Boulder County, Colorado Foothills Weather

Forecast & Advisories

Detailed regional forecasts, weather advisories, and UV index outlook.

Radar & Lightning

GRLevel3 and local radar views alongside live lightning detection maps.

Astronomy & Aurora

Sun and Moon almanac, Northern and Southern Hemisphere aurora forecasts, and a photo gallery.

The weather station sits at an elevation where the air cools perceptibly as you climb from the Boulder valley into the foothills. Here the temperature often runs several degrees lower than on the plains below, and the wind funnels through the canyons in gusts that can arrive with little warning. Humidity levels shift as afternoon clouds build against the Front Range, and the barometer tells the story of approaching fronts long before the sky darkens. It is a location where small microclimates overlap, and the instruments capture those subtle transitions hour by hour.

A Davis console serves as the heart of the station, recording temperature, dew point, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, and rainfall with steady consistency. The data updates at regular intervals and feeds directly to the website, giving a near-real-time portrait of conditions at the site. Whether the barometer is rising slowly ahead of a high-pressure system or dropping more sharply before an evening thunderstorm, the numbers provide a reliable baseline for anyone planning to head outdoors in the northern Colorado foothills.

Three webcams point east, south, and north, offering distinct views of the foothills landscape. The east camera catches the sweep of morning light across the plains and the distant horizon, while the south and north cameras frame the ridges and drainages that define this stretch of the Front Range. Each view updates regularly, and daily time-lapse videos let you watch the arc of a full day compressed into a brief sequence — clouds building, snow showers passing, or the slow retreat of afternoon shadows.

Regional radar imagery is displayed through GRLevel3 and other local radar sources, providing a clear picture of precipitation moving across Boulder County and the surrounding area. The radar views help distinguish between light rain drifting over the foothills, heavier cells embedded in an advancing cold front, or snow bands settling in for the evening. Lightning maps complement the radar data, plotting strike locations so you can track the electrical heart of a summer thunderstorm as it rolls off the mountains.

Forecast and advisory information is drawn from National Weather Service products and updated as conditions evolve. Winter storm warnings, high wind advisories, and flash flood watches appear alongside the detailed regional outlook, giving context to the raw station data. The UV index forecast is particularly useful at this altitude, where the thinner atmosphere allows stronger solar radiation than many visitors expect. Checking the advisory panel before heading out has become routine for local hikers and cyclists.

Aurora forecasts add an unexpected dimension to a foothills weather site, but the geomagnetic data has practical value for night-sky watchers in the area. When solar activity pushes the auroral oval southward, the darker skies away from Boulder's city lights can offer a viewing opportunity. The site tracks the relevant indices and provides enough context to judge whether stepping outside after midnight might reward you with a faint glow along the northern horizon.

The almanac and trends section compiles yesterday's high and low temperatures, monthly rainfall totals, and broader patterns that emerge over weeks and seasons. Comparing current conditions to historical norms reveals whether a warm spell in January is truly unusual or just a routine midwinter thaw. Barometric trends plotted over hours help anticipate short-term changes, while the monthly summary gives a longer view of how the season is unfolding at this particular spot in the foothills.

Nearby METAR reports from regional airports supplement the station's own data, offering a broader picture of conditions across the Front Range. When the foothills station shows calm winds but Boulder Municipal Airport reports a stiff drainage breeze, the contrast tells its own story about terrain and airflow. Links to external resources including NCAR, the local National Weather Service office, and community weather forums connect visitors to the wider network of observers and researchers who track Colorado's famously variable weather.

Wild animal activity around the station adds an informal naturalist's layer to the weather record. Bears, deer, and the occasional mountain lion pass through the property, and the webcams sometimes catch more than just cloud formations. A rainbow arcing over the deck after a summer downpour or fresh snow tracing the contours of the carriage hills reminds visitors that this is a lived-in landscape, not just a set of instruments. Weather here is part of a larger pattern of seasons, wildlife, and light.

NOAA Reports & METAR

NOAA climatereports and nearby METAR aviation observations for the region.