Denver Weather: More Wind Means More Critical Fire Danger

DENVER (CBS4) - Dry and windy conditions will keep fire danger high on Monday. Gusts could reach up to 60 mph in some areas.

Wind gusts topped 80 mph in some areas on Sunday. A weather station near the small farm and ranch community of Buckeye (15 miles north of Fort Collins) clocked a wind gust of 82 mph Sunday afternoon. Rocky Flats between Arvada and Boulder was almost as windy.

The wind should not be as strong on Monday but some areas in the foothills of Jefferson, Boulder, and Larimer Counties could experience gusts up to 60 mph. Elsewhere gusts should generally stay below 40 mph in the Denver metro area but could be stronger for areas north of Fort Collins and Greeley.

The wind combined with very dry soil, extremely low humidity, and the mild temperatures means if a fire were to start, it could spread quickly. Existing fires like Cameron Peak and Mullen are also likely to stay active.

Therefore a Red Flag Warning has been issued from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Monday for Denver and almost the entire I-25 corridor in Colorado. Most of the Eastern Plains and some mountain areas are also included.

Temperatures will stay about 5-10 degrees above normal for the second week in October.

Even warmer weather with more wind will develop for Tuesday and Wednesday. Then cooler weather returns on Thursday as the state remains completely dry.