Record-high temperatures expected for Colorado’s mountains this weekend, but winter isn’t done yet

Colorado’s mountains are expected to hit unusually high temperatures heading into the first weekend of March — though forecasters say to hold back on breaking out summer clothing just yet.

“Enjoy it, but don’t bank on it lasting,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Brianna Bealo said.

Colorado is looking at record-high temperatures this weekend. Data from the National Weather Service’s Grand Junction office shows parts of the Western Slope could run 10 to 15 degrees above normal into the weekend, with lower desert valleys reaching close to 70 degrees.

The warm, sunny weather is thanks to a ridge of high pressure that’s going to be building over the western half of the country starting on Thursday, Feb. 27.

“High pressure is typically associated with sinking air, which leads to clear skies and warming temperatures,” Bealo said. “Because this ridge is so strong and so large, and it’s going to be over us for several days, we’re seeing those temperatures really start to jump up.”

Saturday is expected to be the warmest day. Residents and visitors from the Front Range to Glenwood Springs can expect temperatures in the low-to-mid 60s, while higher elevation areas will likely be in the 50s.

“It definitely looks like the Western Slope is gonna be running warmer than the Front Range, and that has a lot to do with just where that high pressure is setting up,” Bealo said.

These high pressures usually occur during the spring and summer. The last time the Grand Junction office recorded 66 degrees for the first Saturday of March was in 2008 — if the city hits 67 degrees on March 1 as expected, it will set a new record for the region.

“This doesn’t feel like a normal February,” Bealo said. “Our normals right now are in the low 50s … But it does look like every roughly 20 years or so we do see temperatures on this scale, so it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.”

The warm temperatures won’t last more than a few days, however — the state will likely see a return to cooler temperatures during the week of March 3, with snow showers across parts of the Western Slope.