Near-record heat opens week for Cheyenne County; rain, snow chances follow
Near-record warmth is forecast for Cheyenne County through Monday before a cold front arrives Tuesday with a significant cool-down, breezy conditions, and a multi-day chance of rain and snow.
Monday will begin mostly cloudy before skies clear to sunny, with a high near 85 degrees. West winds of 5 to 15 mph are expected. The National Weather Service office in Goodland, Kan., did not issue a Fire Weather Watch for Cheyenne County for Monday; while dry air and briefly gusty conditions are possible, meteorologists noted that confidence was not high enough to meet the threshold for a formal watch designation. Monday night will be partly cloudy with a low near 44 degrees and a 20 percent chance of rain before midnight.
"Record high temperatures are possible today and tomorrow," meteorologists in the Goodland, Kan., forecast office wrote in Sunday’s Area Forecast Discussion. The discussion noted that briefly critical fire weather conditions are possible for eastern Colorado on Monday, with dry air pushing relative humidity below 15 percent, but confidence in meeting formal warning criteria “was not high enough at this time.”
Tuesday through Wednesday: Cold front brings wind, rain, and snow chances
Tuesday will bring the first significant weather change of the week as a cold front moves through the area, pushing temperatures down to a high near 62 degrees under partly sunny skies. Northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph will shift to the east by afternoon with gusts as high as 35 mph. Tuesday night temperatures are expected to drop to near 31 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain and snow showers.
Wednesday will see temperatures struggle to reach 50 degrees under mostly cloudy skies, with a continued 40 percent chance of rain and snow showers and breezy conditions. Wednesday night lows are expected near 30 degrees with another 40 percent precipitation chance before conditions improve Thursday.
Cheyenne Wells, Colo. — Five-day forecast (Mon. Mar. 30 — Fri. Apr. 3, 2026)
Period | Sky Conditions | High/Low | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon. Mar. 30 | Mostly cloudy, clearing | High 85°F | W 5–15 mph |
| Mon. Night | Partly cloudy | Low 44°F | W 10–15 mph becoming NW; 20% chance rain |
| Tue. Mar. 31 | Partly sunny, breezy | High 62°F | NW 15–20 mph becoming E; gusts to 35 mph |
| Tue. Night | Mostly cloudy | Low 31°F | Breezy; 40% chance rain/snow |
| Wed. Apr. 1 | Mostly cloudy, breezy | High 50°F | Breezy; 40% chance rain/snow showers |
| Wed. Night | Mostly cloudy | Low 30°F | 40% chance showers |
| Thu. Apr. 2 | Mostly sunny, breezy | High 71°F | Breezy |
| Thu. Night | Mostly clear, breezy | Low 38°F | Breezy |
| Fri. Apr. 3 | Mostly sunny, breezy | High 63°F | Breezy; system approaching |
Source: National Weather Service, Goodland KS — Issued Mar. 29, 2026
(Kiowa County Press)
Thursday through Friday: Brief warmup before next system approaches
Temperatures will rebound Thursday to a high near 71 degrees under mostly sunny skies, with a low near 38 degrees Thursday night. Friday is forecast mostly sunny and breezy with a high near 63 degrees. Forecasters in Goodland noted that another weather system is expected to approach the region Friday, with a surface cold front potentially moving through the area. Any precipitation is expected to be light, with Friday night carrying a 30 percent chance of showers.
Extended outlook: Above-normal heat expected to continue through mid-April
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-to-10-day outlook, valid April 4–8, points toward above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for Colorado and the surrounding High Plains — a continuation of the warm and largely dry pattern that has dominated much of 2026. In the 8-to-14-day period, valid April 6–12, above-normal temperatures are expected to persist, though precipitation probabilities edge toward near-normal for that window. The CPC carries above-average confidence in the temperature signal through early April.
The outlook carries significant weight for southeastern Colorado, where drought conditions have deteriorated sharply since the start of the year. The most recent Drought Monitor report, valid through March 24, showed severe drought or worse covering the majority of the state. Colorado’s statewide snowpack stood at approximately 54 percent of median as of late March, with no river basin above 65 percent of average — conditions that limit the potential for meaningful drought recovery from spring runoff. Governor Jared Polis activated Phase 2 of Colorado’s Drought Response Plan on March 16.
With above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation likely through at least early April, drought improvement is not expected in the near term. Groundwater recharge and spring crop planting across the region will remain at the mercy of a persistent warm and dry pattern through most of the month.
Residents are encouraged to monitor weather.gov and the Goodland, Kan., forecast office for updated outlooks and any fire weather products affecting Cheyenne County.
