Strong winds and a freeze tonight in Cheyenne Wells, warming to near 80 by Sunday
A cold front pushing across the eastern plains will make for a windy, cool Friday in Cheyenne Wells before a hard freeze overnight and a gradual warmup carries highs into the 70s and 80s by early next week.
Friday is expected to be partly sunny and windy, with a high near 53 degrees and north winds of 20 to 25 mph gusting to 40 mph. A 20 percent chance of showers is in the forecast after 3 p.m. Overnight, skies will clear and the temperature will fall to about 22 degrees. A Freeze Warning has been issued for Cheyenne County from midnight tonight through 8 a.m. Saturday.
Forecasters at the Goodland, Kan., office wrote in Friday’s Area Forecast Discussion that the front will bring “dangerous wind conditions with gusts of 30 to 40 knots, potentially reaching 50 knots,” warning that the gusts are “hazardous for any smoldering fires as they could flare back up.”
Fire weather watch has lifted, but caution still advised
A Red Flag Warning that covered Cheyenne County on Thursday expired Thursday evening after winds diminished and humidity recovered. No new fire weather warning is in effect for Cheyenne County on Friday; however, with dry fuels and afternoon gusts to 40 mph, residents should still avoid open burning and keep machinery clear of dry grass.
Freeze concerns are the bigger story locally. Meteorologists in the Goodland office noted that vegetation across the region has already begun spring green-up, making it more vulnerable to damage from unseasonably low overnight temperatures. Cold-sensitive plants should be covered or brought indoors Friday evening.
Cheyenne Wells, Colo. — Five-day forecast (April 17 – April 21, 2026)
Source: National Weather Service, Goodland, Kan. — Issued April 17, 2026
Period | Sky Conditions | High / Low | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | Partly sunny and windy; 20% showers after 3 p.m. | High 53°F | N 20–25 mph, gusts to 40 mph |
| Friday night | Mostly cloudy early, then clearing; 40% showers before 7 p.m. | Low 22°F | N 20–30 mph, diminishing to 10–20 mph after midnight; gusts to 40 mph |
| Saturday | Sunny and breezy | High 59°F | NW 10–20 mph |
| Saturday night | Mostly clear | Low 28°F | NW 5–10 mph, becoming SW by evening |
| Sunday | Sunny | High 75°F | SW 5–15 mph |
| Sunday night | Mostly clear | Low 35°F | Light and variable |
| Monday | Mostly sunny | High 81°F | S 5–15 mph |
| Monday night | Mostly clear | Low 44°F | S 10–15 mph |
| Tuesday | Sunny | High 84°F | Variable 5–10 mph |
| Tuesday night | Mostly clear | Low 45°F | SE 5–15 mph |
(Kiowa County Press)
Quieter weekend, warmer air returns
Saturday brings a sunny, breezy day with a high near 59 degrees and northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph. Skies stay mostly clear Saturday night, with a low around 28 degrees — still cold, but winds drop off and the freeze risk eases.
Sunday is the turning point of the period. Full sunshine and light southwest winds push the high to about 75 degrees, and overnight lows only fall to around 35 degrees. Forecasters caution, however, that humidity is expected to be “in the single-digits nearly everywhere” Sunday, making for elevated fire weather concerns even without a formal watch.
Extended outlook: Monday and Tuesday
Upper-level ridging builds over the region early next week. Cheyenne Wells is forecast to see a high near 81 degrees Monday and 84 degrees Tuesday, both under mostly sunny to sunny skies with light winds. Overnight lows will moderate into the mid-40s. By midweek, an upper-level trough may approach from the west, bringing a chance of thunderstorms — and continued fire weather risks along any dryline that sets up.
Drivers on U.S. 40 and Kansas-Colorado Highway 385 on Friday should be prepared for strong crosswinds and localized blowing dust through early evening.
