Temperatures in Archuleta County are likely to continue hovering 10-15 degrees above normal in the coming days with a chance of weekend cloud cover and rain doing little to significantly cool the area, according to forecasts released by the National Weather Service (NWS).
Lucas Boyer, a meteorologist in the NWS Grand Junction forecast office, explained the “weak disturbances” Pagosa Springs may experience Saturday and Sunday could bring temperatures down a few degrees, but, like most of Western Colorado, the town is still waiting for the first cold front of fall.
“The most notable thing is that we’re so warm and dry right now,” Boyer said. “We’re in a really strong blocking pattern with high pressure really firmly in place.”
With tropical storms forecasted to pass through the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, Boyer noted there may be moisture and cloud cover in the Pagosa Springs area, but that it’s “going to take a lot of saturation to get rain to the surface” and may only result in gusty winds.
According to NWS data, temperatures in Archuleta County are typically in the upper 60s by early October.
On Monday, a reading from the Pagosa Springs airport recorded a temperature of 79 degrees.
The NWS expects that trend to continue through the weekend and into next week, with temperatures in the high 70s.
“We know we’ve been 10 degrees over normal for the last several days in a row there,” Boyer said. “That’s what we’re seeing across the forecast area, is 10-15 degree departures from average normals.”
In a statement released Tuesday, the Grand Junction office also called for warmer-than-average cold temperatures in the region.
From Thursday to Monday, “Lows … are expected to run close to 10 degrees above normal,” the office stated. “High pressure remains in control through the week, keeping the forecast dry and temperatures above normal.”
