Colorado Weather: Widespread Monsoon Showers And Storms Expected Thursday

DENVER (CBS4) - Happy Thursday, Colorado! It's a new month and that means you'll hear local meteorologists saying the word "monsoon" more and more with each passing day. That's because this is the time of year when we start to feel impacts in our state.

The monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30 in North America. It's a seasonal shift in the wind that blows from the south, flowing across Mexico and into the southwest United States. It carries rich plumes of moisture from the tropics and that sets the stage for slow-moving showers and storms on some afternoons. Because the upper-level wind speeds are light this time of the year monsoon storms move slow, which raises the potential for flash flooding.

We expect a pretty widespread coverage of storms today. They'll form over the higher elevations during the late morning and early afternoon before pushing onto the eastern plains around the evening commute.

Due to the threat for heavy rain the National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for portions of south-central Colorado through the evening. Flooding concern is elevated along recent burn scars in the Front Range.

Highs will continue to run below average in Denver today with upper 70s and lower 80s. We'll see most of the state in that temperature range except out on the western slope where a few low 90s are possible. If you plan to go in the mountains above the tree line you will find temperatures between 45 and 60 degrees.

Friday will almost be a repeat of today's weather but over the weekend some drier air will lower the chance for afternoon showers and storms. It will also allow temperatures to go up just a few degrees.