DENVER – Bone-dry Colorado will get some much-needed moisture this weekend, providing relief for communities hit hard by wildfires but potentially creating new problems as well.
Before then, however, high fire danger continues.
Friday will see more hot and dry conditions statewide with highs in the 80s and 90s and a chance of scattered storms in the afternoon.
Heading into the weekend, much of the state will see increasing cloud cover and rain showers, heavy at times, as leftover tropical moisture from Tropical Storm Bud makes its way into Colorado.
Southwestern Colorado could see up to 1.5 inches of rain over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service, while northern Colorado could see closer to 2 inches. Rainfall will continue into next week, with some areas in the northeastern corner of the state seeing as much as 4 inches of rain.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for much of southwest and southern Colorado, including the areas burned by the 416 Fire and the Burro Fire.
The watch goes into effect Saturday morning and will last through Sunday evening. The watch is in effect for the Animas River basin, the southwest San Juan Mountains and the Highway 550 corridor to include Durango and Hermosa.
The National Weather Service says that rock and mud slides, as well as severe flash flooding, are possible over the weekend—especially in areas with new or recent burn scars as mud and debris come loose from steep terrain.
Stay with Denver7 and the First Alert Weather team as we keep track of the latest conditions.