Southern Colorado Braces for Mid-Week Heat That Could Top Records

Overview

• Temperatures are forecast to rise from the 70s and 80s on Tuesday to upper 90s along the I-25 corridor and triple digits on the Eastern Plains on Wednesday, with Colorado Springs’ 97°F record potentially at risk.
• High fire danger is expected across much of Southern Colorado during the mid-week heat because low humidity and breezy conditions will make new ignitions spread more easily.
• Afternoon and evening breezes will be common, with gusts strong enough to complicate fire control and increase the reach of any flames.
• A weak disturbance will produce hit-or-miss showers and thunderstorms today and this week, and isolated storms over the Plains could briefly reach severe criteria with roughly 1-inch hail and 58–60 mph wind gusts where they form.
• A cold front late Wednesday night should drop highs by about 15–20°F on Thursday to near the low 80s, but hotter, breezy weather with a chance of afternoon storms is expected to return by Friday and Saturday, so residents should follow local fire restrictions and forecasts.