Friday, March 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2020, Colorado established Frances Xavier Cabrini Day as a state holiday. Cabrini, a humanitarian who helped establish a convent, school, and orphanage in Denver, was the first American citizen to be canonized as a saint.

Today is the first day of spring, otherwise known as the vernal equinox—but with rare March heat pushing highs near 90 degrees, it may feel more like summer. Here's a rundown of this weekend's weather outlook.

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Cities Brace for Drought Year

Denver Water is set to impose additional water restrictions, including a two-day weekly outdoor watering limit, beginning March 25. The utility last implemented limits beyond the standard summer rules in 2013.

Aurora City Council is considering Stage 1 drought restrictions, which Thornton put in place last week. In Elizabeth, users must follow a watering schedule from March 1 through Sept. 30.

Colorado Springs Utilities, though its supply isn't low enough to trigger restrictions, is proactively encouraging "water-wise" practices to prepare for drought.

This winter's snowpack is among the lowest on record, making spring and summer reservoir shortfalls likely. Earlier this week, Colorado moved into Phase 2 of its drought response plan.

Fires Burn through Southern Colorado

Three wildfires were burning across Custer and Fremont counties as of Thursday, including one that triggered mandatory evacuations outside Westcliffe.

The Buttermilk Fire was 95% contained at 65 acres Thursday morning, with 15 homes under evacuation orders. Officials say the cause was an aspen tree falling on a power line.

A roughly 15-acre fire in Fremont County began off Highway 115 before spreading to Fort Carson territory. A third fire, also in the Fort Carson area, grew to 1,600 acres and was 80% contained.

Worse fire danger is expected Saturday, with humidity below 10%, wind gusts topping 30 mph, and highs nearing 90 degrees.

Denver Cancels César Chávez March

The Denver group planning an April 11 march and celebration of César Chávez has canceled the event in light of a New York Times investigation alleging the iconic labor rights activist abused women and underage girls.

Chávez was known for his campaigns to win higher wages for farm laborers, including in Colorado. Dolores Huerta, a prominent fellow activist and union co-founder, is among the women who accused him of sexual abuse.

Mayor Mike Johnston said Thursday that César Chávez Day, a March 31 city holiday, will be renamed Si Se Puede Day, a phrase that translates to "yes we can" and was adopted by the labor movement he helped lead. The city will also rename César Chávez Park, from which it has already removed a memorial bust and plaque.

Events and holidays honoring Chávez in several other states have been renamed, postponed, or canceled.

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➤ Statewide: Lawmakers rejected House Bill 1275, which would have required police to intervene when federal immigration agents use excessive force, among other provisions. (More)

➤ Denver: Two people were hospitalized following an explosion inside a Shell gas station Thursday afternoon. The cause is under investigation. (More)

➤ Statewide: A policy group formed by Gov. Jared Polis released recommended revisions to a first-in-the-nation law regulating artificial intelligence, aiming to resolve disputes that have delayed its implementation. (More)

➤ Evergreen: The House Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 along party lines to advance House Bill 26-1255, a social media warrant compliance bill that sponsors say could have prevented the Sept. 10 school shooting. (More)

➤ Front Range: Experts warn that rattlesnakes have begun to emerge early due to the unseasonably warm March weather. (More)

➤ Littleton: Police are investigating the vandalism of a park memorial honoring 19 service members, including one Coloradan, killed in a 2005 Afghanistan mission. (See Details)

➤ Elbert: The town was under a water boil advisory Wednesday after a cut to a major water line caused a temporary service disruption, with the advisory continuing into Thursday pending testing. (More)

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➤ No. 12 Colorado State faces No. 5 Michigan State today in the first round of the NCAA women's tournament. (How to Watch)

➤ CSU men's basketball lost to St. Joseph's 69-64 in the first round of the NIT, ending their season. (More)

➤ Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said it's "electric" to be reunited with former Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle, who was just traded to Denver. "We always talked about it and manifested playing on the same team together, and it all came to fruition." (More)

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➤ Crusoe Energy Systems, a Denver-based artificial intelligence infrastructure company, announced plans to open a Brighton factory that will produce transportable, modular data centers. (See Details)

➤ A House committee rejected two different bills that sought to raise taxes or fees on beer, wine, and spirits to fund mental health, substance abuse treatment, and a proposed mental health hospital. (See Details)

➤ Colorado filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy, seeking to overturn emergency orders to keep the Craig Unit 1 coal power plant open past its planned Dec. 31 closing date. (See Details)

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➤ The TBM Avenger, a World War II-era bomber, will take flight from Grand Junction Regional Airport Saturday. The public can ride in the plane as part of a fundraiser supporting the Military Aviation Heritage Museum and aviation education programs. (See Details)

➤ Bluebird Market, a food hall in Silverthorne, is one of 20 nominees for USA Today's reader-voted list of the 10 best food halls. (See List)

➤ Elijah Wood, known for portraying Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, will DJ a Lord of the Rings-themed rave in Denver following his May 31 Fan Expo appearance. (See Details)

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