After a fine week of sunny weather that ushered in the spring season, the skies will darken later this afternoon and evening. Sometime toward the end of the work day, rain will fall in the lower elevations along the Front Range and eastern plains while snow will fall in the mountains. The moisture should continue through Saturday.
A large, low-pressure system is coming up from the southwest, due to arrive by late afternoon. It will travel directly over Colorado and is expected to exit sometime Saturday afternoon.
Highs will reach into the upper 60s this afternoon and throughout the weekend. Lows will drop into the upper 30s.
Tuesday is expected to be very windy.
The snowpack throughout Colorado is roughly three-quarters of the 30-year average. The eastern plains have received more than normal while the mountains have received considerably less than normal.
The area drained by the South Platte River, including Denver and much of the northern Front Range, is at 99 percent of the normal snowfall. The area drained by the Arkansas River, which includes from Leadville down through Salida and Pueblo and the southern Front Range, is at 95 percent of normal.
Yet the Gunnison River basin, which drains the western slope and fruit-orchard areas toward Grand Junction, is at 72 percent of normal. The San Juan River basin in the southwest is at 60 percent of normal.
Forecasters are on the watch for river flooding due to the rapid melting that has occurred recently.
