It is a tale of two states this third week of June with worsening fire danger in Summit County and the Western Slope, and rain mixed with hail from the foothills onto the eastern plains.
Summit County fire danger jumped to high today, less than a week after it went to moderate. There are still no fire restrictions or burn bans in Summit and local forests.
“The extended forecast is showing rain and increased humidity for next week so this dry spell may only last a week,” division chief Matthew Benedict with Red, White and Blue Fire writes in a statement.
Fire danger was already high for portions of Eagle and Mesa counties. Benedict expects most of the Western Slope to join us soon.
Scattered Red Flag warnings for dry, gusty winds will follow us into the weekend, when temperatures will break 80 degrees in Summit and 90 degrees further west.
“A ‘Red Flag’ wildfire warning is typically issued based on specific weather criteria that increase the risk of wildfires, including factors like low humidity, strong winds, and dry conditions,” Steve Lipsher with Summit Fire & EMS writes. “When these conditions align, it means fires can start easily, spread rapidly and be difficult to control. Red Flag warnings are generally based on temporary, day-to-day conditions and are issued based on the forecast.”
Drive east into Denver and it’s a whole new world. Scattered rain and hailstorms battered the foothills today. Forecasters warn of even more hail and gusts up to 80 miles per hour on the eastern plains this evening.