Rain Potential Builds for Western Colorado Tomorrow

Sunny skies and mild temperatures give way to chances of showers and high elevation snow later this week.

Mar. 4, 2026 at 12:53pm

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After a sunny day with temperatures in the 60s, western Colorado is expected to see a cooling trend and increasing chances of rain and high elevation snow starting Thursday. A low-pressure system moving into the region will bring showers and mountain snow, with the heaviest precipitation forecast for the northern Utah and Colorado mountains.

Why it matters

The changing weather patterns will impact outdoor activities and travel in the region, as well as bring much-needed precipitation to an area that has seen dry conditions recently.

The details

The low-pressure system will move into the Intermountain West overnight Wednesday and approach the Utah/Colorado border by midday Thursday. While the mountains will initially block much of the precipitation, showers and light snow are expected to develop over the higher peaks in the pre-frontal environment. As the system pushes down through Utah and then back up from the northwest, more widespread showers along and north of I-70 are likely Thursday evening into Friday morning. Snow levels are forecast to fall below 5,000 feet by early Friday, with the heaviest snow expected over the northern Utah and Colorado mountains.

  • Today (March 4, 2026) is expected to be sunny with temperatures in the 60s.
  • Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, partly cloudy skies and overnight lows in the mid-30s are forecast.
  • Thursday afternoon, rain and high elevation snow showers are expected to develop over northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado.
  • Thursday evening through Friday morning, showers are forecast to become widespread along and north of I-70, with snow levels falling below 5,000 feet.
  • Saturday into early next week, the weather is expected to dry out with temperatures gradually warming back to 10-15 degrees above normal.

The players

National Weather Service

The federal agency that provides weather forecasts and warnings for the United States.

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What they’re saying

“A 150 kt jet will dive down the backside of this trough, eventually causing the system to split by Saturday.”

— National Weather Service

What’s next

The low-pressure system is expected to continue moving through the region, bringing the potential for additional precipitation and changing weather conditions over the next several days.

The takeaway

This weather system will bring much-needed precipitation to western Colorado, though it may also impact outdoor activities and travel in the region. Residents should monitor the forecast and be prepared for changing conditions as the system moves through.