Red Flag Warning 13, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

961 
WWUS85 KBOU 240647
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
1147 PM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

COZ248-241800-
/O.EXA.KBOU.FW.W.0013.260224T1700Z-260225T0000Z/
Logan County-
1147 PM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR LOGAN COUNTY...

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
from 10 AM to 5 PM MST Tuesday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 248.

* TIMING...From 10 AM to 5 PM MST Tuesday.

* WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 13 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

COZ215-216-241800-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0013.260224T1700Z-260225T0000Z/
Larimer and Boulder Counties Between 6000 and 9000 Feet-
Jefferson and West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/Gilpin/Clear
Creek/Northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet-
1147 PM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 5 PM MST
TUESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE FRONT RANGE 
FOOTHILLS...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 215 and 216.

* TIMING...From 10 AM to 5 PM MST Tuesday.

* WINDS...West 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 80 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 17 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

COZ238>240-242-243-241800-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0013.260224T1700Z-260225T0000Z/
Larimer County Below 6000 Feet/Northwest Weld County-
Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/West Broomfield
County-
North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/Denver/West Adams and
Arapahoe Counties/East Broomfield County-Northeast Weld County-
Central and South Weld County-
1147 PM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 5 PM MST
TUESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE URBAN CORRIDOR
AND PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST PLAINS...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 242 and 243.

* TIMING...From 10 AM to 5 PM MST Tuesday.

* WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Channels of
  stronger winds will be possible with gusts up to 45 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 11 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

835 
WWUS85 KBOU 241430
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
730 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

COZ215-216-238>240-242-243-248-242230-
/O.EXT.KBOU.FW.W.0013.260224T1430Z-260225T0000Z/
Larimer and Boulder Counties Between 6000 and 9000 Feet-
Jefferson and West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/Gilpin/Clear
Creek/Northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet-
Larimer County Below 6000 Feet/Northwest Weld County-
Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/West Broomfield
County-
North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/Denver/West Adams and
Arapahoe Counties/East Broomfield County-Northeast Weld County-
Central and South Weld County-Logan County-
730 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS, URBAN CORRIDOR, AND PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST PLAINS...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 215, 216, 238, 239, 240, 
  242, 243 and 248.

* TIMING...Until 5 PM MST this afternoon.

* WINDS...In the foothills, west 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 80
  mph. Across the I-25 corridor and northeast plains, 20 to 25 
  mph with gusts up to 45 mph. 

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 7 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

025 
WWUS85 KBOU 241857
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
1157 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

COZ238>240-242-243-248-250300-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0014.260225T1700Z-260226T0100Z/
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-260225T0000Z/
Larimer County Below 6000 Feet/Northwest Weld County-
Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/West Broomfield
County-
North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/Denver/West Adams and
Arapahoe Counties/East Broomfield County-Northeast Weld County-
Central and South Weld County-Logan County-
1157 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR
AND LOGAN COUNTY... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 6
PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR
AND LOGAN COUNTY...

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
from 10 AM to 6 PM MST Wednesday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 242, 243 and 
  248.

* TIMING...For the first Red Flag Warning, until 5 PM MST this 
  afternoon. For the second Red Flag Warning, from 10 AM to 6 PM 
  MST Wednesday.

* WINDS...West 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 8 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

COZ241-244>247-249>251-250300-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0014.260225T1700Z-260226T0100Z/
Elbert/Central and East Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet-
Morgan County-Central and East Adams and Arapahoe Counties-
North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln
County-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County-
1157 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE EASTERN PLAINS OF
COLORADO...

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
from 10 AM to 6 PM MST Wednesday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 241, 244, 245, 246, 247, 
  249, 250 and 251.

* TIMING...From 10 AM to 6 PM MST Wednesday.

* WINDS...West 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 15 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

COZ215-216-250000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-260225T0000Z/
Larimer and Boulder Counties Between 6000 and 9000 Feet-
Jefferson and West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/Gilpin/Clear
Creek/Northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet-
1157 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 215 and 216.

* TIMING...Until 5 PM MST this afternoon.

* WINDS...West 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 80 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 12 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

713 
WWUS85 KBOU 242359
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
459 PM MST Tue Feb 24 2026


COZ238>240-242-243-248-250800-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-260225T0000Z/
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0014.260225T1700Z-260226T0100Z/
Larimer County Below 6000 Feet/Northwest Weld County-
Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/West Broomfield
County-
North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/Denver/West Adams and
Arapahoe Counties/East Broomfield County-Northeast Weld County-
Central and South Weld County-Logan County-
459 PM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM MST
WEDNESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE
I-25 CORRIDOR AND LOGAN COUNTY......RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT
FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND LOGAN COUNTY...
...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND LOGAN
COUNTY......RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM MST
WEDNESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE
I-25 CORRIDOR AND LOGAN COUNTY...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 242, 243 and 
  248.

