Critical Fire Weather This Weekend, Open Burning Prohibited For Many
DENVER (CBS4) - The first weekend in March should bring snow, but this year, it will bring critical fire weather to the foothills and Eastern Plains.
Unusually warm temperatures and strong gusty wind out ahead of a new storm system will combine with extremely dry air to create potentially explosive behavior should a fire start.
A Red Flag Warning will be in effect Saturday afternoon for the foothills west and south of Denver, as well as the southeast plains. It will likely be reissued for Sunday too.
Open burning is prohibited when a red flag warning is in effect.
Afternoon highs will be around 70 degrees all weekend with extremely low relative humidity. Wind speeds could top 35 mph at times.
Eastern Colorado has been in a drought since last fall with precipitation running several inches below normal. Because there is a lack of snow cover, there's an abundance of dead grass and brush fuels available.