Unseasonably warm temperatures, low humidity and high winds have triggered extreme fire danger warnings for half of Colorado including the Front Range and the Eastern Plains.
Winds could gust up to 37 mph, and temperatures are expected to soar to a high of about 79 degrees Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder.
“Caution! Critical fire danger will develop across the Front Range Foothills, Park County, and all of the plains today as near record warmth combines with gusty winds and very low humidity,” the weather service warns.
A Red Flag warning is in place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday.
State fire officials have warned that continued dry conditions in the lower elevations and plains of Colorado mean that fire danger is a concern.
“With the majority of fire starts being human-caused in combination with the drought conditions in Colorado, we are at increased risk of some of the largest, most damaging wildfires,” says Mike Morgan, director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
On Thursday, southwest breezes reaching 50 mph will only increase the fire danger. In Denver, the high temperature will be about 76 degrees.
Near record warmth today with highs pushing 80°F across the plains! The existing record for Denver is 80°F set in 1982 & previous years.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
Thursday will be one of the worst days of the season. State officials are warning that “low relative humidity, high winds, and spiking heat will bring extreme fire danger to Colorado, specifically along the Front Range and the southern portion of Colorado.”
Morgan said that Coloradans can do their part by not mowing or trimming grass on windy days, completely extinguishing fires and cigarettes and never parking vehicles over dry grass.
A storm system on Friday will damper the fire danger considerably, bringing much needed moisture the Eastern half of the state.
There’s a 30 percent chance for afternoon snow. The high temperature will be 43 degrees, the NWS says.
It will be mostly sunny on the weekend, with temperatures reaching the low 50s on Saturday and the low 60s on Sunday.
