°51°86%28%0.00 inN7 mph12 mph77%5%——
Wed 9 AMChance of light rain showers59°59°51°75%40%0.00 inN7 mph12 mph77%6%——
Wed 10 AMChance of light rain showers62°62°51°67%40%0.00 inN8 mph13 mph79%6%——
Wed 11 AMChance of light rain showers64°64°50°60%40%0.00 inNNE8 mph13 mph80%6%——
Wed 12 PMSlight chance of light rain showers64°64°49°58%21%0.03 inNNE8 mph13 mph83%8%——
Wed 1 PMSlight chance of light rain showers66°66°49°54%21%0.03 inNNE9 mph15 mph85%8%——
Wed 2 PMSlight chance of light rain showers67°67°47°49%21%0.03 inNNE9 mph15 mph84%8%——
Wed 3 PMChance of light rain showers67°67°46°47%30%0.03 inNNE9 mph15 mph82%12%——
Wed 4 PMChance of light rain showers67°67°45°45%30%0.03 inNNE9 mph15 mph82%12%——
Wed 5 PMChance of light rain showers65°65°46°50%30%0.03 inNNE8 mph13 mph76%12%——
Wed 6 PMChance of light rain showers62°62°46°56%49%0.01 inNNE7 mph12 mph76%9%——
Wed 7 PMChance of light rain showers62°62°47°58%49%0.01 inNNE6 mph9 mph82%9%——
Wed 8 PMChance of light rain showers60°60°48°64%49%0.01 inNNE6 mph9 mph89%9%——
Wed 9 PMChance of light rain showers58°58°47°67%49%0.01 inNNW7 mph12 mph68%6%——
Wed 10 PMChance of light rain showers57°57°47°69%49%0.01 inNNW8 mph13 mph66%6%——
Wed 11 PMChance of light rain showers56°56°47°72%49%0.01 inNW8 mph13 mph66%6%——
Thu 12 AMChance of light rain showers55°55°47°74%42%0.01 inNNW8 mph13 mph73%5%——
Thu 1 AMChance of light rain showers54°54°46°74%42%0.01 inNNW8 mph13 mph77%5%——
Thu 2 AMChance of light rain showers54°54°46°74%42%0.01 inNNW8 mph13 mph77%5%——
Thu 3 AMChance of light rain showers53°53°45°74%42%0.01 inNNW8 mph13 mph74%2%——
Thu 4 AMChance of light rain showers53°53°45°74%42%0.01 inNNW9 mph15 mph68%2%——
Thu 5 AMChance of light rain showers52°52°45°77%42%0.01 inNNW9 mph15 mph62%2%——
Thu 6 AMSlight chance of light rain showers51°51°45°80%16%N8 mph13 mph58%1%——
Thu 7 AMSlight chance of light rain showers51°51°45°80%16%N8 mph13 mph57%1%——
Thu 8 AMSlight chance of light rain showers52°52°45°77%16%NNE8 mph13 mph58%1%——
Thu 9 AMSlight chance of light rain showers54°54°46°74%16%NE7 mph12 mph59%——
Thu 10 AMSlight chance of light rain showers56°56°46°69%16%ENE6 mph9 mph59%——
Thu 11 AMSlight chance of light rain showers58°58°46°64%16%E6 mph9 mph56%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 29, 12:46 AM MDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 11, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodaySep 2970°54°Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms24%0.01 inwind 6 mph
  2. WedSep 3068°51°Chance Rain Showers49%0.24 inwind 9 mph · gusts 15 mph
  3. ThuOct 165°45°Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny42%0.04 inwind 10 mph · gusts 20 mph
  4. FriOct 273°48°Sunny0%wind 9 mph · gusts 18 mph
  5. SatOct 376°47°Sunny3%wind 10 mph · gusts 20 mph
  6. SunOct 473°48°Sunny4%wind 8 mph · gusts 16 mph
  7. MonOct 579°51°Sunny5%wind 7 mph · gusts 15 mph
  8. TueOct 681°52°5%wind 7 mph · gusts 15 mph
  9. WedOct 780°52°National Blend5%wind 9 mph · gusts 15 mph
  10. ThuOct 879°52°National Blend3%wind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  11. FriOct 980°51°National Blend7%wind 7 mph · gusts 13 mph
  12. SatOct 10~72°51°Model mean0.01 in
  13. SunOct 11~63°46°Model mean
  14. MonOct 12~69°46°Model mean
  15. TueOct 13~72°50°Model mean
  16. WedOct 14~77°56°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like67°
  • WindN 6 mphgusts 9 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity56%
  • Dew point51°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility—
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset
  • Moonrise8:09 PMMoonset 10:27 AM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous89% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 29, 6:00 AM MDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodaySep 2971°54°NWS grid 70° / 54°rain 39%thunder 20%wind 5 mph · gusts 12 mph
  2. WedSep 3068°52°NWS grid 68° / 51°rain 47%thunder 11%0.10 inwind 9 mph · gusts 18 mph
  3. ThuOct 168°46°NWS grid 65° / 45°rain 17%0.03 inwind 12 mph · gusts 22 mph
  4. FriOct 273°49°NWS grid 73° / 48°rain 1%wind 9 mph · gusts 18 mph
  5. SatOct 377°48°NWS grid 76° / 47°rain 8%wind 9 mph · gusts 20 mph
  6. SunOct 475°50°NWS grid 73° / 48°rain 2%thunder 10%wind 7 mph · gusts 15 mph
  7. MonOct 580°54°NWS grid 79° / 51°rain 9%thunder 13%wind 6 mph · gusts 15 mph
  8. TueOct 682°53°NWS grid 81° / 52°rain 7%thunder 13%wind 7 mph · gusts 16 mph
  9. WedOct 780°52°Beyond the NWS gridrain 5%wind 9 mph · gusts 15 mph
  10. ThuOct 879°52°Beyond the NWS gridrain 3%wind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  11. FriOct 980°51°Beyond the NWS gridrain 7%wind 7 mph · gusts 13 mph
41°64°86°WedThuFriSatSunMonTue