* TIMING...From 10 AM to 6 PM MST Wednesday.

* WINDS...West 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

COZ215-216-250100-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-260225T0000Z/
Larimer and Boulder Counties Between 6000 and 9000 Feet-
Jefferson and West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/Gilpin/Clear
Creek/Northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet-
459 PM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS...

Relative humidities have begun to increase, and will continue to 
do so this evening. Expect winds to remain gusty through the
evening and overnight for the northern plains and mountains, but
will see significant improvements across the central and lower
plains through the evening.


$$

COZ241-244>247-249>251-250800-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0014.260225T1700Z-260226T0100Z/
Elbert/Central and East Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet-
Morgan County-Central and East Adams and Arapahoe Counties-
North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln
County-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County-
459 PM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM MST
WEDNESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE EASTERN
PLAINS OF COLORADO...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 241, 244, 245, 246, 247, 
  249, 250 and 251.

* TIMING...From 10 AM to 6 PM MST Wednesday.

* WINDS...West 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 17 percent.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. 
  Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a 
  spark and start a wildfire.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
1118 AM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Another big warm-up for the upcoming work week starts today.

- Strong winds expected along the Front Range and foothills on
  Tuesday.

- Snow chances return to the mountains mid-week.

- Potential for multiple days of elevated to critical fire weather
  conditions in the plains through the week.

&&

.DISCUSSION /Through Sunday/...
Issued at 1153 PM MST Sun Feb 22 2026

It'll be another active week across the forecast area, with winter
conditions and high winds expected in the mountains, and strong
winds with multiple days of potential elevated to critical fire
weather conditions across the lower elevations.

On Monday, we'll kick off the week with mild and dry conditions
across the forecast area, underneath a broad upper-level ridge.
Temperatures are forecast to take a significant jump upwards from
Sunday's, with afternoon highs climbing into the low to mid 60s
along the urban corridor and plains. This will put us roughly 8 to
20 degrees above normal across the entire forecast area. It'll be
dry out there, with minimum relative humidity values dropping
between 10-15% across the majority of the plains in the afternoon,
though winds are expected to remain fairly light with a loose
pressure gradient in place, so while elevated fire weather
conditions are expected across the lower elevations, no critical
fire weather conditions are anticipated. Overnight, above-normal
temperatures will remain across the forecast area. Flow aloft will
begin to increase as a near 80kt, northwest to southeast positioned
500 mb jet sets up over Wyoming. This will influence how Tuesday
plays out, as it will put northern Colorado in the subsident right
exit region.

Tuesday- As discussed in the previous AFD, there are key ingredients
that can really "make or break" what happens with a mountain wave,
which can be the determination of how far down the foothills the
strongest winds make it. For Tuesday, there is high confidence that
winds are gonna be blowing across the mountains, but still some
uncertainties on how far east they will push. By early Tuesday
morning, the latest guidance shows things have stayed consistent
with winds at ridgetop near 80 kts and within 30 degrees of normal
(~290 degrees), lapse rates ranging between 3-6C/km, and the
aforementioned jet over Wyoming. Forecast soundings still show
nothing more than a hint of an inversion just above ridgetop, which
would be a good indicator that winds would lean more towards staying
anchored to the higher foothills, rather than being reflected all
the way down to their base. Additionally, moisture in the
mountains has been known to be a deterrent of mountain wave
amplification in the past, and with Pacific moisture expected to
increase (forecast soundings show a deep moisture profile west of
the Divide by 18-21Z) across the mountains through the day, this
could have an impact on winds on the lee side of the Front Range
(will they diminish sooner than currently forecast?). All of this
being said, strong winds are expected to increase across the Front
Range Mountains through the early morning Tuesday, reaching high
wind criteria along the Mummy Range down to the Indian Peaks by
roughly 8AM before spreading east into our typical windy spots
like Jamestown and Sugarloaf in the afternoon, with a fairly tight
gradient of lighter wind speeds across the lower foothills.
Latest hi-res guidance shows the strongest gusts reaching between
70-75kts (80-85mph) throughout the afternoon, before decreasing
and retreating back up the slopes through the evening. Considered
expanding the watch to include eastern Larimer County, but winds
are shy of high wind criteria over most of the eastern portion of
zone 38, however, expect the strongest winds to reach high wind
criteria in the typical windy spots from Wellington north to the
Wyoming border. The northern tier of the plains (generally
southern Morgan county northward) will see breezy conditions
coinciding with marginal relative humidity values (14-20%). This
would bring a few hours of near critical to critical fire weather
conditions where the RH is at its lowest. Will let the day shift
decide on fire weather highlights, but suspect portions of Weld
and Morgan Counties to reach criteria long enough to warrant a
highlight.

