Severe Weather Alert: Prepare for Potential Storms and High Winds
Eastern Colorado Under High Fire Danger and Red Flag Warning
As of early Saturday morning, August 16, 2025, several counties in eastern Colorado are under a Red Flag Warning, signifying high fire danger. The affected areas include El Paso, Elbert, Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties, primarily along the I-25 corridor and surrounding regions.
The Red Flag Warning is a result of the hot, dry, and windy weather conditions that have been prevalent in the region, contributing to critical fire weather conditions. These factors include low humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuels, which significantly increase the risk of wildfires.
In addition to the Red Flag Warning, record to near-record heat and increasing winds have been reported recently, leading to heat advisories in the area. However, scattered thunderstorms are forecasted for Sunday and Monday, mainly over the mountains and I-25 corridor, although these are not expected to be severe and pose only a minor hail/wind risk.
Currently, there are no specific air quality health advisories for wildfire smoke in these eastern Colorado counties. The wildfire smoke advisories primarily affect western Colorado counties. There are no active large wildfires directly in these counties at this time.
The combination of hot/dry weather and high fire danger highlights the importance of fire safety precautions in these counties today and tonight. Residents are advised to stay indoors if the smoke is thick, especially if they have heart disease or a respiratory illness.
Two rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected to sweep across the eastern half of Colorado. Meanwhile, a red flag warning is active for most of the Western Slope until 8 p.m. The smoke from the Lee and Elk fires in Rio Blanco County is expected to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups across the region on Saturday. The red flag warning includes parts of several counties, such as Rio Blanco, Moffat, Routt, Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin, Mesa, Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, San Miguel, Dolores, La Plata, and Montezuma.
It is essential to remain vigilant and follow local news and emergency updates for any changes in weather conditions or wildfire activity. Stay safe and take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your property during this period of high fire danger.
- The high fire danger in eastern Colorado underscores the significance of public health measures, as residents, particularly those with heart disease or respiratory illness, should stay indoors when smoke is thick.
- Given the ongoing high fire danger and the Red Flag Warning, the environmental impact may extend beyond wildfires, with the necessity for thorough weather-forecasting to anticipate any potential weather changes that might affect wildfire activity or air quality.
- As the weather forecasts indicate two rounds of showers and thunderstorms for eastern Colorado, it is crucial to look ahead from the immediate concern of high fire danger to the potential future threats posed by the arts sector, such as flooding or infrastructure damage, due to these weather events.
