Critical fire forecasts for the Southeasters Plains in Colorado

Strong winds are expected to bring many parts of Colorado a critical forest fire risk this week, in particular the southern levels that have already been shaped.

“Damage” West Winds with gusts of up to 65 miles per hour on Tuesday in the entire Corridor for the southern Interstate 25 and on the eastern levels are predicted, according to the National Weather Service office in Pueblo.

The Storm Prediction Center declared a critical fire risk for large parts of the state on Monday and Tuesday, including Denver, Colorado Springs and the Eastern Plains.

But what may be just as worrying as the strong wind is the forecast cold front, which brings a sudden shift in the direction, blow in the winds, and more demanding conditions when fire sparks, said Joyn Ehr, a meteorologist of the Pueblo office of the national weather service.

“Every time we deal with an active fire situation, every wind shift applies to firefighters,” said Ehr on Monday. “You don't want to be on the wrong side of things when this wind shift gets through.”

The National Weather Service published red flag warnings for Monday and Tuesday.

“Extreme fire risk is expected. Fires will spread uncontrollably and be very destructive, ”the forecastists wrote on Monday in a warning message from the red flags.

The warning came into force on Monday morning and extends to the southern I-25 corridor, the San Luis Valley and the Eastern Plains until Tuesday evening. According to the NWS office in Boulder, on Monday for the front area and the Nord-I-25 corridor with forecast wind gusts between 25 and 50 miles per hour and 8% of the relative air humidity level was also published with a red flag warning with forecast wind gusts between 25 and 50 miles per hour and 8% to 13%.

The relative humidity is expected to fall on Monday along the southern I-25 corridor and the east as well as in parts of foreign and plate counties in the individual digits, Ehr said.

On Tuesday it is forecast that the temperatures decrease slightly and the moisture values ​​are expected to increase. In many parts of East Colorado, however, a high winch will continue to deviate with high winds.

Prognostics predict that the relative level of air humidity floats around the low or medium -sized teenagers in some areas on Tuesday. When the relative humidity decreases, the fire behavior increases, as finer fuels such as pine needles and grass become drier and faster.

Prewers, Baca and Kiowa Counties in the southeast of Colorado are facing unusually dry and moderate drought, which also increase the forest fire risk.

The strong wind warnings for South Colorado will also come into force from Tuesday morning. At the beginning of the day there will probably be dangerous destruction on the north-south motorways before the wind changes and creates dangerous conditions on East-West motorways, Ehr said.

“We also have a really good chance to see some dust, which of course is also dangerous,” said Ehr. “We could have near zero view with bubbles.”

Last week in South Colorado, the state's health department prompted the state to be warned and asked people with breathing problems to stay inside or to carry a mask until the storm was over. Blowing dust can significantly reduce air quality.