The National Weather Service has 32 active Red Flag Warnings across 11 states Tuesday, a slight uptick from Monday’s 31-alert count and a meaningful geographic shift: Minnesota and South Dakota have entered the warning footprint for the first time in this outbreak, extending a fire-weather pattern that had been largely confined to the Interior West.
The affected zone now spans Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — up from nine states Monday. The addition of the northern Plains states indicates the pattern is not simply persisting but expanding its reach, even as alert counts in some western zones fluctuate.
The most acute conditions Tuesday are in eastern Colorado and northeastern Wyoming. In Colorado’s eastern Plains fire weather zones — covering Yuma, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne counties — the National Weather Service is warning of south winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph and relative humidity dropping as low as 15 percent, a combination the agency describes as producing “unpredictable fire behavior.” Any fires that ignite, forecasters warn, “may rapidly grow and spread.” Warnings in those zones run from 11 a.m. through 9 p.m. MDT.
Northeastern Wyoming faces similarly extreme readings. The National Weather Service’s Cheyenne office projects afternoon humidities of 10 to 15 percent — among the driest readings in the current outbreak — with west-to-southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph across the northeastern plains. Warnings there run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. MDT.
In southern Colorado, warnings are active across a wide swath of the southeastern and San Luis Valley corridors, including Pueblo, Huerfano, Fremont, Crowley, Bent, and Las Animas counties, as well as the Alamosa and Del Norte areas. Nevada warnings cover the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Colorado River corridor on both the Arizona and Nevada sides, with additional alerts across the Northwest Deserts and Northwest Plateau.
Foreward guidance underscores that relief is not imminent. A Fire Weather Watch is already in effect for Wednesday afternoon and evening across Nebraska’s Northeast Plains and Northeast Highlands, meaning forecasters expect critical fire-weather conditions to persist into at least midweek rather than break after Tuesday’s peak.
The National Weather Service is urging residents across all affected zones to comply with active burn bans, avoid driving on dry grass or brush, ensure vehicle tires and brakes are in good condition and tow chains are secured, and not discard lit cigarettes outdoors.
For conditions in communities directly in the warning corridor, see the Denver weather and Albuquerque weather forecasts.