Kiowa County under Red Flag Warning as heat, gusty winds stoke fire danger near Eads
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect across Kiowa County through midnight Wednesday, as forecasters warn that hot, dry and windy conditions are likely to drive rapid fire spread across the eastern plains. Eads is expected to see a high near 87, south-southwest winds building to 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph, and patchy blowing dust developing after 2 p.m.
The National Weather Service office in Pueblo issued the warning at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, including Kiowa County among 16 fire-weather zones under elevated risk. Relative humidity across south-central Colorado is expected to drop as low as 6 percent, with sustained west-southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts to 40 mph across most warned zones. Conditions remain most severe over the San Luis Valley and Sangre de Cristos, where a Particularly Dangerous Situation designation is in effect.
Eric Petersen, a meteorologist with the Pueblo forecast office, wrote in Wednesday’s Area Forecast Discussion that the afternoon will bring “widespread hot/dry/windy conditions” through sunset, with Red Flag conditions continuing past sunset before improving after midnight.
Fire concern extends into Thursday
A second round of Red Flag conditions is forecast Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., though winds will be somewhat weaker than Wednesday. Petersen wrote that at least three hours of critical fire weather conditions are expected “at most locations from late morning into mid-afternoon.” Highs across the region will fall 5 to 15 degrees as an upper trough moves through.
Eads, Colo. — Five-day forecast (April 22–26, 2026)
Source: National Weather Service, Pueblo — Issued April 22, 2026
Period | Sky Conditions | High/Low | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Sunny; patchy blowing dust after 2 p.m. | High 87 | South-southwest 10 to 15 mph, increasing to 20 to 25 mph; gusts to 35 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Increasing clouds; patchy blowing dust before 9 p.m. | Low 45 | South-southwest 15 to 20 mph, shifting to north-northwest 10 to 15 mph; gusts to 30 mph |
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy, becoming sunny | High 74 | North 10 to 20 mph, becoming west in the afternoon |
| Thursday Night | Partly cloudy; 20% chance of showers before midnight | Low 35 | North-northeast 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph |
| Friday | Sunny | High 73 | Northwest 5 to 10 mph, becoming south 15 to 20 mph |
| Friday Night | Mostly cloudy | Low 36 | East 15 to 20 mph |
| Saturday | Mostly sunny | High 72 | East-northeast 15 to 20 mph, becoming southeast; gusts to 30 mph |
| Saturday Night | Mostly cloudy; 30% chance of precipitation | Low 42 | East-southeast 15 to 20 mph; gusts to 30 mph |
| Sunday | Mostly sunny; 40% chance of showers | High 77 | South 15 to 20 mph, increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon |
| Sunday Night | Partly cloudy; chance of showers | Low 34 | West-northwest 15 to 25 mph |
(Kiowa County Press)
Cooler Thursday and Friday
Behind the front, Eads will see highs in the 70s both Thursday and Friday. Thursday begins mostly cloudy before gradually clearing, with north winds of 10 to 20 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon. A 20 percent chance of showers is in the forecast Thursday night, with an overnight low near 35. Friday returns to sunshine and a high near 73, though south winds will build to 15 to 20 mph by afternoon.
Extended outlook
The weekend pattern turns cooler and unsettled. Saturday brings mostly sunny skies and a high near 72, with east-southeast winds gusting to 30 mph and a 30 percent chance of precipitation overnight. Sunday warms slightly, with a high near 77 and a 40 percent chance of showers, followed by a chance of showers Sunday night under partly cloudy skies and a low near 34. Petersen wrote that Sunday offers the best precipitation chance of the forecast period, though overall totals appear reduced compared with earlier model runs.
