High winds prompt extreme wildfire risk in Colorado, Wyoming
A high to extreme wildfire risk is predicted into Friday evening as wind gusts reach and exceed hurricane-force in parts of the Rocky Mountain and High Plains states.
Intense winds sent objects and debris flying in towns from Montana to Nebraska as storms moved east from Dec. 17-18.
Winds are once again roaring across much of the Rockies and portions of the Great Plains to close out the week. The combination of high winds and dry brush has pushed the wildfire risk to extreme levels in parts of Colorado and Wyoming and to high levels over portions of the Plains.
The strongest winds will occur just east of the Front Range through the foothills and onto the adjacent High Plains.
The high winds will break tree limbs and topple weakly-rooted trees. As the trees come down, some powerlines will come with them. Sparks from live wires can ignite extremely fast-moving wildfires in dry brush.
Utility companies have preemptively shut off the power in some areas to help reduce the risk of electric lines sparking fires.
Wind gusts reaching between 70 and 90 mph will howl from the eastern slopes of the Rockies near and north of Denver to southeastern Colorado into Friday evening. In this zone, the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is 110 mph.
The hurricane-force winds can flip over high-profile vehicles. Loose items, such as Christmas decorations, trash cans and trampolines, can become dangerous projectiles.
The use of outdoor power equipment and any open flames should be avoided until the winds subside this weekend.
Wildfires in Kansas and Colorado prompted evacuations on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. In Yuma County, Colorado, alone, wildfires quickly scorched tens of thousands of acres and torched some structures.
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