Northern Colorado Faces Fire Risk Before Sharp Sunday Cooldown

Northern Colorado heads into the weekend with a weather pattern that looks a lot like an early warning followed by a hard reset. Friday and Saturday are expected to stay warm, dry, and windy, with elevated to critical fire weather concerns across the plains. Then a strong cold front is forecast to push through late Saturday, bringing much cooler air into Sunday and the potential for light snow and travel impacts, especially overnight into early Sunday.

Friday looks warm and unsettled in the fire-weather sense, with highs near the low 70s around Fort Collins, gusty west winds around 30 to 50 miles per hour, and a Red Flag Warning in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for much of the plains.

Saturday stays warm and turns windier again, with widespread gusts around 35 to 60 miles per hour possible and another round of critical fire weather concerns.

The bigger change arrives late Saturday into Sunday. A strong, fast-moving cold front is expected to bring much cooler temperatures, stronger north winds, and a chance of snow by Saturday night and Sunday. For the Interstate 25 corridor, that could mean light snow accumulations and some travel impacts early Sunday, while the mountains may pick up a few inches. Fort Collins is forecast to fall from around 71 degrees Saturday to near 40 degrees Sunday.

Observations Thursday evening in Fort Collins showed just how dry and wind-driven the pattern already was, with relative humidity near 20 percent and sustained northwest wind over 20 miles per hour. That lines up with the main Northern Colorado story through Saturday: fire danger first, then a sharp cooldown.

For Northern Colorado, this is a weekend to stay alert to changing conditions. Friday and Saturday favor outdoor plans only if you’re prepared for strong winds and high fire danger. By Sunday, jackets return, road conditions may change quickly, and the weekend will feel a whole lot more like March again.

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