Denver residents, brace yourselves for a weekend filled with a smorgasbord of weather patterns. According to the National Weather Service, today's forecast includes "areas of smoke" with partly sunny skies and an anticipated high of 72°F. The city's not only facing a fluctuating weather tableau, but there's also an air quality issue courtesy of wildfires burning afar.
The air quality alert, in effect until 4 PM Friday, indicates Hot, dry weather combined with out-of-state wildfire smoke will allow ozone and fine particulate concentrations to reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category at times both Thursday and Friday. The health implications of this are significant, particularly for vulnerable groups, including those with heart and respiratory illnesses, as well as the very young and older adults. When smoke thickens, indoor retreats are recommended; if visibility dips below five miles, it's a marker of unhealthy air levels.
Into the night, the clouds that have hovered over Denver are expected to dissipate, offering some respite with a cooler low around 50°F. The weekend won't give Denver a complete break either, as forecasts project increasing clouds on Saturday with a high near 82°F and a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms by evening, as mentioned by the National Weather Service.
Sunday's potential for rainfall elevates, with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms post-noon. As the new week dawns, conditions seem to brighten with "Mostly sunny" skies and temperatures soaring to the upper 80s. But it's not all clear skies; isolated showers and thunderstorms are a possibility over the weekend, particularly "across the higher terrain," as per the hazardous weather outlook provided by the NWS.
