DENVER (KDVR) — Snow is falling in the mountains and a freeze is expected in the metro, meanwhile, there are red flag warnings in place for the eastern half of Colorado. While this may seem like an unlikely combination, the Pinpoint Weather team said it’s not uncommon.
The weather should be dry and windy to increase the fire risk, said Travis Michels, a meteorologist with Pinpoint Weather.
Michels said wildfire season is usually in the summer months, when there is usually a larger gap between temperature and dew point. It is this gap that measures relative humidity, i.e. how dry the area is.
Michels said wildfires are more likely to occur in the summer when it’s hot, but cold air technically holds less moisture, making it drier. With dry and windy conditions, wildfires can start at any time. The Marshall Fire, the most destructive wildfire in state history in Colorado, broke out in the winter on December 30, 2021.
On Monday, snow is falling on Interstate 70, and a freeze is expected in Denver, but it remains dry and windy, causing red flag warnings for the Denver metro area in effect from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Winds of up to 25-35 mph and gusts of up to 55 mph are expected, the Pinpoint Weather Team said.
Xcel Energy is bracing amid fire risks in Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Broomfield counties and parts of Boulder, Jefferson, Park, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. The energy company is preparing for critical fire weather amid a “rapidly evolving situation,” Xcel officials said in a news release on Sunday.