Hot, smoky Friday for Kiowa County before a cooler holiday weekend
Sunny skies and patchy smoke settle over Kiowa County on Friday as the temperature climbs to near 99 degrees, but a dry cool front is set to trim a few degrees off the Independence Day weekend and bring a slight chance of thunderstorms.
Friday brings sunny conditions around Eads with patchy smoke lingering through much of the day and a high near 99. Southwest winds of 5 to 15 mph will accompany the heat. Skies turn mostly clear Friday night with a low around 61, as winds shift out of the north-northeast after midnight.
“Wetter conditions set in starting on Saturday, with a few strong to severe afternoon storms possible,” a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo wrote in Friday’s Area Forecast Discussion.
Fire weather and smoke
Kiowa County sits outside the Red Flag Warning the Pueblo office issued Friday for fire weather zones along and west of Interstate 25, but conditions across the eastern plains remain dry. Forecasters said relative humidity would drop into the single digits during Friday afternoon, and patchy smoke from wildfires to the west is expected to drift across the area. Residents should use caution with any open flame or spark. The weather service noted that Kiowa County is among the counties where a few strong to severe storms could develop Saturday afternoon as a weak front moves through.
Eads, Colo. — Five-day forecast (July 3–7, 2026)
Source: National Weather Service, Pueblo — Issued July 3, 2026
| Period | Sky Conditions | High/Low | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | Sunny, patchy smoke | High 99 | SW 5-15 mph |
| Friday night | Mostly clear | Low 61 | SSW 10-15 mph, NNE late |
| Saturday (July 4) | Partly sunny | High 93 | N around 15 mph |
| Saturday night | Partly cloudy, 10% storms | Low 57 | NE 10-15 mph |
| Sunday | Sunny, 10% storms | High 92 | NNE 5-10, SE 10-15 mph |
| Sunday night | Partly cloudy, 30% storms | Low 59 | SE 10-15 mph |
| Monday | Sunny, breezy | High 93 | SE 10-20 mph |
| Monday night | Partly cloudy, 10% storms | Low 60 | SE around 15 mph |
| Tuesday | Mostly sunny, breezy | High 94 | SE 15-20 mph |
| Tuesday night | Partly cloudy, 20% storms | Low 62 | SE 10-15 mph |
(Kiowa County Press)
Saturday and Sunday
The holiday weekend turns cooler behind the front. Saturday, the Fourth of July, will be partly sunny with a high near 93 and north winds around 15 mph. A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms arrives Saturday night with a low around 57. Sunday stays mostly sunny and near 92, with a slight chance of thunderstorms after 3 p.m. that builds to a 30 percent chance Sunday night.
Extended outlook
Monday and Tuesday bring a return to breezy, warmer conditions. Monday will be sunny and breezy with a high near 93 and southeast winds of 10 to 20 mph. Tuesday climbs to near 94 under mostly sunny skies with southeast winds of 15 to 20 mph. Isolated evening thunderstorms remain possible both nights.
With highs in the 90s and dry air in place, forecasters urge residents to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activity during the afternoon and watch for changing air quality as smoke moves through the region.
