Summit County is likely to be refreshed by cooler weather and more afternoon showers this week after a prolonged period of above-average heat. 

In what National Weather Service meteorologist Kenley Bonner called the “strongest cold front we’ve seen in a while,” Colorado’s High Country and eastern plains are set to experience temperature drops and greater chances of precipitation over the next several days. 

“We’ve been pretty above normal temperatures this time of year, so we’ll be trending more towards normal,” Bonner said. 

Tuesday, Aug. 6, through Thursday, Aug. 8, is showing the greatest chance of rain in Summit County, with as much as a 75% chance for precipitation on Tuesday and up to a 68% and 75% chance on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Bonner. 

Forecasts for Friday, Aug. 9 and through the weekend are less clear, but cloudy weather appears likely for those days, Bonner said. 

The uptick in precipitation could be a signal that monsoonal patterns are beginning to hit Summit County and the rest of the state after some delay, Bonner said. 

Stay connected to Summit County.

Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters at SummitDaily.com/newsletter

The monsoon is a seasonal pattern that builds as the interior U.S. heats up in June and July. Eventually, high pressure forms over the Southwest, drawing moist air from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California north toward the southwestern U.S.

The pattern brings thunderstorms and rainfall to the monsoon region, which primarily includes Arizona and New Mexico but also Utah and Colorado, and provides much of the region’s annual total precipitation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While monsoon weather usually forms in Colorado around the end of July and early August, near and long-term forecasts late last month were showing uncertainty around the timing of the monsoon’s arrival and the strength of the pattern. 

In Summit County, local officials have been closely monitoring weather updates, with the monsoon’s arrival usually seen as a point of relief for the summer fire season. As recently as last week, officials indicated they may have to consider fire restrictions if conditions don’t improve soon. 

Temperatures in Summit County are also expected to drop slightly this week after hitting highs in the mid to upper 80 degrees, Bonner said. 

In Frisco, for example, daytime temperatures could drop to 78 degrees on Thursday, 77 degrees on Friday and continue to cool into the weekend. Copper could see temperatures drop into the upper 60s by the end of the week. 

OpenSnow meteorologist Alan Smith, in an Aug. 2 blog post, wrote that “monsoonal moisture will increase across the Southwest, resulting in an uptick in thunderstorm coverage along with a better chance of heavy rain in Colorado, Arizona, and Southern Utah” mid-week. 

From Friday, Aug. 9 and into the following week, “The monsoon will continue to ramp up heading into this period, resulting in an active pattern across the Southwest and the Rockies with frequent thunderstorms along with the potential for locally heavy rain,” Smith continued. 

The Climate Prediction Center shows temperatures in central and northern Colorado leaning below normal, with precipitation leaning above normal, for the first two weeks of August. 

The month-long outlook, however, shows a 70% to 80% for above-average temperatures in much of the state for all of August. The western portion of the state has an equal chance of seeing above or below-average precipitation, while the east has a 33% to 40% chance of below-average precipitation, according to predictions.