Red Flag Warning Issued for Washington, Lincoln, and Elbert Counties in Colorado
Weather Alerts high NOAA · · Eastern Colorado Plains
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of the eastern Colorado Plains as high winds and low humidity create critical fire weather conditions.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Denver CO has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of the eastern Colorado Plains. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically covers the following regions:
- Washington County
- North Lincoln County
- North and Northeast Elbert County (areas below 6000 feet)
- This includes Fire Weather Zones 246 and 249.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are urged to take the following precautions:
- Avoid all outdoor burning.
- Refrain from any activity that may produce a spark and potentially start a wildfire.
- Monitor local forecasts for updates, as conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread.
- Prepare for potential evacuations if a fire starts in your vicinity.
Expected Conditions
Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate as follows:
- Relative Humidity: Dropping as low as 11 percent each afternoon.
- Winds (Sunday and Monday): Southwest winds between 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
- Winds (Tuesday): West winds increasing to 30 to 45 mph, with gusts potentially reaching 65 mph.
- Temperature: Above normal temperatures combined with recent dry conditions.
Timeline
- Red Flag Warning: Effective from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM MST on Sunday, February 15.
- Fire Weather Watch (Monday): In effect from Monday morning through Monday afternoon.
- Fire Weather Watch (Tuesday): In effect from Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening, when extremely critical conditions are possible.
Source: NOAA Official Notice