Overview
- - A spring ridge pushed temperatures into the 80s and 90s on Wednesday across Colorado and parts of the Plains, with several sites challenging daily and all‑time March records in cities like Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
- - Fire danger increased under hot, dry, gusty conditions, with Red Flag Warnings posted in parts of southern Colorado and an Air Quality Alert in Fremont County due to smoke near an active fire.
- - Forecasters expect a strong cold front Thursday night to spark scattered showers and thunderstorms, with pockets of small hail and strong wind gusts possible as the line develops and races east.
- - The same front is set to flip the pattern across the Midwest and Great Lakes, where outlets in Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee track Thursday warmth turning to a sharp Friday cool down with rain for some events such as Brewers Opening Day tailgates.
- - Meteorologists warn of a rapid 30 to 60 degree temperature drop from late Thursday to Friday in some corridors, a quick swing driven by strong south winds ahead of the front and brisk north winds behind it that will leave a cooler, breezy weekend before milder air returns early next week.