Record Highs Fall Saturday, Dangerous Fire Weather Expected Sunday

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - A warm flow of westerly wind pushed temperatures to record levels across Colorado on Saturday.

New record highs were set in several cities including Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Alamosa.

The abnormally warm weather will combine with increasing wind and extremely dry conditions on Sunday to push fire danger to high levels for a large portion of the state.

Denver and the northeast plains are under a Fire Weather Watch for Sunday while the the southeast plains, the foothills and several mountain communities are already under a Red Flag Warning for Sunday afternoon.

Winds associated with a strong jet stream could reach hurricane force late Sunday and into Monday over some of the higher elevations in Colorado. This will combine with extremely dry conditions and the abnormally warm weather.

Wildfires will have the potential to spread quickly on Sunday due to the dangerous combination of fire weather conditions in the forecast.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.