Ok, crew. I’m sure you’re used to seeing me post about Red Flag Warnings, we’ve had quite a few in 2026 already! These aren’t uncommon this time of year because spring does bring some of our windiest weather of the year as we transition from winter to summer.
TYPICAL RED FLAG CRITERIA
Wind 25+mph, 15% or lower relative humidity
A “PDS”, or Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning, is new and meant to highlight our days that stand out from others. This is my friends at our local National Weather Service forecast office in Pueblo essentially saying conditions are not just critical, but extreme. They’ve done a lot of work on this and have gone back and historically categorized years of Red Flag Warnings to identify the criteria that only happens a couple of times every 2-4 years. They’re noteworthy days. They stand out.
The PDF tag is reserved for days when fire behavior could become explosive, with a much higher risk to life and property should a fire occur than a typical Red Flag Day. In southern Colorado, we use specific criteria to differentiate for the PDS tag, depending where you are. The PDS tag is reserved for days of:
SAN LUIS VALLEY/EASTERN PLAINS
55mph+ wind and single digit relative humidity
MOUNTAINS/ADJACENT
45mph+ wind and single digit relative humidity
Why the difference? Because of the elevation of the mountains and the cooler temperatures compared to lower elevations, the humidity levels typically run higher than the lower elevations. In the analysis of the historical data looking for the threshold of high end events every 2-4, the criteria for the mountains was lowered to 45mph. Fuel is different over the mountains too, where the trees will cause different fire behavior than the grass and smaller-type shrubs more typically found in lower elevations.
So, today is a high end day in the PDS areas…widespread 40 to 60+ mph winds, very dry air, and fuels that are ready to burn. Any fire that starts will spread quickly and could become very difficult to control in a short amount of time. It’s not just another Red Flag day. It’s a dangerous setup where conditions support rapid, wind-driven fire growth across the western part of our area.
Did you know Peak Alerts notify you of emergency situations that are a threat to life or property in El Paso and Teller Counties? Examples include natural or man-made disasters, hazardous materials incidents, missing persons, law enforcement activity impacting the public, evacuation notices, and more. Register at PeakAlerts.org.
