Pueblo's 80-degree Friday ends as 30-degree drop sets in

A sharp turn in the weather hits Pueblo on Friday, October 23, as a cold front sweeps across Colorado. The city records a high of 80 degrees, the last day of warmth before a steep decline. By Saturday, high temperatures fall to the 50s, a 30-degree drop from Friday.

Morning conditions in Pueblo begin in the 50s with breaks in cloud cover. Sunlight emerges around 10 a.m. along Interstate 25 as morning clouds clear. The forecast lists a low of 52 degrees for the city. Rain chances on the south side of Pueblo range from 10% to 20% on Friday, rising significantly over the weekend.

The front advances from the west, bringing additional cloud cover and generating storms farther south. Thunderstorms may form along the southern portion of Interstate 25. Canon City sees a 20% to 30% chance of rain, with a high of 75 degrees and a low of 49. Most locations there remain dry despite the afternoon shower potential.

Other communities face varying conditions as the front passes. Woodland Park reaches a high of 58 degrees and a low of 39, with afternoon clouds following morning sunshine. Monument and the Tri-Lakes area see a high of 69 degrees and a low of 43. Farther south, Walsenburg and Trinidad reach 73 and 74 degrees, respectively, with lows of 49.

For Walsenburg and Trinidad, Friday is the warmest day of the next seven. Weekend highs in those areas also drop into the 50s. On the eastern plains, thunderstorms return by Friday evening after a sunnier start. Afternoon temperatures there reach the 70s and 80s, with lows in the 50s. Mountain areas see highs in the 60s and lows in the 30s.

Lingering moisture and flooding remain concerns in southwestern Colorado, where water levels may take time to recede. Conditions calm down next week with sunshine and partly cloudy skies. Temperatures gradually warm into the 60s. The preliminary Halloween outlook calls for dry weather and temperatures in the 50s and 60s.