DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver weather forecast for Memorial Day weekend is shaping up to be mostly clear. The sun will dominate the weekend and bring above-average temperatures, but there are chances for scattered thunderstorms and some wind.
Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels said weather impacts won’t be enough to cancel plans, but may be good to note.
Here are three things to know about the weather in Colorado for Memorial Day weekend.
Winds on Saturday, Sunday
Saturday and Sunday will be the breeziest days during the long weekend. Michels expects Saturday to have a brisk breeze of 10 to 15 mph coming from the northwest.
Winds into the northwest will be stronger Sunday than Saturday. Michels expects sustained wind speeds of 10 to 20 mph, with gusts of up to 30 mph possible.
For Memorial Day, a breeze will be a mild 5 to 10 mph, so winds should not impact plans to place flowers or decorations at grave sites.
Slight chances for rain, thunderstorms
Chances for spotty showers move into the forecast on Saturday. Spotty showers are possible in the mid to late afternoon on Saturday, lasting until about sunset.
“It’s small chances both days, don’t expect rain, not everybody gets rain, but it will be spotty storms going out into the plains,” Michels said.
Saturday afternoon, areas near Aspen could see some snow.
The Denver metro area likely won’t see rain Saturday afternoon, but chances for showers are spotty and scattered across the state. Chances for showers are highest on Saturday evening, mostly in the high country.
Clouds clear by Sunday morning for most of the state, with showers possible in the northern foothills early in the morning. Sunday has a smaller chance of rain than Saturday, mostly concentrated in the plains, but Michels emphasized that those chances are slim.
How warm will Memorial Day weekend be?
The days are getting longer and the weather is warming up. The sun will be out for about 14 hours and 40 minutes each day this weekend.
Saturday will be partly cloudy, but skies will be mostly clear otherwise, making for comfortably warm temperatures.
Michels expects temperatures to be about five degrees warmer than average, with a 70-degree high on Friday, 75-degree highs on Saturday and Sunday and reaching up to 77 degrees on Monday.
Next week, temperatures are expected to exceed 80 degrees.
Memorial Day weekend forecast overview
On Friday, clouds move in from the west in the afternoon and push out to the plains in the evening.
On Saturday, clouds will clear out overnight for a clear morning, but more clouds move across the state in the afternoon bringing spotty showers. Expect partly cloudy skies and brisk winds of 10 to 15 mph throughout the day, with a high of 75 degrees.
On Sunday, clouds will clear out overnight for much of the state, with spotty showers possible throughout the day, mostly in the plains. Expect a mostly dry Sunday in the metro area with partly cloudy skies and a high of 75 degrees.
On Monday, Michels said Memorial Day will be the “perfect day to be off,” with mostly sunny skies and a high of 77 degrees.
Overall, Michels said the weather will likely have minimal impact on most people’s weekend plans. However, some mountain areas are still seeing cooler temperatures and even snow, so some seasonal mountain roads will be closed for Memorial Day weekend.
