Prowers County faces a week of elevated fire danger and above-normal temperatures, with the National Weather Service in Pueblo placing the county under a Red Flag Warning for both Monday and Tuesday. Highs are expected to reach the mid-80s by Thursday before a cold front drives sharply colder air into the region by the weekend.

Monday is mostly sunny in Lamar with a high near 83 degrees — well above normal for mid-April — and west-southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph gusting to 30 mph. The Red Flag Warning covering Prowers County’s fire weather zone (COZ236) is in effect from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with relative humidity dropping as low as 10 percent. Overnight conditions remain mostly clear with lows near 43 degrees.

Eric Petersen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Pueblo forecast office, wrote in Monday’s Area Forecast Discussion that the long-term pattern shows “a track again slightly too far north for heavy precip over srn CO,”suggesting southeastern Colorado is likely to remain on the dry side of passing storm systems through the extended period.

Red Flag Warning includes Prowers County

The Pueblo office’s Red Flag Warning explicitly includes Prowers County (fire weather zone COZ236) for both Monday and Tuesday. Monday’s warning cites southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph and relative humidity as low as 10 percent. The warning notes that any fires that develop under these conditions could spread rapidly and erratically.

Tuesday’s warning is in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. as conditions intensify ahead of an approaching cold front. Even after the formal warnings expire, the Pueblo office warned that fire danger returns Wednesday through Friday as the pattern remains warm and dry across the southern Colorado plains.

Lamar, Colo. — Five-day forecast (April 13–17)

Source: National Weather Service, Pueblo — Issued April 13, 2026

(Kiowa County Press)

Showers possible Tuesday night, lighter winds Wednesday

Tuesday’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 81 degrees, with breezy west-southwest winds of 15 to 20 mph gusting to 35 mph. A 20 percent chance of showers develops before midnight Tuesday as the upper-level trough moves overhead, though significant rainfall is not expected. Overnight lows drop to 36 degrees.

Wednesday offers a brief break from the wind, with sunny skies, a high near 76 degrees and west-northwest winds of 10 to 15 mph. Overnight lows reach 36 degrees under mostly clear skies as winds shift to the east-southeast.

Extended outlook: 85 degrees Thursday, then sharp weekend cool-down

Thursday could be the warmest day of the week in Lamar, with the high reaching 85 degrees under sunny skies. Southwest winds increase through the afternoon with gusts to 30 mph. The Pueblo forecast office identified Thursday as another day of high fire danger statewide as the next trough approaches.

Friday brings the strongest sustained winds of the week — 25 to 30 mph from the west-southwest with gusts reaching 40 mph — and a high near 78 degrees. Behind the front, substantially colder air pushes in, with models suggesting freezing temperatures are possible Saturday and Sunday mornings and a chance of mixed precipitation Friday night.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10 day outlook for April 18–22 places southeastern Colorado in a zone favoring above-normal temperatures with near-normal precipitation. The 8–14 day outlook covering April 20–26 maintains the above-normal temperature signal and shifts precipitation chances slightly above normal, suggesting the dry pattern may ease toward the end of the month.

Fire safety advisory

With Red Flag conditions expected on multiple days this week, the National Weather Service urges Prowers County residents to comply with all burn bans, avoid driving through dry grass and ensure vehicle safety chains do not drag. Even outside of formal warning periods, elevated fire conditions persist when temperatures are high and winds are gusty.