Hello everyone; I hope you are having a great day. I am bringing you this special hiking forecast for some popular hiking areas in my home state of Colorado. Some information that will be provided in this forecast are the temperature, precipitation, winds, humidity, and cloud cover. This forecast will also give some basic information about the hiking area, such as the elevation and geographic location, since these factors can have impacts on a forecast. I hope that you can use this information when planning your hike. The images used in this forecast will show the high temperatures, humidity levels, and chances of rainfall for the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Let’s start out with one of the most popular National Parks in the United States; Rockey Mountain National Park. Located in Northcentral Colorado, most of the popular hikes are situated at or above 8000 feet above sea level. This means that temperates are cooler, and the chance of seeing thunderstorms are greater. Looking at our forecast for tomorrow, areas below 9000 feet can expect sunny skies, with high temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s, a 10% chance of precipitation, light winds, and low humidity. Areas higher up can expect partly cloudy skies, with high temperatures in the mid 60s, a 30% chance of precipitation, winds of up to 30 mph, and higher humidity levels. Remember that thunderstorms can span quickly in the mountains, so plan accordingly.
Summit County
Next, we will look at one of the most popular regions in the Colorado Rocky Mountain; Summit County. Located in Central Colorado, Summit County is popular due to its easy axis and tons of hiking options in the summer. Most of the hiking is above 9000 feet in elevation, which means sun exposure is higher than in areas at sea level. Looking at our weather for tomorrow, most areas below 11,000 feet should see sunny skies, with temperatures in the low 70s, little chance of rain, low humidity, and winds of up to 20 mph. Those who plan to venture into higher elevation areas can expect some cloud cover, with temperatures in the mid-50s, a chance of rain, moderate humidity, and wind gusts of 40 mph or higher.
Aspen and Pitkin County
Moving further Southwest, we come next to Aspen and Pitkin County, located in West Central Colorado. Although this area is well known for its skiing, hiking is also very popular in this region. Unlike other regions we’ve looked at, some areas of Pitkin County are as low as 6,000 feet above sea level, which means one can expect hotter and dryer weather conditions. Areas below 8,000 feet can expect scattered clouds, with high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s, a 20% chance of rain, low humidity levels, and light winds. Areas higher up can expect partly cloudy skies, with high temperatures in the mid 60s (with high 40s at the highest elevations). There is a 30% chance of rain, with higher humidity than in lower elevations, and winds increasing as the day progresses. If you are hiking at lower elevations, remember to take proper heat-related safety precautions and drink plenty of water.
San Juan Mountains
Moving down even further southwest, we come to our final forecasting area; the San Juan Mountains. The San Juan Mountains are located in Southwestern Colorado and are known for their jagged cliffs and small towns, and stellar hikes. Looking at the weather for tomorrow, lower elevations (below 10,000 feet) can expect mostly sunny skies, with high temperatures in the mid 70s, a 10% chance of rain, 20% relative humidity, and light winds. Higher elevation areas can expect mostly sunny skies, with high temperatures in the low 60s, a 10% chance of rain, relative humidity of 25%, and winds gusting up to 30 mph. Please remember that temperatures drop the higher you go in elevation, so dress accordingly.
Conclusion
I hope you acquired some weather information for your hike in some popular hiking areas in Colorado. I will end this report with some critical weather information relating to hiking. If you plan to climb a high mountain in Colorado (or the Western United States), please take this information into consideration. Rember that weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains, which means you could be caught in a surprise thunderstorm or snowstorm. Although this forecast says, there is little to no chance of rain, a surprise thunderstorm is never out of the question. To reduce this risk, always start your hike early, and if you can’t summit the mountain after 10:30 AM, turn around. The last thing you want is to be stuck on top of a mountain in a lightning storm because you are the highest object.
