National Weather Service Forecast Discussion

Thornton Weather Forecast   
Today's Forecast Story   
715
FXUS65 KBOU 030009
AFDBOU

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
609 PM MDT Wed Sep 2 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms late this
  afternoon and evening, mainly north of I-70.

- Warmer Thursday and Friday with mainly dry conditions.

- Return of better moisture by the weekend with an
  increasingchance for showers and thunderstorms.

&&

.DISCUSSION /Through Wednesday/...
Issued at 141 PM MDT Wed Sep 2 2026

Southwest flow aloft will persist and increase this evening. A
shortwave trough will lift northeast across the Great Basin and
into the Northern Rockies. At the base of thetrough a 90-110 knot
jet will prevail. Lift from the jet produced thunderstormsthis
morning over southern Utah. Expect lift from the right entrance
region to trigger scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms
late this afternoon and more so this evening. Instabilitywill be
limited (less than 500 J/kg), as will moisture. Dew points will
only be in the 30s to lower 40s, but mid-level moisture will be
better. A brief period of moderate rain is possible, but overall
precipitation is expected to be light.

For Thursday through Sunday, there will be a longwave trough will
cover the northwest part of the country and an upper-level high
will sit over the southeast. This will result in a southwest flow
aloft over Colorado. Temperatures will run above normal under this
pattern with highs in the upper 80s to mid 90s each day. Dry
conditions are expected Thursday with precipitable water values
slightly below normal. Moisture will slowly increase each day. For
Friday isolated showers and thunderstorms will be possible over
the higher terrain. Saturday will see a slight chance for showers
and storms spreading east onto the nearby plains. By Sunday,
precipitable water values reach 140-180 percent of normal. This
increase in moisture is expected to produce a round of scattered
afternoon/evening thunderstorms.

For next week, the overall pattern over Colorado changes little
as southwest flow aloft persists. The biggest question mark will
be how much moisture lifts northward into the region. Models
generally place us on the edge of the better moisture, leading to
an uncertain forecast. Scattered afternoon/evening showers and
thunderstorms look possible each day at this time, but a slight
shift in the pattern could bring much drier air into the region.
Temperatures are expected to stay above normal with highs in the
mid 80s to lower 90s.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS through 00Z Friday/...
Issued at 606 PM MDT Wed Sep 2 2026

Current radar imagery shows a few light showers north of the Denver
metro as well as over the foothills. As such, an outflow boundary is
already visible and moving into the vicinities of KDEN and KAPA
from the NW/NNW. The current cyclone positioned south of KAPA
makes forecasting the arrival of this boundary a bit difficult
given its interaction with persistent easterly winds. Showers will
continue to be able to produce erratic outflows and wind gusts up
to 30KT.

Once showers exit the area, winds this evening will gradually
transition to the SE (~05Z) before becoming southerly during the
overnight hours and through mid-morning. Model guidance is all over
the place regarding wind direction Thursday afternoon given the
possibility of another cyclone developing somewhere near KDEN. At
this time, the most likely direction seems to be a NE/ENE wind at
KDEN and KBJC. However, the exact location of the cyclone will
ultimately determine the evolution of winds at the three airports.
An isolated shower is possible in the early evening hours (15%
chance).


&&

.BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...BM
AVIATION...AA

NWS BOU Office Area Forecast Discussion