DENVER – The warm, dry weather spell Colorado is experiencing in what’s supposed to be snowiest month of the season could be dangerous for already affected areas.
Northeast Colorado is under a Red Flag Warning until 6 p.m. Thursday, and winds are expected to reach 40 mph across the northeast plains, creating dangerous conditions for the area.
“Residents of northeast Colorado should avoid activities that could create sparks or otherwise start fires,” read a bulletin on the National Weather Service – Boulder (NWS) website.
“This dry weather is allowing the fuels to become very dry,” said NWS Boulder meteorologist Natalie Gusack.
Gusack said people should also be wary of starting fires by avoiding any activity that could create sparks.
But the dry weather won’t end any time soon and relief is nowhere near the horizon for Colorado.
“We expect the dryness to last at least through the week and we do see a slight chance of precipitation on Saturday,” said Gusack adding that wouldn’t be enough to make a big difference because not much rain is expected in the forecast.
NWS officials are also not anticipating snow on the plains “any time in the near future," according to Gusack. “We’re just not getting the weather that is normal for the area.”
Several grass fire have flared up in Colorado Thursday, including one in Logan County that forced the closure of Highway 61 between Sterling and Otis just before noon.
That fire was about 40 miles away from where a brush fire burned more than 30,000 acres and several buildings earlier in the week.
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