Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2026

Red Flag Warning 49, NWS Pueblo, CO

April 26, 2026Baca County, Las Animas County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this red flag warning at Apr 26, 2026, 1:17 AM MDT for Baca County, Las Animas County, Colorado. It took effect at Apr 26, 2026, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 8 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 26, 2026, 1:17 AM MDT (07:17 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 26, 2026, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Apr 26, 2026, 8:00 PM MDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO

Counties Baca County, CO, Las Animas County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 149 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:19 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 273 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2026-04-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2026-04-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 15 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3171 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
247 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

047 
WWUS85 KPUB 260717
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
117 AM MDT Sun Apr 26 2026

COZ230-233-237-262330-
/O.UPG.KPUB.FW.A.0043.260426T1800Z-260427T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KPUB.FW.W.0049.260426T1800Z-260427T0200Z/
Western Las Animas County Including Trinidad and Thatcher-
Eastern Las Animas County Including Pinon Canyon-
Baca County Including Springfield and Eastern Comanche Grasslands-
117 AM MDT Sun Apr 26 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 230, 233, AND 237...

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag
Warning for gusty winds and low relative humidity, which is in
effect from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening. The Fire Weather
Watch is no longer in effect.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 230, 233 and 237.

* TIMING...From noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening.

* WINDS...Southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

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

* IMPACTS...Fires will catch and spread quickly. Exercise 
  extreme caution with any outdoor burning.

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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
263 
WWUS85 KPUB 261936
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
136 PM MDT Sun Apr 26 2026

COZ230-233-237-270200-
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.W.0049.000000T0000Z-260427T0200Z/
Western Las Animas County Including Trinidad and Thatcher-
Eastern Las Animas County Including Pinon Canyon-
Baca County Including Springfield and Eastern Comanche Grasslands-
136 PM MDT Sun Apr 26 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 230, 233, AND 237...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 230, 233 and 237.

* TIMING...Until 8 PM MDT this evening.

* WINDS...Southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

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

* IMPACTS...Fires will catch and spread quickly. Exercise 
  extreme caution with any outdoor burning.

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.

&&

$$
965 
WWUS85 KPUB 270152
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
752 PM MDT Sun Apr 26 2026

COZ230-233-237-270300-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FW.W.0049.000000T0000Z-260427T0200Z/
Western Las Animas County Including Trinidad and Thatcher-
Eastern Las Animas County Including Pinon Canyon-
Baca County Including Springfield and Eastern Comanche Grasslands-
752 PM MDT Sun Apr 26 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 230,
233, AND 237...

Gusty westerly winds continue to come down, while humidity levels
continue to rise across Las Animas and Baca counties. This will
allow for the Red Flag Warning to expire at 8 pm mdt tonight. 

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 7:09 PM MDTFire Weather WatchPUBBaca, Las Animas6 hr
Apr 26, 2:03 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBTeller27 min
Apr 26, 4:01 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBEl Paso29 min
Apr 26, 4:14 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBTeller31 min
Apr 26, 4:47 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBTeller28 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 2026Every red flag warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.