Independence Day weekend in the mountains: Brief storms, warm temperatures and fire risk ahead

Storms and flash flooding could dampen parts of Colorado’s High Country on Thursday, but conditions will dry out by Friday — just in time for a warm, windy, and fire-prone Fourth of July weekend.

Colorado’s northwest and central mountain regions can expect an increased risk of heavy rain and flash flooding on Thursday, with thunder in some parts of the mountains.

Higher elevation towns in northwest Colorado could see isolated storms bleed into Friday morning, with a slight chance of rain across the mountain region. Most of the moisture will be on its way out by Friday evening, however, as drier conditions return with gradual warming through Monday.

Friday night — while clear and warm — is still expected to bring some consistent winds to higher elevation areas of the Western Slope.

“Friday looks to be kind of our windiest day,” said Braeden Winters, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. Winters said winds are expected to pick up around 20-25 mph throughout the weekend.

While Thursday’s winds are likely to be sporadic from the storms, Friday and Saturday’s wind will be consistent and bring dusty conditions throughout the afternoon. Warm, dry and windy weather can affect fire risk.

Many areas across the Western Slope are under Stage 1 fire restrictions as of late June due to the state’s dry weather, including Summit, Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin, Moffat, Gunnison, Teller, Delta, Ouray, Montezuma and Mesa counties and the public lands in the White River National Forest.

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Most fireworks are illegal in Colorado — particularly those that explode or leave the ground. It’s important to check fire restrictions before lighting any fireworks, as information about fire bans can change quickly. Stage 1 fire restrictions make all recreational fireworks illegal, and all fireworks are banned on national forest lands.

Western Slope communities like Glenwood Springs and Steamboat Springs are forecasting temperatures in the mid-to-high 80s all throughout Independence Day weekend. Higher-elevation mountain resort towns like Vail,Aspen and Breckenridge are expected to be in the 70s.

“This is a little bit warmer than normal,” Winters said. “We’re not talking anything too crazy, maybe a few degrees above normal.”

Winters said Friday in particular is going to be pretty close to normal across the region, while some of those higher-than-normal values are going to pop up in the valleys toward the end of the weekend.

“With how dry things have been lately, even with the storms that we are seeing in this period, it’s always a smart idea to stay weather aware,” he said. “It’s just your typical fire weather messaging when you have Fourth of July weekend and you have fireworks. With how dry things have been, it’s as important as ever to stay aware of your surroundings.”