Front Range Situation Report | 08.27.2025
Your Weekly Forward-Looking Intelligence Brief from The CP Journal's Watch Office
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Here are the highlights of the week ahead. Scroll down for a deeper analysis and the sources of information. Remember: this report is intended for situational awareness, and readers should validate any information before acting.
☔️Weather: The weather risk for the Front Range is moderate this week. The primary concern is the heavy rainfall/flooding threat from persistent thunderstorms. Multiple days of saturated soils combined with slow-moving storms mean a higher likelihood of flash flooding in susceptible areas. Otherwise, expect an unusually cool and wet end to the week, followed by a drier, warmer trend by Sunday into early next week.
🪧Safety & Security: The coming week sees a moderate but active security environment for the Front Range. A number of protests and large public gatherings are scheduled—notably Labor Day rallies, sporting events, and festivals—all described in the detailed report below. This week also marks the anniversary of MLK’s March on Washington.
🦟Health & Medical: The Front Range faces moderate public health risks this week. A rising summer wave of COVID-19 and an active West Nile virus season are the primary concerns, though flu and RSV remain quiet for now.
🏥Cybersecurity: In the past week, cybersecurity incidents continued to underscore a dynamic threat environment. A major state government outage in Nevada and data breaches in healthcare and insurance show that both public institutions and private sectors remain targets. The Front Range region had no new cyber incidents this week, but updates were provided in the April ransomware attack on Denver-based DaVita.
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In-Depth Analysis
Weather | Risk Level: Moderate & ↑
☔️Official 7‑Day Outlook
Here are your detailed forecasts: Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins
Cool, Unsettled Mid-Week: Monsoonal moisture will keep conditions unusually cool and unsettled through late week. Daytime highs are only expected in the mid-70s to near 80°F (about 5–10°F below normal) with mostly cloudy skies. Widespread afternoon and evening thunderstorms are likely each day, Wednesday through Saturday, especially along the foothills and I-25 corridor. Nights will be mild, with temperatures in the mid-50s°F.
Heavy Rain Threat: Many of this week’s storms will produce locally heavy rainfall. Tropical moisture has raised precipitable water values well above normal.
Late-Weekend Drying: A gradual drying and warming trend is expected by the end of the week. By Sunday and Labor Day, storm coverage should decrease to more isolated pop-up storms and skies will turn mostly sunny with highs rebounding to the upper 70s and lower 80s°F.
⛈️Watches & Warnings
The NWS has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for all of north-central and northeast Colorado, including the Front Range cities. It highlights scattered thunderstorms each afternoon this week, with a few storms possibly becoming strong. The primary threats noted are heavy rainfall capable of localized flash flooding, along with briefly strong winds or small hail in one or two storms.
☔️Looking Ahead
Early September Pattern: The 8–14 Day Outlook (valid Sept 3–9) leans toward cooler and wetter than normal conditions for Colorado. For the Front Range, this could mean the first week of September still sees almost daily chances for afternoon storms, though perhaps with less coverage than right now. Temperatures are likely to remain in the comfortable 70s to low 80s, a bit below the long-term early-September norms (which are mid-80s in Denver).
Drought Watch: Thanks to the very wet conditions of late, drought is not an immediate concern in the Front Range. The 1-month and seasonal outlooks from CPC indicate Colorado will likely continue to receive sufficient precipitation into the fall to prevent any rapid development of drough. However, if the latter half of September turns out much drier than normal, soil moisture could start decreasing – something to watch if dry weather extends into October.
🌀Anniversaries
Hurricane Katrina: This week marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Katrina made landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi on Aug 29, 2005, and remains one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Storm surge and levee failures inundated New Orleans, and coastal communities were obliterated. The hurricane was responsible for approximately 1,392 fatalities and $125 billion in damages (in 2005 USD). Emergency management practices nationwide were reshaped in Katrina’s aftermath. Many recall the chaotic evacuations and recovery efforts, underscoring the importance of having robust disaster plans.
