Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Brighton, CO

SHORT TERM /Through Tonight/
Issued at 302 AM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Skies have become mostly clear this morning after the dissipation of Tuesday's diurnal showers. Mid level clouds will increase this afternoon as a cold front approaches from the northwest. A broadscale trough over the Rockies will continue to provide cool temperatures aloft, so while the boundary layer will be quite dry over the plains, around 300 J/kg of MLCAPE should develop this afternoon. Isolated thunderstorms are possible mid to late afternoon ahead of the front. Winds aloft will be quite light, but inverted-V soundings may still allow some storms to contain erratic gusty winds and small hail. Highs will be just above average, reaching near 70 over the plains and urban corridor, with 40s and 50s in the high country.

As the cold front progresses south late this afternoon and evening, winds will shift north and shower coverage will increase.
Most of the shower activity tonight will remain along and north of I-70 where a quarter to half inch of QPF is forecast along the urban corridor and mountains. Lighter totals are expected farther east over the plains. The widespread shower activity and cooling boundary layer should quickly erode any instability and thunder probs will drop off quickly after 02Z. By late tonight, most of the showers will be confined to the Denver metro and mountains.

Snow levels will begin around 10kft and will drop to roughly 8kft by early Thursday morning. Several inches of snow are expected in the Front Range, with a few inches of slushy accumulation near the passes on I-70.

LONG TERM /Thursday through Tuesday/
Issued at 302 AM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025

The front will slowly sag south Thursday and continued weak upslope will keep precipitation going into Thursday on the Front Range and the Palmer Divide. An uptick in coverage should occur in the afternoon as instability redevelops. Snow levels will rise back to 10kft and any additional snow accumulation in the mountains will remain light and travel impacts should be minimal, if any. Precipitation will wane Thursday night with the front continuing to push away. High temperatures will be cooler behind the front with highs reaching the upper 50s to low 60s in the urban corridor and plains, with lows Thursday night in the mid 30s to lower 40s.

By Friday, high pressure will build into the northern Plains with dry conditions expected in most locations. Some diurnal showers and storms are possible in the mountains in the afternoon. A warming trend will begin Friday with highs bouncing back into the mid to upper 60s in the lower elevations/plains. High pressure will settle over the Mississippi Valley with southerly flow returning Saturday and Sunday. Mid and upper level ridging in advance of a very deep west coast trough will allow temperatures to return to the mid 70s to lower 80s in the urban corridor/plains and 50s and 60s in the mountain valleys.

The west coast trough will continue east into the southwestern U.S. as an Omega blocking pattern develops across North America.
This will slow the progression of this trough to a crawl and it should become cut off in the Four Corners region and remain there for much of next week. Some differences amongst the guidance with respect to the latitudinal placement of the center continue, which will have implications on precip chances each day. Regardless, it will be an active period with numerous chances for showers and thunderstorms. Southeast surface flow with the low likely remaining to the west could bring chances for some severe storms over the plains. Snow levels will remain high, likely 9-10kft.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS through 12Z Thursday/
Issued at 528 AM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Mostly clear skies and light southwest winds expected through the morning. By this afternoon, a cold front will drop south through the area with winds becoming north and gusty. A few thunderstorms may develop near the front late this afternoon and a PROB30 is being maintained for the TAF sites. Shower chances increase this evening with conditions dropping to MVFR levels with the showers.
IFR cigs can't be ruled out.

BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
None.