2 weeks Ago
The last blast of summer has arrived — busy roads and airports along with hot-air balloons filling Memorial Park in Colorado Springs. Here's what you need to know about weather and traffic heading into the unofficial end of summer. According to Kyle Mozley with the National Weather Service in Pueblo, pleasant conditions will blanket the weekend with clear skies and temperatures in the low 80s anticipated.
"(Saturday) into Monday we're looking at temps in the low 80s through the weekend and overnight lows into the 50s — so, not too bad," Mozley said. "Precipitation chances are low. I'm not looking at anything into Monday concerning showers and thunderstorms.
" Mozley said a breeze may pick up in the afternoon hours over the weekend, but conditions are forecast to remain relatively gust-free. "Morning winds will roll through the area at 10 mph or less. We could see some 15 to 18 mph wind gusts in the afternoon, but not anything too worrisome," Mozley said.
Weather conditions need to be just right for the balloons to take flight: Wind speeds must be below 8 mph on the surface, with zero rain or thunder, according to officials in previous Gazette reporting. There also must be enough visibility to see 5 miles. While holiday traffic is inevitable, Amber Shipley with the Colorado Department of Transportation said some precautionary measures have been put in place to reduce the stress of motorists braving the roadways this weekend.
"We (CDOT) stall all of our (road) projects for Labor Day Weekend, so drivers won't have to contend with any closures," Shipley said. "Follow the speed limit and allow for enough space. There will be a lot of campers' boats and people who aren't from the area, so practice patience on the road, and please have a sober driver, that's the No.
1 thing. We always end up with a lot of DUI-related crashes." Skyler McKinley with AAA Colorado said gas prices have reached an average of $3.
42 a gallon statewide. "In Colorado, on Labor Day we're hitting the highest prices this summer," McKinley said, adding that prices will likely max out in the high mountain communities and along the Interstate 70 corridor, and be lower in metro areas like Colorado Springs and Denver. The Labor Day weekend prices are the lowest since 2021, according to media reports.
The lowest gas price Friday in Colorado Springs listed by GasBuddy was $2.97 per gallon at the Valero at 8105 N. Academy Blvd.
Dana Schield, spokeswoman with the Colorado Springs Airport, said Friday and Monday were projected to be the most busy. "We have more available seats in the market compared to 2023, so we expect higher levels of traffic," Schield said. "We advise travelers to arrive at least an hour and a half before their scheduled flight departure.
" Click or tap here for information on the Labor Day Lift-off. Click or tap here for live traffic updates. Click or tap here for flight information at the Colorado Springs Airport.
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