Thursday, November 5, 2026
Thursday begins cold and cloudy in Red River, with a temperature of 28 degrees this morning, but the clouds soon give way to sunshine. The high should reach 46 degrees under light northwest winds, with no weather alerts in effect and no precipitation expected. Sunset comes early at 5:00 PM, and tonight turns mostly cloudy with a low near 25 degrees, so anyone in town today gets a bright, dry late-autumn day that starts and ends well below freezing.
On the mountain, Red River Ski and Summer Area is still in its quiet preseason stretch, and the lifts are not yet turning for skiing. The projected opening day is Wednesday, November 25, twenty days from today, and winter tubing is scheduled to begin the day before, on November 24. Snow-tracking reports still show no base depth and no new snow in the past day, so for now the story is preparation rather than powder. Season pass holders can plan ahead: the ski area says Red Passes will be available for pickup at Guest Services beginning November 18, and a new magic carpet in the beginner and teaching area is among this season's additions.
The weather picture changes quickly once you leave the valley. This morning's shared radar composite is clear over northern New Mexico and the Enchanted Circle, but storms are showing in northwestern Oklahoma, west of Enid and northwest of Oklahoma City, along the US-64 and US-412 drive-in route. Heavy rain covers southwest Kansas through Garden City, Dodge City, and Liberal on US-54, US-400, and US-56, and more heavy rain sits across central Kansas west of Wichita, around Great Bend, Hutchinson, and Medicine Lodge. Precipitation also stretches along the Colorado Front Range on I-25, through Fort Collins, Greeley, Denver, and Fort Morgan. Travelers starting from those corridors should expect wet roads at the far end of the trip, and everyone should check NMRoads and COtrip before setting out.
For a day outdoors in Red River itself, the middle of the day is the comfortable window. The sunshine comes with a moderate ultraviolet index despite the cold, so layers, a warm hat, and sun protection all earn their place. Because darkness falls at 5:00 PM, hikers and anglers should plan to be back well before sunset, and shaded high-country ground can stay cold long after the valley floor warms up.
The dry pattern holds through the weekend and beyond. Friday is cloudy with a high of 45 and a low of 26, Saturday turns sunny at 49 degrees, Sunday reaches 53 under sunshine, and Monday warms to 57, with no precipitation in the forecast through Veterans Day. It is fine weather for getting the town ready for winter, even if skiers will keep watching the horizon for the next storm cycle as opening day approaches.