Southwest Colorado is holding onto the last throes of summer with bluebird skies and spring-like temperatures early this week.
The daily high Monday reached 62 degrees according to National Weather Service observer Briggen Wrinkle. That’s 11 degrees shy of the record high set in 1973.
But the balmy weather may be short-lived. A cold front is expected to push its way into the region by mid-week – possibly Wednesday or Thursday – with a more-significant drop in temperature expected Sunday, Jeff Colton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said Monday afternoon.
“It’s something we’re keeping our eye on,” he said.
While Monday seemed unseasonably warm, temperatures have been only 3 to 6 degrees above average, Colton said. The average is calculated by adding the low and the high temperatures for the day and dividing by two, he said.
Sunday’s average temperature was 42 degrees, 4 degrees above normal, and Monday’s average was 40.5 degrees, 2½ degrees above normal, Colton said.
“I know it feels warmer, but we haven’t had any wind, and it’s been sunny,” he said. “The sun is a big factor.
“We’re not hitting record highs right now. It’s just a little bit above normal.”
The fluctuations in temperatures are common this time of year as fall-like weather transitions into winter.
“Mother Nature is a game of checks and balances,” Colton said.
shane@durangoherald.com
