Finger pushing
weather icon 69°F


Near-record temperatures in Denver on Friday as dangerous fire weather conditions persist

Warm temperatures, dry conditions and high winds are expected again Friday and Saturday in Denver and across eastern Colorado, bringing heightened wildfire concerns.

The National Weather Service in Boulder has issued a Red Flag Warning for Denver, the Interstate 25 corridor and the northeast Colorado plains on Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Gusty winds of 60-80 mph are possible in wind-prone areas, the weather service said.

Forecasters said to avoid any activities that could cause a spark because rapid wildfire spread is possible in these areas.

The temperature in Denver on Friday is expected to hit 71 degrees at Denver International Airport, which is 16 degrees warmer than the average for March 13 in Denver, according to the weather service’s archive data.

If the temperature pushes a few degrees higher, Denver could set a record. The hottest temperature ever recorded on March 13 in Denver is 74 degrees, last reached in 2012.

Winds are expected to gust up to 31 mph in Denver on Friday, meteorologists said.

The winds could impact air travel again on Friday. Denver International Airport had 62 delays and 7 flight cancellations as of 7:50 a.m., according to Flight Aware, a flight monitoring app.

A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Saturday across the I-25 corridor and Colorado’s northeast plains from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Xcel Energy said it is considering shutting off power preemptively in parts of Boulder and Jefferson counties on Saturday as a safety precaution.

Temperatures in Denver on Saturday are expected to hit 74 degrees with winds gusting up to 37 mph, meteorologists said. That would be about 4 degrees shy of the record high for March 14.



Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests