Overview

• The National Weather Service in Pueblo expects dry conditions for the 7 a.m. launches on Sunday and Monday, with a slight chance of rain early Saturday and thunderstorms later in the day.
• A low cloud ceiling grounded flights during Friday’s media day, though pilots inflated balloons on the field.
• Organizers anticipate 75 to 80 balloons and roughly 200,000 attendees at Memorial Park over the holiday weekend.
• Operational thresholds call for surface winds generally below about 8 mph, no rain or thunder, and around 5 miles of visibility, with forecast winds from the south near 2 to 9 mph.
• Scheduled features include 7:00 a.m. lift-offs, evening balloon glows on Saturday and Sunday, drone shows, and dozens of vendors, with first-come parking opening at 5 a.m.