weather

An upper low pressure system will be lifting into the Four Corners area tonight bringing heavy snow to the mountains and rain across the eastern plains of Colorado.

Mountain areas could see up to two feet of snow, while 1-2 inches of rain is expected across Kiowa County overnight Thursday into the evening Friday. Baca and Las Animas Counties could see supercell thunderstorms Thursday afternoon. The potential for isolated showers continues through Monday evening before a drying trend starts Tuesday.

by Chris Sorensen

Following a cooler week that saw little precipitation, drought conditions are essentially unchanged in southern Colorado.

By Chris Sorensen

Daytime temperatures continue a cooling trend ahead of an incoming storm system that will bring rain to the area by Thursday night.

Wednesday's high will be around 60 for Kiowa County, with mid- to lower 50s through the weekend. Overnight lows will mainly be in the 30s.

An upper low pressure system moving toward the four corners area by Friday is expected to bring snow to higher elevations of the southern mountains by Thursday and rain across the southeast plains.

Somewhat cooler and unsettled weather makes an appearance in Kiowa County for the week.

Monday will start off with a high in the mid-70s and 20-25 mile-per-hour winds continuing to midnight. Gusts could reach 35 mph.

For the remainder of the work week, highs will be in the 60s, with overnight lows in the upper 30s to low 40s.

Strong to severe storms are possible over the far eastern portion of southeast Colorado Saturday, including most of Kiowa County.

Temperatures will rise to the low 80s for the day, accompanied by 15-20 mile-per-hour winds gusting to 35 mph in the afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms could form after 4:00 p.m. Overnight temperatures will fall to the mid-40s.

Sunday and Monday will see highs in the mid-70s and wind speeds falling to 10-15 mph.

While a significant portion of the state is still abnormally dry, last weekend's rain and snow brought welcome relief in drought conditions.

Following several days of wet weather and 3-4 inches of desperately-needed rain, an upper low pressure system continues to slowly make its way north to share precipitation with Kansas and Nebraska.

The week will gradually warm, starting with a high in the upper 40s Sunday in Kiowa County, increasing to the mid- to upper 50s through Tuesday, then steadily increasing to a high near 80 Saturday. Likewise, overnight lows start near freezing Sunday night and increase to the mid-40s by Friday night.

A number of tornadoes and funnel clouds were spotted Friday (April 15, 2016) across southeast Colorado.

According to the National Weather Service, two tornadoes occurred in Kiowa County south of Eads and caused no damage.

A Tornado Warning was issued at 1:51 p.m. The first tornado occured from approximately 2:09 to 2:13 p.m. The second tornado lasted from 2:23 to 2:36 p.m.

The photos below are of the tornado tracks and a tornado spotted just south of Eads in the early afternoon.

After a high in the low 70s Friday, much cooler temperatures along - with much-needed moisture - will dominate the weekend in Kiowa County and across the region.

Starting Friday afternoon, severe thunderstorm development is likely. Large hail, strong winds, and heavy rain can be expected between 1:00 p.m. and midnight. The greatest threat for severe weather is between 4:00 and 10:00 p.m. Tornadoes are possible.