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 29, 6:00 AM MDT · GFS Sep 29, 6:00 AM MDT · GEFS Sep 29, 6:00 AM MDT · ECMWF Sep 28, 6:00 PM MDT · ECMWF AI Sep 29, 6:00 AM MDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

41°64°86°WedThuFriSatSunMonTue

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Sep 2970° 54°0.01 in74° 58°75° 60°73° 59°70° 56°0.08 in~65° 56°0.04 in
Wed Sep 3068° 51°0.24 in71° 57°67° 56°0.02 in68° 59°0.05 in68° 55°~65° 53°0.06 in
Thu Oct 165° 45°0.04 in56° 48°73° 55°71° 54°72° 54°~67° 52°0.01 in
Fri Oct 273° 48°—80° 51°76° 51°74° 49°~76° 47°
Sat Oct 376° 47°—84° 58°82° 58°83° 51°~79° 50°
Sun Oct 473° 48°—77° 53°75° 54°77° 52°~75° 49°
Mon Oct 579° 51°—85° 55°80° 56°0.08 in~77° 53°~74° 51°
Tue Oct 681° 52°—81° 63°81° 60°0.01 in~80° 56°~79° 60°
Wed Oct 7——78° 54°77° 57°~77° 56°~79° 50°
Thu Oct 8——84° 57°79° 56°~82° 52°~79° 52°
Fri Oct 9——~76° 57°~61° 56°~70° 53°~78° 49°
Sat Oct 10——~80° 59°—~77° 51°~60° 42°0.04 in
Sun Oct 11——~73° 51°—~71° 60°~46° 28°
Mon Oct 12——~81° 56°—~68° 49°~57° 33°
Tue Oct 13——~82° 61°—~68° 46°~67° 43°0.02 in
Wed Oct 14——~77° 56°——~51° 47°

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Fort Collins (Awos) (FNL) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Wed Oct 14, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean60%60%equal chancesequal chances · Oct to Dec-20°0°20°40°60°80°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normalCPC near normal or equal chances

