A Red Flag Warning for high fire danger is in effect for Prowers County Monday as near-record warmth pushes high temperatures to near 89 degrees before a cold front arrives mid-week with rain chances, cooler conditions, and a break in the fire weather threat.

Monday will bring decreasing clouds and breezy conditions, with a high near 89 degrees. West winds of 5 to 10 mph are forecast to increase to 15 to 20 mph in the morning, with gusts as high as 30 mph through the afternoon. The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Prowers County (fire weather zone COZ236) from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, citing west winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph and relative humidity as low as 9 percent. Forecasters warn that fires will catch and spread quickly under those conditions. Residents are advised to avoid all outdoor burning during the watch period. Monday night will be mostly cloudy with a low near 46 degrees.

"Critical fire weather conditions expand across southern Colorado valleys and southeast plains," forecasters at the National Weather Service in Pueblo wrote in Sunday’s Area Forecast Discussion, noting that southwest flow aloft will intensify through the day and “humidity values will be critically low (under 15%).” Record or near-record high temperatures are possible Monday at primary climate sites across southern Colorado.

Tuesday through Wednesday: Front delivers wind, rain, and cool-down

A cold front is expected to arrive Tuesday, dropping temperatures sharply to a high near 73 degrees under partly sunny skies. West winds of 10 to 20 mph will shift to the east by afternoon, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Tuesday night temperatures will fall to around 35 degrees, with a 30 percent chance of rain showers and east winds of 15 to 20 mph gusting to 30 mph. NWS forecasters noted that the front will bring “better coverage of showers with enough instability for isolated embedded thunderstorms over the mountains” as the system moves through.

Wednesday will be breezy and mostly cloudy with a high near 64 degrees and a 30 percent chance of rain showers through the day. East-southeast winds of 15 to 20 mph are expected to increase to 20 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph. Wednesday night brings the highest precipitation chance of the week — 40 percent — with east-northeast winds of 15 to 20 mph gusting to 35 mph and lows near 29 degrees.

Lamar, Colo. — Five-day forecast (Mon. Mar. 30 — Fri. Apr. 3, 2026)

Source: National Weather Service, Pueblo CO — Issued Mar. 29, 2026

(Kiowa County Press)

Thursday through Friday: Warmup returns with gusty south winds

Temperatures will rebound Thursday to a high near 77 degrees under mostly sunny skies. South-southeast winds of 10 to 20 mph will gust up to 30 mph through the day, with Thursday night bringing mostly clear skies, a low near 42 degrees, and breezy south-southeast winds gusting to 40 mph. The NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook notes that Thursday’s warmth and gusty south winds could once again produce critical fire weather conditions in southeastern Colorado, depending on how much soil moisture is delivered by the mid-week system. Friday continues warm with a high near 75 degrees under sunny skies and strong southwesterly winds.

Extended outlook: Warm, dry pattern to extend well into April

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-to-10-day outlook, valid April 4–8, favors above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for Colorado — a continuation of the warm, dry pattern that has dominated the region since January. In the 8-to-14-day period, valid April 6–12, above-normal temperatures are expected to persist, though precipitation odds shift toward near-normal for the period. CPC forecasters carry above-average confidence in the temperature signal through the first week of April.

Drought conditions in Prowers County and surrounding southeastern Colorado have deteriorated sharply during 2026. The most recent Drought Monitor report, valid through March 24, showed severe drought or worse covering the vast majority of the state. Statewide snowpack stood at approximately 54 percent of median as of late March, with no river basin in Colorado above 65 percent of average. The drought picture is described as among the most serious since 2021. Governor Jared Polis activated Phase 2 of Colorado’s Drought Response Plan on March 16 and convened the state Drought Task Force.

With the CPC projecting continued above-normal warmth and below-normal precipitation through at least early April, meaningful drought recovery is unlikely in the near term. Any precipitation from the mid-week system will be welcomed but is not expected to substantially alter the drought footprint across the southeastern plains. The fire weather risk will likely remain elevated through the spring, particularly on wind events when dry air surges across drought-stressed rangeland.