Tropical storm force wind gusts hit many parts of Colorado as wildfire danger threatens the state
Friday ushered tropical force winds across southeast Colorado as firefighters extinguished small fires throughout the eastern part of the state including grass fires in Colorado Springs, La Junta, Otis and Prowers County northeast of Lamar.
The fire in Prowers County started in dry grasses but wasn’t threatening any buildings as of Friday afternoon. Wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour hampered crews from four agencies that were called to the scene.
The National Weather Service in Pueblo recorded gusts up to 68 mph in Trinidad and blowing winds around 67 mph at the Colorado Springs Airport.
Hurricane force winds start at a sustained speed of 74 mph. Winds were gusting up to 50 mph along Colorado’s northeast plains, including 55 mph at Akron, normally the state’s windiest spot.
“They’re getting up there,” said Evan Direnzo, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder.
Because of the high winds, warm temperatures and single-digit humidity levels, Friday was the most dangerous day of the year for wildfires, climate scientists said.
“The grass hasn’t greened up yet, humidity levels are in the single digits and wind gusts of up to 60 (mph) in areas under 8,000 feet along the Front Range and in the Eastern Plains. Things are looking pretty slim,” said Chad Gimmestad, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Boulder.
Miami-Yoder schools closed in Rush, Colorado, south of Denver. And in Weston near the New Mexico state line, high winds forced the principal to cancel the fourth and fifth grade field trip to Bent’s Fort in Las Animas.
“Those school buses are high! We were concerned that the kids would get there and would not be able to get back due to high wind warnings on the highway,” said Primero School District secretary Tina East.
Though it may not feel like it, forecasters say winds are not getting worse. “April is the windiest month, but we have no evidence that what we are feeling this year is a trend,” said Assistant State Climatologist Becky Bolinger.
She added that the windiest April on record was 2014. Colorado State University’s Colorado Climate Center started keeping records on wind speeds in 1992.
Winds at Denver International Airport were not causing any delays or cancellations. “It’s less the speed and more the direction,” said airport spokeswoman Stephanie Figueroa. “The winds today are coming from the south, so we’re able to use four runways.”
