Today’s Forecast:
Strong to dangerous winds and extremely low daytime humidity will create locally extreme fire conditions in southern Colorado.
The two main areas for extreme fire danger are central to western El Paso and Huerfano counties. These two counties are under a high wind warning from the morning through 12 pm today as wind gusts could reach 60 to 70 mph.
Relative Humidity values could drop to as low as 2 percent across portions of southern Colorado today. Between that dry air and broad gusts over 30 mph, if a fire were to spark, it could undergo explosive growth.
Temperatures will generally be about 10 degrees cooler today than yesterday with more widespread highs in the 70s and 80s with only a couple 90s out near the CO/KS border.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 77; Low: 42. Localized extreme fire danger is expected in El Paso County today, mainly for areas along and west of I-25 where wind gusts could be up to 60 or even 70 mph. Daytime humidity will fall to or even below 5% which will only add to the extreme fire danger.
Pueblo forecast: High: 85; Low: 42. Hot and windy today but with less wind compared to El Paso and Huerfano county. We'll see relative humidity drop below 5% today with wind gusts in the 30 to 40 mph range.
Canon City forecast: High: 80; Low: 44. Warm and windy with high fire danger pretty much all day today. Relative humidity values will drop below 5% today with wind gusts in the 40 mph range.
Woodland Park forecast: High: 65; Low: 34. Mild temperatures with really strong wind gusts and low humidity. Wind gusts will be in the 40 to 50 mph range with humidity values below 10 percent.
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: 60s; Low: 30s. Warm with high fire danger and really strong wind gusts through the daytime. Relative humidity will drop below 10% with wind gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range, especially early this morning.
Plains forecast: High: 80s; Low: 40s. Hot and windy with dangerously low humidity and strong winds blowing dust across the plains. Relative humidity could drop as low as 2% today with wind gusts in the 30 to 40 mph range.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 80s; Low: 40s. Strong to dangerous winds are possible today, especially around and near Walsenburg in Huerfano county. Gusts could hit the 60 mph range through the morning with relative humidity falling below 5 percent through the afternoon.
Mountains forecast: High: 60s; Low: 30s. Strong winds and critically low humidity today with widespread high fire danger. Wind gusts could be in the 40 to 60 mph range pretty widespread with relative humidity values well below 10 percent in several areas.
Extended outlook forecast:
The winds will finally relax into the breezy category on Friday with warm daytime conditions. We'll still see high fire danger in the southern mountains and valleys through the weekend, but fire danger won't be as widespread as it was the last few days.
We don't see any great rain or snow chances over the next 7 days other than weak and isolated thunderstorms around the start of next week.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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