Record breaking March heat peaks Saturday, bringing critical fire danger across Colorado
A historic stretch of March heat is peaking across Colorado on Saturday, with temperatures soaring to levels never recorded this early in the season. With warm, dry, and windy conditions in place, Saturday has been declared a First Alert Weather Day.
After already tying the all-time March record high on Friday, temperatures are expected to climb even higher on Saturday. Highs across the plains will reach the upper 80s to near 90 degrees, potentially setting new all-time March records by several degrees. If Denver hits 90 degrees, it will mark the first time in recorded history that the city has reached that milestone in March.
Denver broke its daily heat record Saturday by 11:30 a.m., reaching 80 degrees at Denver International Airport.
By 4 p.m., temperatures at the airport reached 86 degrees, becoming the hottest day in March on record.
This unusual heat is being driven by a strong ridge of high pressure, combined with downslope winds that will help boost temperatures even further through the afternoon. But the warmth comes with serious concerns.
Saturday will bring widespread critical fire weather conditions across much of the state. Relative humidity is expected to drop below 13% across the plains, with gusty winds developing through the afternoon.
A weak cold front will move through late Saturday night, bringing a slight cooldown on Sunday. Highs will drop into the mid-60s, closer to normal, but still about 10 degrees above average for this time of year. Humidity levels will increase slightly, helping to reduce fire danger, though conditions will remain dry overall. Little to no precipitation is expected with this system.
Warm and dry weather returns early next week as high pressure rebuilds over the western United States. Temperatures are expected to climb back into the 80s by Tuesday and Wednesday, with a strong chance of additional record-breaking heat.
Fire weather concerns will also return, with elevated to critical conditions possible once again, especially by midweek as winds increase.