Summary:
Strong and gusty winds, exceptionally low humidity, and above average warmth will bring prolonged critical fire weather conditions to the Southwest and Southern Plains. Scattered severe thunderstorms are forecast across the Upper Midwest and the southern High Plains into midweek. Record warmth continues across much of the central U.S., while the West remain below normal. Major lanes of concern: I-10, I-20, I-25, I-40, I-70
Major Events: Southwest Wildfires
The National Weather Service is forecasting gusts of 60 to 70 mph Monday, and possibly Tuesday, for many parts of New Mexico, Colorado, northern Arizona and southern Nevada. Isolated spots could see gusts up to 80 or 90 mph.
Truckers may run into road closures, low visibility due to smoke, and a high risk of rollovers
Utah
- Wind Advisory in effect from noon to 9 PM MDT Wednesday
- South winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 45 to 55 mph expected
- Impacts: Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Strong crosswinds will cause difficult travel conditions, especially for high profile vehicles and vehicles with trailers on east to west routes. Blowing dust may reduce visibility
Arizona
- Wind Advisory remains in effect from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this evening
- Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph
- Impacts: Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. In addition, winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles
Colorado
- Wind Advisory remains in effect from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM MDT this evening
- Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected
- Impacts: Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down
New Mexico
- Wind Advisory in effect from 2 PM this afternoon to 8 PM MDT this evening
- Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected
- Impacts: Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Expect strong cross winds on northwest-to-southeast oriented roads, like Highway 64 and 87 from Raton to Clayton. Blowing dust and smoke will drop the visibility below 1 mile at times in dust-prone locations, and immediately to the northeast of wildfires