589
FNUS21 KWNS 041633
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1032 AM CST SUN JAN 04 2026
VALID 041700Z - 051200Z
ELEVATED TO LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE IN COLORADO THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
MORNING SURFACE OBSERVATIONS HAVE SHOWN GUSTS 40-50 MPH AND RELATIVE
HUMIDITY 15-25 PERCENT ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND INTO THE DENVER
METRO EXTENDING SOUTHWARD TO PUEBLO. WINDS WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO
DECREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, BUT A FEW MORE HOURS OF SUSTAINED
WINDS 15-20 MPH GUSTING 30-40 MPH ARE EXPECTED. THE PREVIOUS
FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK WITH NO CHANGES NEEDED. SEE PREVIOUS
DISCUSSION BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
..THORNTON.. 01/04/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0111 AM CST SUN JAN 04 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
A BROAD MID-LEVEL RIDGE WILL BE LOCATED ACROSS THE CENTRAL UNITED
STATES ON SUNDAY. TO THE WEST OF THIS RIDGE AXIS, WESTERLY WINDS
WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE EARLY IN THE FORECAST PERIOD
BEFORE SLOWLY BACKING LATE TO WEST-SOUTHWEST IN THE PERIOD. THIS
WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTRIBUTE TO WARM, DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF
EASTERN COLORADO, NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO, AND THE SURROUNDINGS PLAINS
OF TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES.
FORECAST MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY PERCENTAGES ACROSS THIS REGION
WILL SUPPORT FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS, MEANING THAT IT WILL FALL
BELOW THE 20-25% RANGE. THE BIGGEST QUESTION ABOUT FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS WILL BE THE STRENGTH OF THE LOW-LEVEL FLOW. HIGH-RESOLUTION
GUIDANCE THIS EVENING CONFINES THE STRONGEST WINDS (THOSE IN EXCESS
OF 15 MPH) TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF CENTRAL COLORADO AND THE LOWER
RELATIVE HUMIDITY FARTHER EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS.
GIVEN THE TENDENCY FOR GUIDANCE TO UNDERDO THE STRENGTH OF DOWNSLOPE
WINDS, HAVE OPTED TO MAINTAIN THE ELEVATED FROM CENTRAL COLORADO
INTO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND THE ADJACENT PLAINS OF THE OKLAHOMA
AND TEXAS PANHANDLES FOR ELEVATED TO LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
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