After howling winds in the high country over the weekend, the gusts come to the Denver area today.
The metro region is expected to get winds up to 30 mph this afternoon, while gusts in the nearby foothills could top 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Wind speeds in the foothills could reach 70 mph after dark, forecasters cautioned.
Forecasters fear the parched Eastern Plains are primed for a spike in fire danger today, as low humidity and high winds raise the risk of a fast-moving wildfire, officials warned.
The latest Pacific storm to sweep across Colorado delivered winds up to 115 mph in Frisco on Saturday night, while snapping trees and temporarily knocking out power in Chaffee County and in the Estes Park area, authorities said Sunday.
Numerous mountain communities had winds in excess of 70 mph Sunday and got more than a foot of snow from the system that moved in Saturday night. A blizzard warning remained in effect for the mountains around Steamboat Springs until midnight Sunday.
The wind is expected to blow out of the state by midweek, before another Pacific storm with the potential for snow rolls in next weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Joey Bunch, The Denver Post
