DENVER — Starting Thursday, strong winds and very dry air will create dangerous fire weather conditions across the area.
Winds will increase through the morning and afternoon, especially near the foothills, where gusts could reach 80 to 100 mph. Other areas will still be windy, with gusts commonly between 45 and 60 mph. A High Wind Warning is in effect all day for the foothills and northern Colorado.
Because the air will remain very dry, any fire that starts could spread quickly. We also have a Red Flag Warning for high fire danger for metro Denver and the eastern half of Colorado.
Thursday night, winds will decrease somewhat and shift mostly into the mountains. A weak cold front will move into the northeast plains overnight, bringing cooler temperatures and some areas dropping below freezing. Conditions will remain mostly dry, but the wind threat will be lower compared to Thursday.
On Friday, breezy conditions will continue even though winds will not be quite as strong as Thursday. Gusts between 25 and 45 mph are likely across much of the plains and along the Interstate 25 corridor. Dry air will persist, keeping the risk for fire danger high across many lower-elevation areas.
Saturday will bring another warm and windy day, with temperatures climbing into the 70s in some places. Winds may gust between 35 and 50 mph during the afternoon, again creating critical fire weather conditions. Later Saturday evening, a cold front will move in, bringing stronger north winds and a sharp drop in temperatures.
Behind the cold front, snow is expected to develop in the mountains Saturday night and could spread into some lower elevations through early Sunday. The mountains may receive several inches of snow, while parts of the plains could see light accumulations if narrow snow bands develop. After this brief return to winter, temperatures will warm quickly starting Monday and could reach record-breaking levels by the middle of next week.
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