A powerful late winter storm is generating strong winds across several U.S. states. Extreme winds fanned the flames of a wildfire that burned in the Eastern Plains of Colorado, forcing evacuations Tuesday. Eastern Colorado faces elevated to critical fire weather conditions again on Wednesday.
Fire crews near Limon, about 75 miles southesat of Denver, managed to contain a wildfire that had been rapidly spreading since Tuesday. The wildfire in Elbert and Lincoln counties charred more than 5,000 acres.
"A Fire Weather Watch, High Wind Warning, and Red Flag Warning were all in effect, with westerly gusts up to 55 mph and sustained winds up to 35mph," noted the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control late Tuesday. The agency also reported the minimum relative humidity dipped to 12%.
"The fire crews are working really hard with the fire line right in that area to get it sustained and held at that point and I think they're doing a really good job right now," Limon police officer Mike Hutton told KCNC as firefighters started to get control of the wildfire late Tuesday. "Everybody that's going in there right now is very brave, doing great work over there. You lose visibility really quick, and you just gotta slow-roll and work your way out."
Non-thunderstorm wind gusts in several spots across Colorado surged to between 55 and more than 70 mph Tuesday. Winds in Limon gusted to 56 mph Tuesday afternoon, and they reached 64 mph in Cedar Point, about 10 miles northeast of Limon. Aroya, just over 40 miles southeast, reported a wind gust of 72 mph.
Nearly 6 million people across portions of 13 states will face elevated to critical fire weather conditions today, according to the Storm Prediction Center's Fire Weather Outlook. This will be the second straight day that parts of Colorado will be at risk of rapid wildfire spread. SPC meteorologists warned that strong winds and low relative humidity "will encourage appreciable wildfire spread potential over portions of the Midwest and southern High Plains, respectively."
Nearly 34 million people in 17 states were under wind advisories Wednesday. In addition, more than 20 million people in 11 states were under red flag warnings. Limon and most of Southeast Colorado are under a red flag warning until this evening.
"A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly," explained the Denver/Boulder National Weather Service office. "A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior."
Red flag warnings Wednesday were issued as far north as Chicago.
Scientists say our overheating planet is supercharging wildfires.
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"Research shows that changes in climate create warmer, drier conditions, leading to longer and more active fire seasons," warned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Increases in temperatures and the thirst of the atmosphere due to human-caused climate change have increased aridity of forest fuels during the fire season."
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