Spring fire risk rises

Colorado’s spring weather is swinging from near-freezing mornings to summer-like afternoons, and forecasters say the same pattern is raising wildfire danger across the plains. (weather.gov 1) (weather.gov 2) The National Weather Service office in Boulder said highs across the plains were expected to push into the 80s on Wednesday, April 22, with southwest wind gusts around 45 miles per hour and humidity in the single digits. The agency warned that those conditions could produce “critical fire weather” from the Front Range foothills into most of eastern Colorado. (weather.gov 1) (weather.gov 2) A Red Flag Warning issued at 12:22 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on April 22 covered fire weather zones from the Interstate 25 corridor to the northeast plains through 8:30 p.m. The warning cited strong winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels, the combination that lets grass fires spread fast. (weather.gov 1) (weather.gov 2) Colorado’s temperature swings are normal for April, but they are large enough to catch people off guard. Denver’s 1991-2020 climate normals rise from lows near 30 degrees at the start of April to highs in the mid-60s by month’s end, and daily records show much wider extremes are possible. (weather.gov) (weather.gov) That mix of warm afternoons, very dry air and strong wind is what turns an ordinary spring day into a fire-weather day. The National Weather Service and Colorado fire agencies use public maps and warnings to track those periods because a small spark can move quickly through cured grass on the plains. (weather.gov) (dfpc.colorado.gov) The risk is not limited to one county. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s wildfire resource pages and restriction map are updated for active fires, county bans and local restrictions, while the Colorado State Forest Service directs residents and visitors to those same sources for current conditions. (dfpc.colorado.gov) (dfpc.colorado.gov) (csfs.colostate.edu) Southern Colorado has faced similar warnings this week. A Pueblo forecast discussion issued April 19 said much of southern Colorado could see wind gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour with humidity below 10 percent on Wednesday and Thursday. (weather.gov) (weather.gov) For hikers and campers, that means checking local alerts before leaving, watching for county or federal fire restrictions, and packing for both a cold start and a hot, windy afternoon. Colorado’s spring can deliver all three in the same day. (dfpc.colorado.gov) (weather.gov)