High Fire danger with lightning producing storms today, better wetting rain chances Fri and Sat

08/14/25 9am: Morning. The big concern for today will be the dry lightning strikes from high-based thunderstorms across parts of the central mountains, and western CO this afternoon. On the flipside an increase in monsoon moisture will bring better rain/thunderstorm chances starting today but especially tomorrow (Fri) and Sat and especially for the mountains.

First for today: hot and dry with Red Flag Warning across much of the state, including from the Front Range mountains west across the north-central mountains and all of western and southern CO: 12pm-10pm today, westerly wind-gusts of 15-40 mph in spots, especially near decaying thunderstorms.

All of western CO (from the Divide) west is under a Fire Weather Watch for tomorrow as well. Again gusty thunderstorms with lightning: 11am-10pm.

In terms of thunderstorms today: storms will first develop in the San Juans after 12pm and then spread northeast.

For the north-central and south-central mountains scatttered high-based storms today from 2pm-9pm. Best chances will be east of a line from Winter Park to Vail, to Aspen to Wolf Creek Pass (near the Cont. Divide will be favored).

For the central mountains tomorrow a better chance for stronger storms with wetting rain from 1pm-8pm, best coverage from Glenwood Springs and east, especially near Cont. Divide again and Front Range mountains (on Fri afternoon)

For Den/Bou and the front-range isolated high-based storms today from 2pm-10pm, likely little rain in most areas, best chances in/near the foothills and along the Palmer Divide after 4pm (mostly just gusty winds).

For the front-range urban corridor tomorrow: a better chance for scattered, stronger storms (wetting rain) from 2pm-9pm, storms first develop in the foothills and then will spread east, best chances for Den/Bou will be 4pm-7pm on Fri.

Looking ahead we will stick with good thunderstorm chances for all of the central mountain on Sat: 1pm-8pm. And isolated to scattered storms for Den/Bou and the front-range: 2pm-9pm again.

Sunday looks drier overall but still likely some isolated afternoon storms in the mountains and foothills after 2pm Sun.

First image loop shows forecast radar over the next 48hrs (6am this morning through 6am Sat) from latest HRRR model. Second image shows the Red Flag Warnings for today. Image 3 shows forecast wind-gusts at 4pm today, you can see the pockets of stronger wind associated with thunderstorms. Image 4 shows forecast radar at 6pm Fri showing some stronger storms in spots, especially over the mountains.