Lamar nears triple digits this weekend after a Wednesday storm chance
Prowers County gets one shot at rain Wednesday before a building ridge of high pressure sends Lamar temperatures climbing to near 101 by Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.
Wednesday is partly sunny becoming sunny in Lamar, with a high near 91. East-northeast winds of 5 to 10 mph turn south-southeast during the morning, and there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Wednesday night carries the better chance — 40 percent, mainly before 11 p.m. — with a low around 64 and new rainfall of a quarter to a half inch possible.
A cold front arriving Tuesday night is what changes the setup. "Much more active on Wednesday, thanks to the front," a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo wrote in Tuesday's Area Forecast Discussion. Moist southeast upslope flow beneath brisk northwest winds aloft means "strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible as well over the eastern plains," with the strongest storms expected closest to the Kansas line.
Heat builds behind the front
Strong outflow winds, severe hail and heavy rainfall are the primary hazards forecasters have identified with Wednesday's storms, which are expected to form over the mountains by early to mid afternoon and track east-southeast into the night.
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday evening for mountain and burn scar zones west of the plains, including the Aspen Acres burn scar. It does not cover Prowers County, and no Red Flag Warning is in effect for the Lamar area.
Even without a formal fire weather product, conditions turn increasingly hot and dry behind the front. Highs near 99 Friday and near 101 Saturday and Sunday, combined with breezy afternoons and cured grasses, will keep fire danger elevated across the lower Arkansas Valley. Forecasters said temperatures will reach "90s to low-100s over the eastern plains" as the ridge takes hold.
Lamar, Colo. — Five-day forecast (Aug. 19-23, 2026)
Source: National Weather Service, Pueblo — Issued Aug. 18, 2026
| Period | Sky Conditions | High/Low | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Partly sunny becoming sunny, 20% t-storms after 5 p.m. | High 91 | East-northeast 5 to 10 mph, becoming south-southeast in the morning |
| Wednesday night | Mostly cloudy, 40% t-storms mainly before 11 p.m., clearing late | Low 64 | East-southeast 5 to 10 mph, becoming west in the evening |
| Thursday | Sunny | High 96 | South 5 to 15 mph |
| Thursday night | Mostly clear | Low 65 | Southeast 5 to 15 mph |
| Friday | Sunny | High 99 | South-southwest 5 to 15 mph, becoming southeast in the afternoon |
| Friday night | Mostly clear, 20% t-storms before midnight | Low 66 | East-southeast 5 to 15 mph |
| Saturday | Sunny and hot | High 101 | Southwest 5 to 15 mph, becoming south-southeast in the afternoon |
| Saturday night | Partly cloudy, 10% t-storms before midnight | Low 67 | Southeast 10 to 15 mph |
| Sunday | Mostly sunny and hot | High 101 | West-southwest around 10 mph |
| Sunday night | Partly cloudy, chance of showers and t-storms | Low 66 | East-northeast 5 to 10 mph, becoming west-northwest after midnight |
(Kiowa County Press)
Thursday and Friday
Thursday is sunny and noticeably warmer, with a high near 96 and south winds of 5 to 15 mph. Thursday night stays mostly clear with a low around 65.
Friday is sunny with a high near 99 as high pressure strengthens over the Four Corners. South-southwest winds of 5 to 15 mph shift southeast in the afternoon. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms holds before midnight Friday night, with a low around 66.
Extended outlook
Saturday is sunny and hot in Lamar, with a high near 101 and southwest winds of 5 to 15 mph turning south-southeast in the afternoon. A 10 percent thunderstorm chance lingers before midnight under a low around 67.
Sunday repeats the heat — mostly sunny and hot with a high near 101 and west-southwest winds around 10 mph. Storm chances return Sunday night with a low around 66.
Relief may arrive the following week. Forecasters said the monsoon plume is expected to move back into the region, producing a more favorable pattern for widespread showers and thunderstorms along with temperatures a few degrees cooler.
Four straight days in the mid 90s to low 100s warrant caution. Forecasters advise limiting outdoor exertion during the afternoon, checking on older neighbors and never leaving children or pets in parked vehicles. Residents should also use care with equipment, vehicles and open flame in dry grass through the weekend.
