Red Flag Warning Issued for El Paso, Pueblo, Huerfano, and Las Animas Counties Through Tuesday

Source: NOAA · Southern Colorado

This alert is no longer in effect.

NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).

Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Southern Colorado due to critical fire weather conditions, including wind gusts up to 60 mph and low humidity.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

Record type
Red Flag Warning
Affected area
Southern Colorado
Issued
April 6, 2026
Issuing authority
NWS Pueblo CO

Fire-weather notices describe conditions that can support rapid fire spread; they do not report that a fire is present. Check local emergency sources for any active incident.

Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Southern Colorado.

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and is effective for two distinct periods on Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following regions and Fire Weather Zones (226, 227, 228, 229, and 230):

  • Northern El Paso County: Including Monument and Black Forest
  • Southern El Paso County: Including Fort Carson and Colorado Springs
  • Pueblo County: Including Pueblo
  • Huerfano County: Including Walsenburg
  • Western Las Animas County: Including Trinidad and Thatcher

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas should prepare for critical fire weather conditions. A Red Flag Warning indicates that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Under these conditions, fires will catch and spread rapidly and erratically. Outdoor burning is highly discouraged.

Expected Conditions

  • Winds: For Monday, west to southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph are expected with gusts reaching 40 mph. On Tuesday, winds will increase from the southwest to 30 to 40 mph, with gusts reaching up to 60 mph.
  • Relative Humidity: Humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 10 percent.
  • Impacts: Elevated fire danger is expected across all mentioned zones.

Timeline

The alert covers two specific windows:

  • Monday, Feb. 16: From 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM MST.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 17: From 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM MST.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Southern Colorado due to critical fire weather conditions, including wind gusts up to 60 mph and low humidity.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Southern Colorado. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.