Heat builds across Colorado and storm chances return

Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop late this afternoon. While rain will be light or even absent in many locations, the bigger concern is strong wind gusts. These storms may produce outflow winds up to 50 mph. High pressure will dominate our weather, pushing temperatures well above average through the end of the week. Highs across the Front Range will reach the mid-80s to low 90s today through Friday, with even hotter conditions likely this weekend. Sunday is currently projected to be the warmest and driest day, with temperatures reaching the mid-90s in some locations.
CBS
Wednesday and Thursday bring an increased chance of showers and thunderstorms, primarily over the mountains and foothills. The storms will be fueled by a modest uptick in moisture and instability, severe storms are possible across the Eastern Plains on Thursday afternoon.
CBS
Friday is shaping up to be the most active day for thunderstorms. A mix of increased instability and moisture could bring a risk for a few strong to severe storms, particularly across the northeastern plains.
CBS
The weekend will be dominated by a ridge of high pressure over the Rockies, keeping things mostly dry and hot with daytime highs in the 90s.
CBS

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Washington Post

24 minutes ago

• Washington Post

Cleanup underway after storms topple trees, power lines across D.C. region

Kevin Vigneault was dropping his 8-year-old daughter off at swim practice in their Bethesda, Maryland neighborhood Thursday afternoon when he saw the first crack of lightning. He knew practice would be canceled, so he hustled to Mohican Swim Club to collect his 13-year-old daughter and her friends before the rain intensified. 'The rain, the skies, everything started to change very quickly,' Vigneault said. In a matter of minutes, the storm had grown ferocious. He and the four young girls clambered into the car; one of his daughter's friends was the last to hop in the back seat and pulled the door shut. Seconds later, there was a flash of light, then a boom. 'As soon as she gets in the car, lightning hits the tree right next to us — just shatters it,' Vigneault said. 'Splits the tree in half.' A tree he estimated to be nearly 60 feet tall had fallen, and taken a power line along with it. Vigneault saw sparks on the ground and told the girls not to step foot outside of the car. Then, a truck across the street ignited. Caught between the fallen tree and the blazing vehicle, Vigneault pulled into a nearby driveway where he and the girls could safely exit. He said they were shaken, but safe. 'When I woke up this morning, it was the first thing I thought about,' Vigneault said Friday. 'You do the 'what if' — what if that lightning struck 10 seconds later. I was about to put the car in drive and pull up right where the tree fell.' Destructive storms blew across the D.C. region Thursday, leaving damage and power outages in their wake. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service received more than 200 calls for service from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, most reporting fallen trees and power lines, according to a social media post from spokesperson Pete Piringer. Similar incidents were reported around the region. Flights were grounded at all three D.C. area airports during the storm as winds registered up to 66 mph and both lanes of Dulles Toll Road were blocked at one point after a large tree toppled over the sidewall and struck multiple cars. Elsewhere in the region, a tree in Georgetown tore bricks from the ground as it fell on a historic home; and a building undergoing renovation at 19th and H streets in Northeast Washington collapsed under the forceful winds. Just after 8 p.m. Thursday, winds caused the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland to close briefly, then reopen with a slower speed limit in place. Authorities have not reported any serious injuries as a result of the storms. The damage continued to reverberate into Friday, as thousands in the region remained without power. As of 1 p.m. Friday, nearly 14,000 Dominion Energy customers in Northern Virginia were without power, most of them Alexandria residents. The utility expected power to return between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Friday, a Dominion Energy spokesperson said in an email. In Maryland, more than 3,000 Pepco customers and more than 6,000 BGE customers waited for their power to return. And in the District, 723 Pepco customers were still impacted Friday afternoon. Fallen trees also affected the Maryland Area Rail Commuter service, which reported that its Brunswick line was out of operation Friday morning, and the Penn and Camden lines were operating on a limited schedule.

