Fire danger, haze and record heat ramping up for Colorado
We have a First Alert Weather Day for the Denver metro area for Sunday afternoon Fire Danger.
Lots of weather issues coming at us for the next few days. High fire danger, smoky haze, Air Quality alerts, record breaking temperatures and a hurricane!
Sunday will be drying out and getting a little windy. Southerly winds and a great deal of sunshine will again boost temperatures up into the 90s and 100s across the eastern plains!
The added wind and heat will combine with extremely low humidity levels creating a danger for rapid fire spread. As a result, a Red Flag Warning has been issued for big areas of eastern Colorado from 2pm to 8pm on Sunday. The Denver metro area, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, Parker and Bennett out across the eastern plains are included.
As is Pueblo down to Trinidad and the San Luis Valley.
Add into all of this a little haze coming back across the eastern plains from wildfire smoke oozing in from fires burning in the Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
Haze should thin out a bit by afternoon.
Air Quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups for the Denver metro area and surrounding suburbs thru 4pm Sunday. The heat is producing extra ozone levels mixing with the haze of the day.
Monday's high temps will be even warmer. Denver's Record High is 97 set in 2007. My forecast at this point has Denver shooting up to 98 degrees with mostly sunny skies to start next week.
All that and we are watching hurricane Hilary which will bring catastrophic rains to southern California and parts of Nevada this weekend. Our huge dome of heat under high pressure to the west will hold off any of the moisture from Hilary making it into Colorado. But, the monsoon flow may get us back on the storm track Tuesday after possible record heat on Monday.
