Red Flag Risk: High Winds, Dry Air Threaten Western Colorado

Summer is settling into western Colorado with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

The forecast this week is pretty straightforward: hotter, drier, windier, and increasingly dangerous for fire conditions.

And if you thought the wind has been annoying lately, Wednesday may have a surprise for you.

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Colorado's Fire Danger Keeps Growing

Critical fire weather conditions are expected to expand each day through Wednesday as stronger winds move into the region.

Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches are already posted for portions of western Colorado and eastern Utah, and additional alerts may be needed as conditions worsen.

The problem is the same combination we've seen far too often lately: low humidity, dry vegetation, and gusty winds.

That's a recipe firefighters never like to see.

Wednesday's Wind Could Get Rowdy

Afternoon wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph will be common through the first half of the week.

But Wednesday stands out.

Forecasts are showing gusts between 35 and 45 mph, making it the windiest day of the stretch. If those numbers hold, fire weather conditions could become widespread across much of the region.

Any fire that starts will have the potential to spread quickly.

Western Colorado's Triple-Digit Heat Returns

As if the wind wasn't enough, temperatures are also climbing.

Most locations will be running 10 to 15 degrees above normal by midweek. That puts many lower-elevation communities firmly into summer territory.

Some of the desert valleys, including parts of the Grand Valley, could even flirt with 100 degrees from Wednesday through the end of the week.

It's going to feel pretty toasty for mid-June.

What the Rest of the Week Has in Store

The heat sticks around through the workweek, though the strongest winds should gradually shift east after Thursday.

There are some signs that temperatures ease back a bit next weekend, along with a possible return of mountain showers and thunderstorms.

Until then, expect plenty of sunshine, plenty of wind, and plenty of reminders that wildfire season has officially arrived.

Colorado Wildfire Damage by Year, Number of Fires + Acres Burned

Colorado has seen its fair share of wildfires over the years, but the numbers really start to tell the story when you look at them year by year.

From just a few thousand acres burned in the '90s to massive jumps in the 2000s, it’s clear something has changed.

We dug into the data to see which years were the worst and how things have shifted across the state.

Gallery Credit: Tim Gray

Mesa County Stage 1 Fire Restrictions: What You Can + Cannot Do

What exactly constitutes Stage 1 Fire Restrictions? According to the press release from the Mesa County Fire Chief's Association, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions prohibit: