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168 FXUS65 KBOU 070042 AFDBOU Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 642 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Snow ending this afternoon. Lingering impacts from broken tree limbs and scattered power outages. - Freezing/near freezing temperatures expected in most areas tonight, but guidance has trended several degrees warmer. - Warmer springlike weather returns for Thursday and remains in place through the weekend. Summerlike warmth expected by Monday into early next week. Just a couple chances of showers or isolated thunderstorms. && .DISCUSSION /Through Wednesday/... Issued at 1238 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026 Snow will continue to taper off and end from northwest to southeast as the late season winter storm exits the area this afternoon. We`ll see some sunshine return but only modest temperature recovery. There will be enough warming by mid afternoon to help the snow laden trees melt off sufficiently and limit any further significant tree damage or additional power outages. Skies will continue to clear this evening, but faster development of a weak downslope component in most locations means low temperatures tonight will be several degrees warmer than the previous forecast. This is despite the existing snow cover. We think most areas on the plains and I-25 Corridor will now only bottom out near 30-33F, with only the low lying spots dropping into the upper 20s. Thus, we`ll keep the Freeze Warning in tact, but a widespread hard freeze is no longer anticipated in most locales. For Thursday, we`ll see an increase in westerly flow aloft and breezes, locally enhanced near the higher terrain with a few gusts around 30 mph. This will support strong warming despite fresh snow cover and even some high clouds. We`ll just shave a couple degrees off max potential, but even snow covered areas along/west of I-25 should be able to reach the mid 60s given May sun angle and the downslope. Warmer readings into the lower 70s can be expected over the northeast plains, with upper 40s and 50s in the mountains. Isolated to scattered high based showers will produce gusty winds to 35 mph but only light rain into the evening hours as another weather disturbance approaches. The majority of these will be over the mountains and northeastern plains, while the I-25 Corridor should remain largely dry with sufficient downslope in place. We can`t totally rule out an isolated shower Friday afternoon and evening, while another disturbance Saturday into Saturday night should bring a return of isolated to scattered showers/storms and slight/brief cooling. A stronger ridge is still forecast to develop over the Central Rockies and Great Basin for early next week, with strong agreement in the ensembles that summerlike warmth (highs in the 80s for the plains and I-25 Corridor) returns by Monday and lasts into the middle of next week. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS through 00Z Friday/... Issued at 627 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026 VFR conditions expected through the TAF period. Light drainage winds are expected tonight and those winds should keep any threat of fog near zero. Winds will increase out of the west during the late morning on Thursday. There will be brief periods of gusty westerly winds in the afternoon with speeds up to 25 knots. An outflow boundary/wind shift will turn winds to the north or northeast during the early evening before southeast winds take over during the late evening. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Freeze Warning until 8 AM MDT Thursday for COZ038>051. && $$ DISCUSSION...20 AVIATION...Danielson