A stubborn late‑summer pattern refuses to budge across the West, and Colorado is once again caught in the middle — but this holiday weekend comes with a tropical twist. As Hurricane Marie drifts offshore of Baja California, pulses of subtropical moisture will begin sneaking into the state, boosting storm chances in the High Country and adding some intrigue to an otherwise familiar stretch of warm, southwest flow. If you’re heading outdoors for Labor Day weekend, especially in the Mountains, you’ll want to keep an eye on the sky — the atmosphere has a few surprises lined up.
Summer 2026 is beginning to wrap-up, but before we close the books on one of Colorado’s most punishing warm‑season patterns in recent memory, we’re taking you through the full story — from the record‑warm, snow‑starved winter that set the stage, to the monsoon that never quite cohered leaving fuels critically dry statewide, to the heat dome that kept both day and night historically warm.
Read on as we break down why Boulder’s rainfall never materialized this summer, why Denver fared only marginally better, how nearly 250,000 acres burned statewide, and why half of Colorado is now in Extreme or Exceptional Drought. This summer has certainly been one for the record books, in more than one way.
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The atmosphere is gearing up for a busy stretch in Colorado, and this week’s forecast has a little bit of everything: a juicy monsoon plume to start, a sharp mid‑week dry‑out, and eventually a deep moisture surge tied to a tropical cyclone that could push the state’s moisture levels into rare territory. Whether that translates into meaningful rainfall east of the Continental Divide is the big question — and the answer hinges on timing, storm motion, and whether we can sneak in a well‑placed cold front or two. There’s plenty to watch this week for the Front Range. Let’s dig into the details.
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This content requires a subscription to BoulderCAST Premium.
This content requires a subscription to BoulderCAST Premium.
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