People looking to take a trip to the mountains should watch out for flooding from heavy rain this weekend.

The Eastern San Juan Mountains and Upper Rio Grande Valley area is under an “enhanced threat” of flash flooding starting Friday into Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Rainfall will amount to about two to three inches.

Periods of heavy rain will hit while most of western Colorado is still under moderate to extreme drought.

Weather Service Meteorologist Eric Petersen said the rain could improve the dry conditions some, but the area has been under a drought for far too long for just one rain system to completely heal it.

But, with soil being so dry, Petersen said it’s also possible that the rain doesn’t soak it up. This is especially true in areas where there’s been wildfires, which have ravaged western Colorado over the summer.

This is why the region is under a flood watch, which means conditions are “favorable” for flooding in the next 36 hours.

“The one benefit of this (rain system) is the fact that rain will be more steady,” Petersen said. “It will be more of an on and off, light-to-moderate rain for multiple days.”

Instead of a heavy deluge of rain all at once, Petersen said intermittent periods of rain will make it easier for the soil to soak it up, but a chance for flash flooding is still possible.

Nearly 300 Colorodans have been killed by flash flooding since 1900, according to the Weather Service.

Weather in Colorado Springs to be drier

Locally, any rain that moves east toward the Interstate 25 corridor will quickly dissipate, according to Gazette news partner KOAA.

“The best chance for showers will be late this afternoon and evening, and should favor areas near the Pikes Peak region, especially west of I-25,” said KOAA Meteorologist Alan Rose.

Due to the sub-tropical moisture, Friday’s forecast will be cooler and mostly cloudy, with highs dropping as much as 5-10 degrees. Saturday’s temperatures will be similar, with middle 70s in Colorado Springs.

Rose said clouds will remain “fairly thick” throughout Saturday, and rain from the mountains will hit the Plains in the afternoon.

For Sunday, sunshine will return, warming up Colorado Springs into the upper 70s before a cold front swoops in at night to drop temperatures into the upper 30s.