Safety & Security | Risk Level: Moderate & →
🪧Upcoming Protests, Rallies, and Possible Threats
Nationwide Labor Day Protests: A series of anti-Trump demonstrations are planned across all 50 states on Labor Day (Monday, September 1st), organized by the “50501” movement under the banner “Workers Over Billionaires.” These coordinated rallies will protest administration policies on social programs, immigration, and economic inequality. Major unions (AFL-CIO) and activist coalitions (e.g. May Day Strong, Women’s March) are backing over 600 local protests nationwide on Monday. There are dozens of protests planned along the Front Range.
Chicano Moratorium March: Activist groups plan a large rally and march on Friday, Aug. 29, to mark 55 years since the 1970 Chicano Moratorium protests against the Vietnam War. The Denver event will begin at 6 p.m. at the State Capitol’s west steps.
🎈A Few Upcoming Events
Football Returns: The University of Colorado Buffaloes kick off their season Friday, Aug 29 (6:00 p.m.) at Folsom Field against Georgia Tech. The Air Force Academy host their opening home game Saturday, Aug 30 (1:30 p.m.) at Falcon Stadium (USAFA) against Bucknell. The Denver Broncos’ home opener is set for Sunday, Sept 7at 2:05 p.m. vs. the Tennessee Titans.
Colorado State Fair: While this event takes place outside of the region, guests from across the state will descend on Pueblo from August 22nd to September 1st.
Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off: From August 30 to September 1, the state’s largest hot air balloon festival will draw tens of thousands of spectators to Memorial Park in Colorado Springs for early morning and evening events.
9/11 Anniversary Vigilance: The 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is approaching, and while no specific threats are reported in Colorado, federal authorities typically urge heightened vigilance around this date. The latest DHS threat bulletin (in effect through Sept. 22) notes that “multiple recent terrorist attacks have been motivated by extremist ideologies” and warns that foreign conflicts (e.g., Iran or Israel-related tensions) could inspire homegrown violence.
National Safety & Security Expo (NSC Congress): Beginning on Sept. 12, thousands of law enforcement, fire/EMS, and emergency management professionals will be at the Convention Center.
🔪Significant Incidents
Park Ranger Stabbing Hoax: A reported attack on a ranger in Staunton State Park on Aug 19 prompted an hours-long park closure and manhunt, but investigators revealed it was an “elaborate hoax.” The ranger remains hospitalized and now faces felony charges for evidence tampering and attempting to influence authorities.
Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting: Denver Police shot and killed a suspect during a domestic violence incident in the early hours of Aug 22. Officers responding to a 4:03 a.m. “shots fired” call encountered a man armed with a handgun. The suspect struggled with officers and was shot once by an officer, later dying at the hospital. No officers were injured.
Officer-Involved Shooting – Suspect Wounded: On Aug 25 (~8:20 a.m.), Denver Police officers responded to reports of a man pointing a gun at westbound motorists on W. Alameda Ave. When confronted, the 39-year-old suspect aimed his handgun at officers, ignoring commands to drop it. An officer fired, striking the suspect and critically wounding him.
🪧Anniversaries
MLK’s March on Washington: August 28th marks 62 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where 250,000 people gathered in D.C. and King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. This watershed civil rights protest pressured the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
Health & Medical | Risk Level: Moderate & →
🙈Significant Incidents
There are no new public health emergencies in place, and no significant events from the past week other than the uptick in West Nile Virus cases highlighted below.
🦟Disease Outbreak Status
Respiratory Viruses: Colorado is seeing a late-summer uptick in COVID-19 cases. Wastewater data and ER visits are increasing in all Front Range counties (except El Paso), though levels remain low and below prior surges. Flu and RSV activity are minimal in the region currently, as these respiratory illnesses are in their off-season (few cases reported).
Measles: No new cases reported since last week’s Situation Report that brought the Colorado total to 21 cases in 2025.
