Damaging winds are expected to gust through Colorado’s Front Range mountains and foothills this week, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a high wind watch for Tuesday.
“Winds could blow down trees and power lines,” weather service forecasters wrote in the alert. “Power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.”
The alert includes parts of Jackson, Larimer, Grand, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit and Park counties, forecasters said.
Multiple days of strong winds across the Front Range Mountains expected this week. A High Wind Watch has been issued for the Front Range Mountains and northern Front Range foothills Tuesday morning through late afternoon. Gusts up to 80 mph are possible at times. #COwx pic.twitter.com/iugxxQzeXv
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) February 22, 2026
Sustained winds between 35 and 50 mph are expected, with wind gusts of up to 80 mph possible, according to the weather service.
Strong winds exceeding 60 mph are considered “damaging,” according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, which is part of the same federal agency as the weather service.
Windy weather on the Eastern Plains between Tuesday and Thursday will likely lead to elevated or critical fire weather conditions, weather service forecasters said in a hazardous weather outlook.
As of Sunday evening, a fire weather watch was planned for Tuesday morning and afternoon in southeastern Colorado, including Pueblo, Walsenburg and Trinidad. Wind gusts up to 30 mph and humidity values as low as 10% are forecast, according to the alert.
“Fires will catch and spread quickly,” forecasters wrote in the alert. “Exercise extreme caution with any outdoor burning.”
In the Denver area, near-record heat is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the weather service.
Temperatures are expected to hit 70 degrees in the city on Tuesday, just short of the 71-degree record for Feb. 23 set in 2002, according to weather service data. The city’s 67-degree high on Wednesday will also approach the Feb. 24 record of 71 degrees set in 1995.
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