Dangerous fire weather conditions are expected to be present in parts of northwest Colorado on Tuesday as strong gusty winds combine with relative humidities dropping into the lower and mid teens.

Temperatures will be hot Tuesday, ranging from the mid 80s to the upper 90s and low 100s, with afternoon relative humidities dropping between 10 and 15 percent.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), relative humidity indicates how much water vapor is in the air versus how much it can actually hold. 

Temperatures are forecasted to hit 102 degrees on Tuesday in Lamar, a small rural town in the southeast corner of the state. Meanwhile, on the Front Range, temperatures could reach 101 degrees in Pueblo, 94 degrees in Colorado Springs, and 93 degrees in Denver.

A red flag warning was issued on Tuesday by the NWS, covering fire weather zones 200 Little Snake and 202 White River Forecast Areas. The warning is in effect from noon until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

“Conditions will become favorable for easy ignition and rapid spread of fires,” the weather service warns.

Northwest areas of the state continue to dry out, where conditions range from extreme to exceptional drought, amid the high fire danger.

Critical fire weather conditions are likely to push into Wednesday with winds gusting up to 25 miles per hour and low humidities lingering over high mountain valleys. Showers and thunderstorms will also be possible, mainly over the high country.

Warmer and drier weather will continue again on Friday, with chances of thunderstorms rolling back into the mountains on Saturday.

For September, the latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) calls for the likelihood of warmer than normal temperatures across northwest Colorado with below normal precipitation. This could impact the timing and intensity of fall colors. 

Residents, travelers, and outdoor recreationists are encouraged to check the weather forecast at weather.gov and use extreme caution. 

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