West Nile Virus: Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is surging in Colorado. As of mid-August, the state health department has confirmed 69 human cases and 4 deaths statewide. Recently, fatal cases have occurred in Fremont County, Montrose County, and as of yesterday, Larimer County. According to CDC data, Colorado leads the country in human WNV cases this year.
😎Environmental Health
Air Quality: Recently, cooler, wetter weather brought temporary relief (no ozone alert was in effect as of Aug 26).
Allergens: Fall allergy season is ramping up. Late August marks the start of Colorado’s weed pollen season – common weeds like ragweed, sagebrush, and tumbleweed release pollen from now until the first hard frost. Residents with allergies may experience hay fever symptoms (sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes) on high-pollen days.
💉Looking Ahead
Fall Vaccination Campaign: Uncertainty continues to be present in national vaccination policy, though it appears COVID-19 and flu vaccines will be available in Colorado.
Cybersecurity | Risk Level: Moderate & →
🎰A Few Past‑Week Cyber Incidents
DaVita Data Breach Update: Dialysis provider DaVita – headquartered in Denver – confirmed that an April ransomware attack encrypted parts of its network and exposed sensitive data of about 2.7 million patients. The attacker accessed a lab database containing patients’ personal and medical information, though DaVita maintained critical treatments without interruption.
Nevada State Government Network Outage: Nevada’s state government experienced a “network security incident” that forced the closure of state offices and websites. The disruption, consistent with a ransomware attack, has prompted federal support and an investigation.
🤳🏾Current Threats
Russia’s FSB Targeting Critical Infrastructure. In statements from the FBI and Cisco, hackers linked to Russia’s FSB intelligence are exploiting a 7-year-old Cisco router software vulnerability to infiltrate U.S. critical infrastructure networks. Over the past year, the actors extracted configuration data from thousands of routers in telecom, higher education, and manufacturing sectors, often implanting backdoors for long-term access.
Salesforce CRM Targeted Social Engineering Campaigns: Security experts report a surge in voice-phishing (vishing) attacks targeting corporate CRM platforms. The ShinyHunters group has breached multiple companies – including Google, Workday, and Pandora – by impersonating IT staff and tricking employees into installing malicious apps that bypass multi-factor authentication. These attacks have exposed millions of customer records and highlight the growing threat of AI-enhanced social engineering.
Ransomware Attacks in Education: Attacks on U.S. schools, colleges, and universities jumped 23% in the first half of 2025 compared to last year, making education the fourth-most targeted sector. As kids head back to school this fall, recognize the trend and implement mitigation measures early.
☎️Looking Ahead
State & Local Cyber Grants: Deadlines for the State Internet Portal Authority’s “SIPA Cybersecurity GovGrants” program closes its current application cycle on August 29, 2025. This grant (funded through DHS/FEMA’s State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program) helps local governments in Colorado obtain managed detection and response tools and other cyber capabilities.
Mandatory Incident Reporting Rules: The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is on track to finalize regulations for the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) by October 2025. Within the next month, updates or a final rule will be issued that will require companies in designated critical sectors to report substantial cyber incidents to DHS/CISA within 72 hours. Public safety and corporate security leaders should prepare for new federal reporting obligations to take effect once the rule is issued.
Maritime Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Requirements: A new U.S. Coast Guard cybersecurity rule is rolling out in phases. As of July 16, 2025, all maritime operators regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act must report cyber incidents to the National Response Center without delay ByJanuary 12, 2026, maritime facility and vessel operators must implement cybersecurity training for all personnel with IT/OT access. By July 2027, each impacted port, vessel, and offshore facility will need to designate a cybersecurity officer and develop a Coast Guard-approved cyber defense plan.
📰Anniversaries
Syrian Electronic Army Attack on The New York Times and Twitter. On August 27, 2013, the Syrian Electronic Army launched a high-profile attack by hacking a domain registrar and altering DNS records for The New York Times and Twitter. The SEA’s spear-phishing of a reseller’s credentials allowed them to redirect the NYTimes website and Twitter’s image server, knocking them offline for hours.