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 2971° / 40°91° (2011)25° (2009)equal chances · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Oct 667° / 35°89° (2024)14° (2019)60% chance above normal · days 8 to 1440% chance below normal · days 8 to 14
Oct 1365° / 32°89° (1991)10° (2018)equal chances · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Oct 2061° / 32°85° (2023)5° (2020)equal chances · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Oct 2756° / 28°82° (2016)-8° (2020)equal chances · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Nov 358° / 27°80° (2025)-2° (1991)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 1052° / 22°79° (2025)-12° (2014)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 1754° / 23°81° (2016)-7° (2014)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 2449° / 18°76° (2017)-15° (1993)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 144° / 14°73° (2021)-16° (2013)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 848° / 17°71° (2025)-20° (2009)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 1539° / 12°70° (2025)-29° (1990)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 2246° / 12°75° (2025)-31° (1990)equal chances · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayVery goodfine conditions
  • HikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • BikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GolftodayIdealfine conditions
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Beach and pooltodayGoodmostly cloudy
  • CampingtonightVery goodfine conditions
  • StargazingtonightPoormostly cloudy

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GardeningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayGoodlittle sun
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayVery goodchance of rain
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayHighwarm
  • TickstodayHighwarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststodayModeratewarm

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
TuesdayPoor8:16 PM to 5:25 AM0 of 9None87%3 mph
WednesdayPoor8:15 PM to 5:26 AM0 of 9None79%9 mph
ThursdayFair8:13 PM to 5:27 AM8 of 92 h from 8:00 PM70%Poor5 h7 mph
FridayGood8:11 PM to 5:28 AM9 of 93 h from 8:00 PM60%Fair5 mph
SaturdayExcellent8:10 PM to 5:29 AM4 of 94 h from 8:00 PM49%Good6 mph
SundayGood8:08 PM to 5:30 AM10 of 105 h from 8:00 PM39%Fair5 mph
MondayPoor8:06 PM to 5:31 AM0 of 10None29%7 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Tue6:28 AM to 6:38 AM6:38 AM to 7:31 AM6:09 PM to 7:02 PM7:02 PM to 7:13 PM
Wed6:29 AM to 6:39 AM6:39 AM to 7:32 AM6:08 PM to 7:01 PM7:01 PM to 7:11 PM
Thu6:30 AM to 6:40 AM6:40 AM to 7:33 AM6:06 PM to 6:59 PM6:59 PM to 7:09 PM
Fri6:31 AM to 6:41 AM6:41 AM to 7:34 AM6:04 PM to 6:57 PM6:57 PM to 7:08 PM
Sat6:32 AM to 6:42 AM6:42 AM to 7:35 AM6:03 PM to 6:56 PM6:56 PM to 7:06 PM
Sun6:33 AM to 6:43 AM6:43 AM to 7:36 AM6:01 PM to 6:54 PM6:54 PM to 7:04 PM
Mon6:34 AM to 6:44 AM6:44 AM to 7:37 AM5:59 PM to 6:52 PM6:52 PM to 7:03 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 6:55 AM, 93° E
  • SS Sunset 6:45 PM, 267° W
  • MR Moonrise 8:09 PM, 59° ENE
  • MS Moonset 10:27 AM, 298° WNW
  • Waning gibbous, 89% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: fly with caution (thunderstorms possible). Next good stretch: Wed 7 AM to 9 AM, 2 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:25 AM to sunrise 6:55 AM, and sunset 6:45 PM to 7:15 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Tue12 PM6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Tue 12 PMCaution681224%67°thunderstorms possible
Tue 1 PMCaution56824%67°thunderstorms possible
Tue 2 PMCaution57924%68°thunderstorms possible
Tue 3 PMCaution681217%69°thunderstorms possible
Tue 4 PMCaution56817%70°thunderstorms possible
Tue 5 PMCaution56817%69°thunderstorms possible
Tue 6 PMCaution56816%66°civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Tue 7 PMCaution5111316%65°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 8 PMCaution381116%62°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 9 PMCaution26716%61°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 10 PMCaution381116%60°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 11 PMCaution381116%59°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 12 AMCaution38119%59°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 1 AMCaution38119%59°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 2 AMCaution2679%58°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 3 AMCaution381124%57°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 4 AMCaution381124%55°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 5 AMCaution5111324%55°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 6 AMCaution5111328%55°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 7 AMGood681228%54°nothing against it
Wed 8 AMGood791328%55°nothing against it
Wed 9 AMCaution791340%59°chance of rain
Wed 10 AMCaution8101540%62°chance of rain
Wed 11 AMCaution8121640%64°chance of rain

