FIRST ALERT; Wind, Wind, & More Wind

Published 7 hours ago• 2 minute read

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -

Warnings:

The National Weather Service has issued yet another Red Flag Warning. The last week has been filled with high winds, dry air, severe drought, and extreme heat. Today is no exception, as the Red Flag Warning will take effect around 11:00 AM this morning. Wind speeds are expected to range from 10 to 20 mph throughout the day. Wind gusts are expected to reach a maximum of around 35 mph. The relative humidity values are as low as 9-14%, indicating that the air is extremely dry.

This is a recurring warning, as it will repeat with very similar parameters tomorrow. Mesa, Montrose, Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin, San Miguel, and Ouray Counties are all impacted by this official warning from The National Weather Service.

Wind:

Trough development off the coast is responsible for the positioning of the Jet Stream. The jet stream is cutting through the United States from the southwest. The jet stream is often known as a highway for active weather and, in this case, active wind. After the large heatwave that hit the southwest, that portion of the nation is dry, and any moisture coming onshore today will evaporate. Therefore, all the wind impacting Western Colorado will be dry and dangerous in terms of fire danger.

Improvements:

Temperatures were 5-10° above normal last week. Today, temperatures are much more seasonably appropriate. The normal high for Grand Junction on this calendar date is 92°. Today, temperatures are only expected to reach 90°, which gives us a brief break from the unseasonable warmth. Tomorrow and Wednesday will follow along the same tracks before abnormal heat settles in again by Thursday.

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