Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Home |  Current Version |  Previous Version |  Text Only |  Print | Product List |  Glossary Off
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
359
FXUS65 KBOU 292335
AFDBOU

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
535 PM MDT Sun Jun 29 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Strong to severe storms expected across the eastern plains this
  evening with large hail and damaging wind gusts possible.

- Monday will be cool with storms focused over the southern
  foothills and South Park.

- Scattered thunderstorms and normal temperatures are expected for
  the Fourth of July.

&&

.DISCUSSION /Through Sunday/...
Issued at 229 PM MDT Sun Jun 29 2025

Water vapor satellite shows a weak shortwave trough over Wyoming
with weak westerly flow aloft over Colorado. This flow and trough
are providing just enough lift and shear to allow for severe
convection in our area. The main reason for the strong to severe
storms in our area is due to moderate to strong instability with
surface CAPE values over 2,000 j/kg across the entire I-25
corridor and eastern plains with some areas above 3,000 j/kg
across the far eastern plains. This will support strong updrafts
and with just enough shear, a few storms may produce large hail
greater than an inch. It appears the may threat will end up being
severe wind gusts as strong storms will eventually merge into an
MCS once they get east of a line from Greeley to DIA. Wind gusts
up to 70 mph will be possible especially near Fort Morgan, Akron,
and Sterling.

The assumption is that the storms this afternoon and evening will
"work over" the environment such that strong storms are not
expected overnight tonight. Some slight chance PoPs were kept in
the forecast for the eastern plains since some high resolution
model data shows a few showers and storms. Having said that, the
QPF was largely taken out of the forecast for tonight.

On Monday, it appears there will be just enough low level
moisture to form stratus clouds in the morning hours across a good
portion of the I-25 corridor and eastern plains. With a strong cap
above the low level cool and moist air, it will take a very long
time for the boundary layer to mix out. Therefore, highs will
likely stay in the upper 70s across the I-25 corridor and plains.
Furthermore, it will likely be too stable anywhere from downtown
Denver and to the north and east for any showers and storms to
form so PoPs and QPF were lowered or taken out. Where it will
storm is over the southern foothills and Park County as the best
upslope flow and instability will be located there. Some of these
storms may produce heavy rainfall.

The center of a ridge aloft will be over Colorado on Tuesday and
Wednesday. Highs will warm up each day and there is good consensus
in the ensemble data that highs will reach the mid 90s across the
plains on Wednesday. SPC added an area of marginal risk for severe
weather across the far northeast corner of Colorado on Tuesday as
60+ degree dew points will create moderate instability.

Tropical moisture will be brought up to Colorado on Thursday and
Friday due to southerly flow. A trough will be roughly over
Arizona on Thursday and over eastern Colorado on Friday. The exact
timing of this trough will be very important to determine whether
Thursday will see widespread storms of if Friday will have
widespread storms. At this moment, models seem split roughly
50/50 so please stayed tuned to future forecast updates to get a
better idea of weather for the holiday.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS through 00Z Tuesday/...
Issued at 535 PM MDT Sun Jun 29 2025

Chances for thunderstorms at the Denver area airports are low for
the rest of this evening and tonight, less than 20 percent.
Outflow winds bringing a wind shift remain possible through
02-03Z. East to southeast winds are expected to prevail once
convection shifts east of the Denver area.

By 07-09Z, a push of northerly winds are expected to bring in a
stratus deck with ceilings around 1,000-2,000 feet by 10-12Z.
These low clouds linger through the morning hours and slowly rise.
Skies are expected to stay BKN with ceilings of 3000 to 6000 feet
through Monday afternoon (00Z Tuesday). Given the cloud cover,
cooler temperatures, and stable conditions Monday, the Denver area
is not expected to see storms with only a slight chance at outflow
winds at APA and BJC.

&&

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

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Danielson
AVIATION...Meier