Colorado will see near-record temperatures on Thursday before a spring storm system of rain and snow moves into the state on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Thursday temperatures in the Denver area are forecast to peak at 79 degrees, NWS forecasters said. If they do, Denver will break its current record high for March 27 of 78 degrees, which was set in 1988, according to NWS records.
On the Eastern Plains — including Akron, Crook, Holyoke and Lindon — temperatures will come within a few degrees of current records in the high 70s and low 80s but aren’t expected to set new ones, forecasters said.
Greeley and Fort Collins are both expected to tie their current March 27 records of 79 degrees set in 1986 and 80 degrees set in 1895, respectively, according to NWS forecasters.
Near-record temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s are also forecast for most of Colorado’s mountain towns, including Estes Park, Dillon and Kremmling, forecasters said. If temperatures in Grand Lake hit 59 degrees as forecast, the town will break its 1986 record of 58 degrees.
Snow is forecast to start in the mountains late Friday night and continue through Sunday, NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook.
The Denver area and Eastern Plains will see see scattered rain showers Friday and stronger rain Saturday before the weather turns to sleet and snow overnight into Sunday, according to the outlook.
Snow accumulation forecasts for the weekend storm were not available on Wednesday.
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