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Tue 12 PM to 9 PM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Tue 10 PM to Wed 2 AM 4 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Thu 6 AM to 3 PM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Thu 8 PM to 10 PM 2 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Fri 10 AM to 2 PM 4 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Fri 5 PM to Sat 1 PM 20 hours, some with delta T between 8 and 10 °C
  • Sat 6 PM to Sun 3 AM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sun 9 AM to 2 PM 5 hours, every hour within the rules
Tue12 PM6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Fri12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
TuesdayDry24%0.01 in47%6 mph1 dGood
WednesdayWet49%0.24 in45%9 mph
ThursdayShowers possible16%0.04 in46%10 mph
FridayDry0%0.00 in40%9 mph5 dGood
SaturdayDry3%0.00 in32%10 mph4 dGood
SundayDry3%0.00 in40%8 mph3 dGood
MondayDry5%0.00 in30%7 mph2 dGood
TuesdayDry5%0.00 in26%7 mph1 dGood

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Tuesday, rated good.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Tue Good1:54 AM to 3:54 AM2:22 PM to 4:22 PM9:57 AM to 10:57 AM7:39 PM to 8:39 PM 89%6:55 AM, 6:45 PM
Wed Poor2:51 AM to 4:51 AM3:20 PM to 5:20 PM11:14 AM to 12:14 PM8:22 PM to 9:22 PM 82%6:56 AM, 6:44 PM
Thu Fair3:51 AM to 5:51 AM4:22 PM to 6:22 PM12:26 PM to 1:26 PM9:16 PM to 10:16 PM 73%6:57 AM, 6:42 PM
Fri Fair4:54 AM to 6:54 AM5:25 PM to 7:25 PM1:31 PM to 2:31 PM10:21 PM to 11:21 PM 63%6:58 AM, 6:41 PM
Sat Fair5:56 AM to 7:56 AM6:26 PM to 8:26 PM2:24 PM to 3:24 PM 53%6:59 AM, 6:39 PM
Sun Fair6:56 AM to 8:56 AM7:24 PM to 9:24 PM11:33 PM to 12:33 AM3:07 PM to 4:07 PM 42%7:00 AM, 6:37 PM
Mon Fair7:51 AM to 9:51 AM8:18 PM to 10:18 PM12:48 AM to 1:48 AM3:41 PM to 4:41 PM 32%7:01 AM, 6:36 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. This Afternoon70° · 24% · NNW 6 mph

    A slight chance of rain showers before 3pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. North northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

  2. Tonight54° · 24% · NNW 5 mph

    A slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. North northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

  3. Wednesday68° · 40% · N 5–9 mph

    A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 68, with temperatures falling to around 65 in the afternoon. North wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

  4. Wednesday Night51° · 49% · NNW 6–9 mph

    A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. North northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

  5. Thursday65° · 16% · ENE 6–10 mph

    A slight chance of rain showers before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. East northeast wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

  6. Thursday Night45° · 1% · E 1–10 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

  7. Friday73° · E 1–9 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 73.

  8. Friday Night48° · WSW 6 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

  9. Saturday76° · 3% · N 3–10 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 76.

  10. Saturday Night47° · 4% · ENE 2–8 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

  11. Sunday73° · 3% · E 2–8 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 73.

  12. Sunday Night48° · 1% · NNW 2–6 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

  13. Monday79° · 5% · SW 2–7 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 79.

  14. Monday Night51° · 4% · WSW 7 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO · issued Sep 29, 12:18 PM MDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

The threat for heavy rainfall will increase late tonight, continuing through early Thursday. The highest chance for the larger rain amounts will be in our southeastern counties. Uncertainty remains in exact amounts.