Winter conditions are expected to develop over the northern
mountains by Tuesday afternoon as Pacific moisture starts to make
its way into the high country ahead of the next shortwave progged to
move across the Rockies on Wednesday. With the aforementioned strong
winds, blowing snow will make for difficult travel conditions for a
few days.

Strong winds will continue Wednesday, becoming more widespread
across the lower elevations, but decreasing over the mountains.
Fortunately, relative humidities should generally remain above 20%
where gusty winds (35-55mph) are forecast over much of the plains,
keeping critical fire weather conditions at bay. As more of the hi-
res models come into play, we will need to continue to monitor for
the potential some channels of stronger winds reaching high wind
criteria, make their way across the northern plains Wednesday
afternoon behind a passing cold front. The latest RRFS shows gusts
between 55-60 mph coming off the Cheyenne Ridge as the front
passes, but these winds are not expected to persist for an
extended period of time, and this is just one model solution. As
the front slides south across the forecast area, there will be a
shot at light precipitation falling across the lower elevations,
though ensembles and operational models have yet to agree on this,
and anything that falls would not be significant (maybe a few
hundredths). PoPs were lowered across the plains to account for
the remaining uncertainty. At least we should get a decent little
dose of new snow to add onto our lacking snowpack, with the
current forecast bringing around 5-10 inches to the Front Range
Mountains, and slightly higher amounts to the Park Range. Snow
will continue across the mountains, with strong winds keeping
blowing snow and hazardous travel conditions in place into
Thursday morning.

Beyond the quick-hitting mountain snow, the rest of the long-term
period will shift focus back to fire weather conditions
developing across the lower elevations to end the week.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS through 18Z Tuesday/...
Issued at 1108 AM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

VFR conditions expected throughout the TAF period. The main
forecast difficulty will be determining the strength and frequency
of west or west-northwest winds at all terminals this afternoon
and Tuesday afternoon. There are mountain wave clouds that have
developed over the western I-25 corridor this morning and should
limit mixing. Some west-northwest winds will gust up to 12 knots
at times at DEN and up to 25 knots at BJC but due to limited
mixing, winds will more frequently be around 7-9 knots. Therefore,
winds in the TAF were decreased slightly at both airports.

This evening, southeast winds will develop before drainage takes
over around 05Z. The pressure gradient will be stronger during the
day on Tuesday so there is a higher likelihood of gusty westerly
winds at all terminals in the afternoon. Gusts could reach 30
knots at BJC and up to 24 knots at DEN. However, the winds will
more frequently be around 10-14 knots at both airports so that
was included in the DEN TAF.

&&

.BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Wind Watch from Tuesday morning through Tuesday afternoon
for COZ033>035.

&&

DISCUSSION...9
AVIATION...Danielson

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
449 AM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

COZ030>051-241200-
Jackson County Below 9000 Feet-
West Jackson and West Grand Counties Above 9000 Feet-
Grand and Summit Counties Below 9000 Feet-
South and East Jackson/Larimer/North and Northeast Grand/
Northwest Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet-
South and Southeast Grand/West Central and Southwest Boulder/
Gilpin/Clear Creek/Summit/North and West Park Counties Above
9000 Feet-Larimer and Boulder Counties Between 6000 and 9000 Feet-
Jefferson and West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/Gilpin/Clear
Creek/Northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet-
Central and Southeast Park County-
Larimer County Below 6000 Feet/Northwest Weld County-
Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/West Broomfield
County-
North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/Denver/West Adams and
Arapahoe Counties/East Broomfield County-
Elbert/Central and East Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet-
Northeast Weld County-Central and South Weld County-Morgan County-
Central and East Adams and Arapahoe Counties-
North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln
County-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
Logan County-Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County-
449 AM MST Mon Feb 23 2026

This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central
Colorado.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Well above normal temperatures are forecast today, with highs in
the mid 60s.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

Well above normal temperatures will continue through the week.
Increasing winds Tuesday through Friday may lead to several days
of elevated to critical fire weather conditions across the plains.
Across the mountains, a storm system is forecast to bring light
to moderate snow to the mountains late Tuesday through Wednesday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed.