Today’s Forecast:
We don't get many "extreme" fire danger days, but today is one of them.
All of Colorado east of the Continental Divide is looking at extreme fire danger due to dangerous wind gusts combined with hot and dry air.
If a fire were to break out today, it could become uncontrollable due to wind gusts over 50 mph and temperatures in the 80s and 90s across the eastern plains. Firefighters would struggle to keep pace with the fire, and aircraft would not be able to dump water or containment slurry on the fire.
Very hot air is expected with strong winds and relative humidity as low as 5 percent. These conditions will factor into widespread Red Flag Warnings that will remain in effect until 9 pm tonight.
Dangerous wind gusts are expected today from the mountains and valleys to the eastern border of Colorado and Kansas. Sustained winds will blow from 20 to 40 mph today but gusts could be as high as 70 mph. Semi-truck drivers could very well be stopped along I-25 if gusts get over 50 mph.
Colorado Springs forecast: High: 84; Low: 45. Record heat is likely in Colorado Springs with the current record at 83 degrees set back in 1989. Wind gusts today are expected to be in the 40 to 60 mph range with relative humidity falling below 10 percent.
Pueblo forecast: High: 91; Low: 44. Record heat is likely in Pueblo with the current record at 88 set back in 1965. Wind gusts today are expected to be in the 40 to 60 mph range with relative humidity falling below 7 percent.
Canon City forecast: High: 86; Low: 42. Very hot with extreme fire danger through the afternoon and evening. Wind gusts today are expected to be in the 40 to 60 mph range with relative humidity falling below 10 percent.
Woodland Park forecast: High: 72; Low: 31. Very warm and windy with extreme fire danger through the afternoon and evening. Wind gusts today are expected to be in the 40 to 70 mph range with relative humidity falling below 10 percent.
Tri-Lakes forecast: High: 70s; Low: 30s. Very warm and windy with extreme fire danger through the afternoon and evening. Wind gusts today are expected to be in the 40 to 60 mph range with relative humidity falling below 10 percent.
Plains forecast: High: 90s; Low: 40s. Very hot and windy with extreme fire danger and blowing dust through the afternoon and evening. Blowing dust could reduce visibility to nearly zero miles through the afternoon as wind gusts range from 40 to 60 mph.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: High: 80s; Low: 40s. Hot, dry, and windy with extreme fire danger through the afternoon and evening. Wind gusts today are expected to be in the 50 to 70 mph range with relative humidity falling below 10 percent.
Mountains forecast: High: 60s; Low: 30s. Fire danger is high in the mountains for all areas not covered by snow or recent melting. Winds will be dangerously strong with gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range from mid-morning through the evening. We'll be very warm in the mountains today with a mix of rain and snow moving across west and northern Colorado this afternoon and tonight.
Extended outlook forecast:
A cool front overnight will keep it windy to breezy through Saturday but with temperatures, nearly 20 degrees cooler compared to today. We'll see more rain and snow showers over the mountains through the weekend with just a small chance for showers along I-25 on Sunday.
Next week looks windy and dry, but not as windy as the last few weeks.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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