Flood Watch in effect for the southern Front Range Foothills, Palmer Divide, and Elbert and Lincoln Counties from late tonight through Thursday morning.

Rain chances decrease late Thursday, leading to warmer and drier conditions for the weekend.

Discussion · Through Monday

1053 PM MDT Mon Sep 28 2026

As of late this evening, the upper level trough is moving through southern California and Hurricane Polo is nearing the west coast of Baja California. The trough will slowly makes its way across the southeast U.S., eventually absorbing the remnants of Polo on Tuesday. Moisture ahead of and with this system is anomalously high, leading to rain chances for the next few days. Tonight, a weak cold front will move through the area bringing northerly winds and more dense low to mid cloud cover. The northerly winds behind the front could provide enough weak upslope flow along the Palmer and southern Foothills for some light showers throughout the day Tuesday. Temperatures will be slightly cooler behind the front, with temps dropping into the 60s for much of the plains.

The main concern for this forecast will be the late Tuesday through mid Thursday time period. The upper level low is forecast to move just south of the four corners region early Wednesday. At the surface a low is forecast to develop just ahead of the trough somewhere in New Mexico. The path of this low is one of the main differences between models, with some taking it northeast into the Texas Panhandle and others take it more north into southeastern Colorado. The location of this low will be very important for our rain chances. If the low tracks closer to the area, our chances for more widespread precip will increase as well as the potential for higher rain totals. If the low tracks more towards the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma, the larger precip amounts will likely miss our area. I will say, higher resolution models are leaning more towards the surface low moving into southeastern Colorado, which increases our confidence in the higher precip amounts for our southern most counties. However, the northward extent of the heavier rainfall is still very uncertain. Right now, it looks like that northward extent of heavier precip could sit somewhere near Denver, which unfortunately means that the metro is one the area with the highest uncertainty for rain totals.

We are starting to get increasingly concerned about the Palmer Divide area in terms of the higher rain totals. If the low does end up moving over SE Colorado, strong northerly winds could provide decent upslope along the Palmer and southern Foothills, which could nudge it towards those higher precip amounts. Because of this we did extend the Flood Watch to include the southern foothills zone. I did consider adding Arapahoe county and Washington county to the Watch as well, but we will wait until confidence increases in the northward extent of the higher rain totals. Areas within the watch are expected to see rainfall totals around 1.5 to 3 inches, with the potential for some areas to see 4+ inches. As of the latest model runs, Denver is sitting at a 50% to 60% chance of seeing at least 1 inch of rain late Tuesday through Thursday, which is slightly higher than what we were seeing yesterday.

Snow chances in the higher terrain will peak early Thursday morning as temperatures finally start to cool more aloft. Amounts are still forecast to be on the lower end (a couple inches at most), with snow levels generally around 11,000ft. Rain chances will start to taper off on Thursday as this system moves off to the east. Behind the trough, we'll see weak ridging start to build over the area this weekend, leading to drier and warmer conditions. Models are showing a cold front moving through the area on Saturday, keeping temperatures slightly cooler and closer to normal for Sunday.

Aviation · 18Z TAFs Through 18Z Wednesday

1207 PM MDT Tue Sep 29 2026

CIGS will be tricky today as cloud base should be between 045 and 060, but for now FEW or SCT seem to be the most likely coverage at that height. The chance for sprinkles this afternoon and evening is under 15 percent so we left any mention out of the TAFs. North winds 10-13kts will transition to east 7-11 kts this afternoon, then southeast after 03Z. We are tracking moisture form Polo as it merges with an approaching Pacific trough. Confidence in the forecast continues to be low overall, including for aviation impacts. For now, it looks like rain should hold off until 12Z or later. BKN CIG 030-045 are expected after 09Z at all TAF sites. Best chance of rain is after 15Z at APA, 16Z at DEN and BJC, and rain chances are high throughout tomorrow afternoon and evening. It's rare, but we are keeping a prevailing SHRA all afternoon and evening. Winds should be north to maybe northeast 8-14kt with gusts to 20kt. We do not expect any TS. CIGs under the heavier showers may drop below 020, but shouldn't get any lower than that and VIS should be 4SM or better even in the heavier showers. Heavy rain and CIGS dropping below 020 are not likely, but for now will include with a PROB30 in the TAFs.

