Wind and blowing dust open a hot Wednesday in Cheyenne County
Gusty winds and patchy blowing dust greet Cheyenne County on Wednesday morning as a cold front pushes through, with sunny skies and a high near 94 expected in the Cheyenne Wells area before a sharp cooldown Thursday.
Patchy blowing dust is possible between 9 and 11 a.m. Wednesday as north winds of 20 to 25 mph follow the front, easing to 10 to 15 mph later in the day. Skies stay mostly clear Wednesday night with a low around 56 and northeast winds gusting to 30 mph.
"Breezy to windy conditions are forecast early Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening," a meteorologist with the National Weather Service forecast office in Goodland, Kan., wrote in Wednesday's Area Forecast Discussion, adding that "gusts up to 50-60 mph may lead to some patchy blowing dust."
Wind, dust and fire danger
The strongest gusts are most likely south of Interstate 70 around 7 to 9 a.m. as a low-level inversion breaks, and a brief reduction in visibility is possible if dust lofts. Near Cheyenne County, a developing area of low pressure could nudge afternoon temperatures close to 100 in some spots.
Drier air behind the front lowers humidity into the teens and raises fire danger across the area on Wednesday. The Goodland office canceled an earlier Fire Weather Watch because confidence was limited that critical conditions would last several hours, but forecasters still advised caution with anything that could throw sparks while winds remain breezy. No fire-weather warnings are in effect for the Colorado portion of the forecast area.
Cheyenne Wells, Colo. — Five-day forecast (June 17–21)
Source: National Weather Service, Goodland, Kan. — Issued June 17, 2026
| Period | Sky Conditions | High/Low | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Patchy a.m. blowing dust, then sunny; breezy | 94 | N 20–25 mph becoming N 10–15 mph |
| Wed. night | Mostly clear | 56 | NE 10–15 mph; gusts to 30 mph |
| Thursday | Becoming sunny | 83 | NE 10–15 mph becoming SE |
| Thu. night | Mostly clear | 55 | S 10–15 mph |
| Friday | Mostly sunny, breezy | 87 | S 15–20 mph; gusts to 30 mph |
| Fri. night | Chance of storms, then partly cloudy | 59 | Light |
| Saturday | Sunny, breezy | 96 | Breezy |
| Sat. night | Chance of storms, then partly cloudy | 60 | Breezy |
| Sunday | Mostly sunny | 88 | Light |
(Kiowa County Press)
Thursday and Friday
Thursday brings relief from the wind and heat, starting partly sunny and becoming sunny with a high near 83 and lighter northeast winds turning southeast in the afternoon. The night stays mostly clear with a low around 55.
Friday, the Juneteenth holiday, warms to a high near 87 under mostly sunny skies with breezy south winds and gusts to 30 mph. A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms develops Friday night as the low settles near 59.
Weekend outlook
Heat builds again Saturday with sunny, breezy conditions and a high near 96, followed by a 40 percent chance of evening showers and thunderstorms. Sunday turns mostly sunny with a high near 88 and additional storm chances at night.
Forecasters are watching the weekend for stronger storms. "Severe weather returns end of this week through early next week," the Goodland discussion noted, with "main days for severe weather" expected to be Saturday and Sunday as upper-level disturbances move through.
Drivers should be alert for sudden drops in visibility from blowing dust Wednesday morning and slow down or pull safely off the road if a dust cloud approaches.
