It won’t be just the fireworks providing the sizzle this Fourth of July. Temperatures will reach 90 and above Thursday in the Denver area, but the National Weather Service says it could also rain on a few parades in the afternoon.
The high temperature for the Denver area is expected to climb to near 92 degrees Thursday. Skies will be mostly sunny, but there is a 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m., growing to a 20 percent chance before 8 p.m.
The mountains could get showers around noon or a little later and develop in the foothills and along the Interstate-25 corridor around 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., said Greg Hanson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder.
“The good news is that they’ll come and go move on east,” Hanson said.
However, the weather could provide a few fireworks for folks on the eastern plains. Hanson said northeastern Colorado could see thunderstorms with hail and winds of up 60 mph later Thursday.
The heat is expected to let up Friday, with a high of 82 predicted for the Denver metro area and a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.
In western Colorado, areas stretching from the Wyoming border to south of Grand Junction were under a red-flag warning, meaning hot, dry and windy weather could make conditions ripe for wildfires.
The warm temperatures are also contributing to flooding concerns in the mountains due to melting snowpack. The National Weather Service said flood advisories were in effect along the Los Pinos River in eastern La Plata County and for spots along several creeks and rivers in Pitkin, Eagle and Summit counties, including the Roaring Fork, Blue, Crystal, Frying Pan and Eagle rivers.
The Colorado River was overflowing its banks in low-lying areas in and near Rocky Mountain National Park due to runoff from melting snow, according to the weather service. Parking lots and sections of trails near the river might be closed due to flooding, the weather service said.