Looking ahead rain chances will remain in the forecast through 18Z Thursday, along with continued MVFR CIGs. We should be able to transition from prevailing to TEMPO or prevailing after 06Z Thursday, stay tuned.

BOU Watches / Warnings / Advisories

Flood Watch from midnight MDT tonight through Thursday morning for COZ036-041-046-047.

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Tue Sep 29No risk area
  2. Day 2 · Wed Sep 30General Thunderstorms Risk
  3. Day 3 · Thu Oct 1No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Sat Oct 3No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Mon Oct 5No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Tue Oct 6No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Tue Sep 290.01 in
  2. Day 2 · Wed Sep 300.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Thu Oct 1Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 2–Oct 3Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 4–Oct 5Under 0.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Flash flood risk

  1. Day 1 · Tue Sep 29Below marginal
  2. Day 2 · Wed Sep 30Marginal
  3. Day 3 · Thu Oct 1Below marginal
  4. Day 4 · Fri Oct 2Below marginal
  5. Day 5 · Sat Oct 3Below marginal

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature60% chance above normalOct 4–Oct 8
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 4–Oct 8
  3. Days 8–14 · Temperature60% chance above normalOct 6–Oct 12
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 6–Oct 12

Hazards, 3 to 14 days

  1. Oct 2–Oct 6Severe Drought

Drought

  1. Drought Monitor, map of Sep 22D3 Extreme drought
  2. Outlook for Sep 2026Drought persists

Drought in this county: the map, the record since 2000 and the outlook

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Ft Collins

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around May 2 and the first fall freeze around October 7: a growing season of about 157 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 24; one spring in ten still has one after May 14.

Climate of 40.57, -105.08: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 22 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementTueWedThuFriSatSunMonTue
HeatRisk max1 · Minor1 · Minor0 · Little1 · Minor1 · Minor1 · Minor1 · Minor1 · Minor
Heat index max70°73°76°73°79°79°
Wind chill min45°47°47°49°
Chance of thunder max17%12%5%0%3%2%5%5%
Snow level min12,500 ft11,500 ft10,600 ft11,300 ft11,300 ft11,300 ft11,600 ft11,600 ft
Mixing height max4,700 ft6,000 ft5,300 ft4,000 ft5,400 ft2,700 ft4,200 ft7,700 ft
Transport wind max10 mph15 mph14 mph13 mph12 mph10 mph12 mph16 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Fort Collins (Awos) (FNL) · 8.9 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Tue Sep 2970° / 54°74° / 41°91° (2011)27° (1999)
Wed Sep 3068° / 51°76° / 42°90° (2024)32° (2005)
Thu Oct 165° / 45°74° / 42°88° (2005)35° (2020)
Fri Oct 273° / 48°71° / 40°88° (2005)26° (2009)
Sat Oct 376° / 47°72° / 40°90° (2024)25° (2009)
Sun Oct 473° / 48°71° / 39°87° (2018)26° (2009)
Mon Oct 579° / 51°66° / 38°88° (1993)29° (1991)
Tue Oct 681° / 52°69° / 39°89° (2024)25° (1995)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Tue6:28 AM6:55 AM6:45 PM7:13 PM11 h 50 min Waning gibbous · 89% lit
Wed6:29 AM6:56 AM6:44 PM7:11 PM11 h 48 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu6:30 AM6:57 AM6:42 PM7:09 PM11 h 45 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri6:31 AM6:58 AM6:41 PM7:08 PM11 h 43 min Waning gibbous · 63% lit
Sat6:32 AM6:59 AM6:39 PM7:06 PM11 h 40 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun6:33 AM7:00 AM6:37 PM7:04 PM11 h 37 min Last quarter · 42% lit
Mon6:34 AM7:01 AM6:36 PM7:03 PM11 h 35 min Waning crescent · 32% lit
Tue6:35 AM7:02 AM6:34 PM7:01 PM11 h 32 min Waning crescent · 22% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from