CRITICAL FIRE DANGER: A strong jet streak will drive a Pacific cold front across Colorado Tuesday. The front will move over the mountains early in the morning and spread down the eastern slope, zipping across the plains in the first half of the day. I expect very strong wind gusts between 40-65mph across the eastern slopes and over the plains. Gusts along the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristos may exceed 80mph early Tuesday.
The humidity levels hang right around 15% in the early afternoon when they’ll be lowest. Research and observation shows that 15% humidity seems to be a threshold for wildfire growth/behavior… fires growing in the same fuel, with the same wind, will grow more rapidly in 9% relative humidity than 16% humidity. Even though we may not get into the single digits, any fire tomorrow will rapidly spread as fuels are dry. According to the National Interagency Fire Center Rocky Mountain Coordination Center, some of the fuels are as dry as they’ve been in a decade.
While the gusts are strongest on the eastern slopes, the humidity will be lowest where the air is warmest, and that will be across the plains. The Fire Weather Index will be greatest east of I25, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER. That’s scientific calculations….a fire anywhere tomorrow will grow very rapidly due to the wind and dry fuels. Do your part in making sure our community in Colorado remains safe from wildfire.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALERTS FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2026
