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Weather data provided by National Weather Service (weather.gov). Conditions can change rapidly in alpine terrain — always check before you go.
Trail-ready in any weather
The Trip Builder reads your route, the forecast, and your existing gear, then closes the gaps in minutes.
Issue 2026-W28 · forecasts checked Thursday morning, July 9, 2026, heading into the weekend.
This week runs unsettled, so plan early starts and watch the sky on every outing.
Smoke is in the forecast for 1 of the nine zones this issue. Summer smoke in Colorado means fire somewhere, and this briefing tracks weather, not fire lines. Before you commit to a trailhead, check official fire information for closures, restrictions, and evacuations, and treat every fire ban as absolute.
Live trail data
Live weather for Colorado’s most-hiked zones, updated directly from Weather.gov.
First light 5:14 AM (Boulder / Front Range) · last light 9:05 PM (Elk Mountains / Aspen)
Forecasts refresh every 15 minutes from the National Weather Service points API. Alpine conditions can change in 20 minutes. Always verify before you go.
Updated 6:12 PMRefreshes every 15 min
Thunderstorm risk detected. Plan to be below treeline by noon.
Affected: Rocky Mountain NP, Indian Peaks / Brainard, Mt. Bierstadt / Guanella, Gore Range / Silverthorne, Elk Mountains / Aspen, San Juans / Telluride, Sawatch / Leadville, Pikes Peak / Colorado Springs
Updated 6:12 PM
11,600-14,060 ft
14er · Guanella Pass · Clear Creek County
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
trace in rain
Tonight
42°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
trace in rain · before 8pm
Tomorrow
67°F
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
after noon
14er rule: summit before noon without exception. Lightning is fatal above treeline.
6,720-14,115 ft
Barr Trail · Manitou Incline · Garden of the Gods
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Tonight
41°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
before 8pm
Tomorrow
52°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
trace in rain
Cog rail and highway access don't soften the altitude. 13 miles up Barr Trail; summer storms hit by 1 PM.
6,800-8,500 ft
Flatirons · Chautauqua · Green Mountain
Official advisories
Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service
Sunny
Tonight
64°F
Mostly Clear
Tomorrow
87°F
Sunny
Exposed ridge above Flatirons: afternoon lightning from June-Aug.
8,500-12,183 ft
Bear Lake · Trail Ridge · Estes Park
Official advisories
Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service
Park Closure: A Fire Ban (Stage 2 Fire Restrictions) Are In EffectNational Park Service
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
trace in rain
Tonight
50°F
Mostly Clear
Tomorrow
72°F
Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
after 1pm
Fastest storm pattern in Colorado. Be below treeline by noon.
10,400-13,500 ft
Lake Isabelle · Mitchell Lake · CDT access
Official advisories
Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Tonight
44°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Clear
before 8pm
Tomorrow
69°F
Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
after 1pm
Open alpine basin, no shelter once storms build. Start early.
9,000-12,040 ft
Eagle's Nest · Mesa Cortina · Summit County
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
trace in rain
Tonight
49°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
before 9pm
Tomorrow
83°F
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
after noon
Summit County storms can build in 20 minutes. Remote terrain.
9,580-14,163 ft
Maroon Bells · Crater Lake · Pyramid Peak
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Tonight
41°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
before 7pm
Tomorrow
56°F
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
after noon
Maroon Bells rock crumbles where you grip it. Storms build fast; be off ridges by noon.
10,000-14,440 ft
Mt. Elbert · Mt. Massive · La Plata Peak
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
trace in rain
Tonight
42°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
trace in rain · before 7pm
Tomorrow
58°F
Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
trace in rain
Highest peak in the state: the approach is forgiving, the summit ridge is not. 14er rule applies.
9,545-14,158 ft
Mt. Sneffels · Yankee Boy Basin · Blue Lakes
Official advisories
Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service
Hydrologic OutlookNational Weather Service
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Tonight
40°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Areas Of Smoke
before 9pm
Tomorrow
54°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
San Juan monsoons hit harder than the Front Range: by 11 AM in summer. Sneffels approach is loose top-to-bottom.
We could not complete the check for wildfire incident data on this update. Advisories from those sources may exist that are not shown here.