CNET

25 minutes ago

• CNET

Top 5 Tips to Get Your Smart Thermostat to Beat the Summer Heat

The time for vacations, pools and school breaks is here. With all the excitement and freedom of the season, also come some very high temperatures. Luckily for your energy bill, if you have a smart thermostat, there are some ways you can adjust your settings for your home to give you some savings. Smart thermostats excel at this kind of response, from automated changes to easy app updates even if you aren't home. These recommendations will have you set for the heat to come. Read more: The Best Smart Thermostats for Your Home 1. Set 'at home' heating to 68 Fahrenheit Set your thermostat to 68°F or below when winter comes knocking. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Check your summer scheduling in your app settings (such as the Ecobee app or the Google Home or Apple Home app) and use your scheduling options to set the daytime temperature -- when everyone will be home -- to 76 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. That's enough to keep the house cool without overheating or wasting energy. If you like the heat and can get a reliable breeze by opening windows, you may be able to bump settings up to 80 degrees or so to save more money. But when outdoor temperatures start soaring well above 80 degrees, close the windows so they don't dilute your cool air. Important note: Some US cities have cooling regulations that indicate thermostats can't be set above a certain temperature. They usually do this to prevent landlords from risking the health of the elderly or pets in an effort to save money during the hottest days. Check your city to see if it has any of these laws in place. 2. Set 'away/asleep' heating at 82 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit Google Home makes it easy to apply weekly schedules in minutes. Tyler Lacoma/CNET When everyone is out of the house for work or school, or asleep with a healthy dose of blankets, set your temperature trigger to between 82 and 85 Fahrenheit, depending on what feels the most comfortable. Lower temperatures are typically better when you're sleeping, while the house can usually endure higher temperatures when everyone is away -- although you should also think about what keeps your pets comfortable. Of course, we know that for some, sleeping when you're too hot is impossible. That's why it's also a good idea to remove some bedding for summer and crack open a window when temperatures get lower. Try to avoid setting up indoor rotating fans or similar solutions, as they'll eat into your electricity bill. 3. Turn on your Eco/CNET Most smart thermostats have an Eco mode or a recommended mode for saving as much money as possible. Ecobee even has an Eco Plus mode that adjusts cooling based on local electricity use in peak hours to save more energy. Enable these modes and apply them to your thermostat settings to see their suggestions. Nest thermostats, for example, have a green leaf icon that shows exactly when you're starting to save to make things easier. Usually, Eco modes are the best way to save on your bills without thinking about it and they tend to be reasonable. My Google Nest Thermostat Gen 4, for example, usually sets my "hold" eco mode to 82 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day and can be adjusted from there. These modes combine well with learning modes that keep track of your manual preferences and home activity to automate savings suggestions over time. 4. Create a vacation mode Ecobee offers a dedicated vacation mode for its smart thermostat. Ecobee/CNET If your smart thermostat supports a vacation mode or alternate mode, set it up so that this alternate schedule is ready for summer trips. You may want it a little cooler in the day than your full away mode settings to help keep pets and plants comfortable, but maximize your savings by skipping any "at home" temperature bumps. If no one is at home and you're confident your house can withstand anything, close the shades and turn the cooling off entirely. Note that the Nest thermostat doesn't have a full alternate scheduling option but you can choose the "Add event" option for a similar result when creating your vacation plans. Read more: Home Security Prep If You're Taking a Trip 5. Move your satellite sensor to a common room Newer smart thermostats often come with a satellite temperature sensor that makes cooling decisions based on location. Nest Newer smart thermostats often come with a satellite temperature sensor or let you buy one as an add-on (here's a Nest version for $40). This allows the thermostat to make cooling decisions based on a different location beyond the often-central thermostat installation. That can be very useful if parts of your home stay too hot (living rooms with lots of electronics, kitchens with active ovens, etc.) while air near the thermostat cools down too quickly. However, be careful with this method because it could cost you more money in the long run (which may be a small price to pay for your comfort). To save money, you can move the sensor to the coolest room, such as a bedroom at night with the windows open. Complete your home prep by learning if a space heater can help you save money and your home checklist for leaving on vacation.

CBS News

an hour ago

• CBS News

Tips for Coloradans to stay cool in tripple-digit weather, HVAC techs work overtime to fix AC units

As temps expected to climb into triple digits, air conditioning techs are working overtime As temps expected to climb into triple digits, air conditioning techs are working overtime As temps expected to climb into triple digits, air conditioning techs are working overtime As dangerous heat grips the Denver metro area on this First Alert Weather Day, residents in Arapahoe County are being urged to take precautions to stay safe and cool. One of the best ways to beat the heat? Staying indoors with working air conditioning. But for many, that's been a challenge. HVAC repair crews across the region are working around the clock to respond to an uptick in service calls. At AAA Service Plumbing, Heating, and Electric, technicians say air conditioning units are breaking down at a steady pace as the heat wave ramps up. Among the most common reasons AC units stop working are dirty or clogged filters, outdoor units covered in dust or debris, low refrigerant levels, and electrical or mechanical component failure Experts recommend checking and replacing air filters regularly and cleaning the outside unit with a garden hose to keep systems running efficiently. For those without access to air conditioning, the City of Aurora has opened several cooling centers to the public at the Aurora Central Library, Chambers Plaza Library, Martin Luther King Jr. Library, and Hoffman Library All cooling centers will remain open until 6:00 p.m. this evening. The Aurora Day Resource Center is also open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be used as an emergency overnight shelter during extreme weather events.