By Andrew Siddons, CNN
Parts of Colorado have broken records for heat this week. Saturday will likely be the hottest day so far this year in the state.
The Sunshine State will also have some rain on the way for the coming week as well. A tropical disturbance will affect the region starting Saturday night, according to CNN meteorologist Danielle Aiese.
Several inches of rain could fall as a result, posing a threat to critical wildfire ground.
A steady drizzle will fall from Saturday night through early Monday with heavy rain intensifying by early Monday night and continuing through Monday morning, Aiese said.
The heaviest rain is expected to happen in far western and northwest Colorado, as well as in the southeastern corner of the state.
Ariese said that due to Colorado’s topography, it will be “much worse in west-central Colorado and southeastern Colorado if this thing develops as a tropical system.”
Temperatures will be a little cooler on Sunday and Monday with sunshine and high humidity. Sunday’s highs should be in the low 80s, and Monday’s highs should be around 79 degrees.
The state as a whole should see mostly sunny skies for Monday, with highs around 80 degrees.
Colorado officials have issued flash flood watches on Friday for the Northern Front Range, mountains, and central and northern plains. A flood watch means a chance of heavy rainfall with a potential for flash flooding and other thunderstorms.
State and local officials have been issuing additional flood warnings and advisories as high temperatures trend higher for several weeks. The last major flood to strike Colorado occurred in May 2010, when 8 inches of rain fell in the state’s mountains. More than 5,400 people were evacuated due to flooding in the area, which caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damage.
The biggest risk from the weekend will be the high threat of flash flooding, but “streams can overflow during morning and afternoon thunderstorms,” according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.