Drenching, even severe, storms to pulse into the Front Range

While soaking, daily thunderstorms will be the theme this week across the Intermountain West and parts of the Plains, AccuWeather forecasters highlight the risk for weekend storms to bring severe impacts.

Across parts of the Rocky Mountains and Front Range, AccuWeather meteorologists say that a moisture-filled pattern will continue to grip the region over the upcoming week. Some spots will even be at risk for robust, even severe, thunderstorms through the end of this weekend.

A ridge of high pressure will remain centered over the South Central states over the next several days, expanding to cover more of the Gulf Coast states into midweek. While this feature will aid in keeping parts of central Texas and Louisiana mainly dry from Sunday to Monday, storms will be capable of organizing along the northern periphery for a multi-day stretch.

"A 'rinse and repeat' pattern is in store along the Front Range and central Plains through the weekend and a majority of next week as monsoon moisture spills over the mountains during the afternoon and evening hours. Similar to what has been observed late this past week, showers and thunderstorms that track east of the mountains late in the day can congeal into clusters of rain and thunderstorms as they track eastward through the Plains during the overnight hours," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.

Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Areas of the Intermountain West, from Montana and Idaho to Colorado, will be the region to see the most consistent storm activity. While some storms may end up being "run of the mill" for this time of year, there will be enough moisture and energy to work across the region with to produce more disruptive thunderstorms.

Rain may prove beneficial for drought-stricken locations

Midday and afternoon showers and thunderstorms that ignite over the upcoming days will be capable of producing pockets of intense rainfall that can result in flash flooding. Sensitive spots, such as burn scar locations and areas featuring steep terrain, can be the most susceptible to washouts and rockslides when combined with notable rainfall rates in storms.

There are still many locations from Montana to Oklahoma that are facing levels of moderate to severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Any additional rainfall may prove beneficial for the dry soils in this sector of the country, although it may come at the risk of other unfavorable impacts.

"The multiple rounds of rain and thunderstorms that are expected will also help to alleviate drought concerns, especially across portions of eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota, western Nebraska and Kansas where moderate to severe drought is currently in place," reiterated Buckingham.

Risk for disruptive, severe thunderstorms

Through Sunday, a corridor from eastern Wyoming, northeast Colorado, western Kansas into portions of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles will face some risk for severe thunderstorms as energy pulses out into the Plains.

Buckingham pointed out that the thunderstorm activity has the potential to turn severe along the Front Range and portions of the High Plains through the weekend, with hail, flash flooding, damaging wind gusts and even a tornado or two being the main concerns.

Through Saturday evening, gusty thunderstorms packing hail and heavy downpours are projected to pulse out of the Rockies into northern and eastern Wyoming, north-central and eastern Colorado into the Plains. Cities such as Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Denver will be at risk for flash flooding and localized damaging wind gusts of 60-70 mph within storms.

Some storms have already developed from far northeast New Mexico into eastern Oklahoma early Saturday morning and produced rainfall totals upwards of an inch during a 3-hour time period. Flash flood warnings were issued around dawn on Saturday, noting the threat of flooding along small creeks and streams, streets and highways through mid-morning.

Outdoor activities during the afternoon and early evening hours can be disrupted as storms ramp up across the region this weekend.

On Sunday, the severe threat will redevelop a bit farther east into the Plains, AccuWeather forecasters say. Similar hazards of flash flooding, hail and damaging wind gusts can impact locations from eastern Wyoming to Kansas between Sunday afternoon and evening.

Conditions along the Front Range can trend slightly cooler by Monday before a gradual warming trend occurs into midweek. Locations like Cheyenne, Wyoming, Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado are projected to have high temperatures dip between 6-10 degrees Fahrenheit compared to Sunday values.

"A wide array of temperature ranges are expected between the Front Range and Plains over the upcoming week, with places like Denver expected to see temperatures in the 80s and 90s F. Farther east in North Platte, Nebraska, temperatures in the 70s will be more common," stated Buckingham.

During the latter half of the week, areas of the Intermountain West and Plains may observe more of a topsy-turvy temperature trend with highs lowering a few degrees into late week and rebounding by the next weekend.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.