Eads faces Thursday fire weather watch ahead of Friday cold front
Kiowa County will see a sharp warmup into Thursday before a cold front brings gusty winds, a chance of rain and snow showers, and a return to freezing nights for the weekend. The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Kiowa County and most of southeastern Colorado from Thursday morning through Thursday evening.
Wednesday brings sunny skies to Eads with a high near 71 and west-northwest winds around 10 mph. Overnight lows will drop to about 35 under mostly clear skies. Conditions are seasonal for mid-April on the southeast plains, with only spotty elevated fire concerns expected during the daytime hours.
"Upper trough will lift out of Colorado this morning, with slowly building ridge across the state by late day," Eric Petersen, a meteorologist with the Pueblo forecast office, wrote in Wednesday's Area Forecast Discussion. He noted that Thursday's setup "surface gradient looks favorable for gusty winds, while humidity drops off to below 10 percent in spots by afternoon as deep mixing develops."
Fire weather watch covers Kiowa County on Thursday
The Fire Weather Watch in effect Thursday morning through Thursday evening includes Kiowa County and the town of Eads. Forecasters expect southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph and relative humidity as low as 7 percent. Fires that ignite are likely to catch and spread rapidly. Residents are urged to avoid outdoor burning, to be cautious with equipment or vehicles on dry grass, and to ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished.
Eads, Colo. — Five-day forecast (April 15–19, 2026)
Source: National Weather Service, Pueblo — Issued April 15, 2026
Period | Sky Conditions | High/Low | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Sunny | High 71 | West-northwest 10 mph |
| Wednesday night | Mostly clear | Low 35 | South-southwest 5 to 10 mph |
| Thursday | Sunny | High 80 | Southwest 5 to 20 mph |
| Thursday night | Partly cloudy | Low 39 | Southwest around 15 mph |
| Friday | Mostly sunny, slight chance of rain showers after noon | High 68 | Northwest 15 to 30 mph, gusts to 45 mph |
| Friday night | Chance of rain and snow showers | Low 23 | North 15 to 30 mph, gusts to 45 mph |
| Saturday | Sunny | High 59 | North-northwest 15 to 20 mph, gusts to 35 mph |
| Saturday night | Mostly clear | Low 26 | West-northwest 10 to 15 mph |
| Sunday | Sunny | High 75 | South-southwest 10 to 15 mph |
| Sunday night | Mostly clear | Low 36 | South 10 to 15 mph |
(Kiowa County Press)
Thursday warmup, Friday cold front
Thursday will be the warmest day of the week in Eads, with sunny skies and a high near 80 as a broad ridge builds across the High Plains. Southwest winds pick up through the day, reaching 5 to 20 mph. Humidity falls through the afternoon, driving the fire weather concern.
A strong cold front is expected to push across the plains on Friday, with the timing still uncertain. Mostly sunny skies early give way to a slight chance of rain showers after noon, with temperatures dropping back into the upper 60s. Northwest winds will gust as high as 45 mph behind the front. Rain may mix with snow showers Friday night as lows plunge to near 23. Any snow accumulation in Kiowa County is expected to be light.
Weekend outlook: freezing mornings, warmer by Sunday
The weekend opens cold. Saturday will be sunny but breezy, with a high near 59 and continued northwest winds gusting to 35 mph. Saturday night lows drop to the mid 20s under clearing skies. Sunday warms quickly to near 75 under sunshine and south-southwest winds of 10 to 15 mph, with the warming trend continuing into early next week.
Motorists traveling Highway 287 and U.S. 40 between Eads, Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells on Thursday and Friday should be alert for blowing dust, reduced visibility and sudden temperature swings behind the front.
