Weather officials are cautioning residents throughout the region that critical fire weather conditions are in the forecast this week. KSUT’s Sarah Flower has more.

Sarah Flower:

High winds had been ripping through southwest Colorado causing the National Weather Service in Grand Junction to issue a Red Flag Warning throughout the rest of the day and possibly into Wednesday, gusts could reach as much as 50 miles per hour. high wind advisories had been issued almost every day so far this month. Lucas Boyer is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He says colder air over the western half of the US and warmer air over the eastern part is causing a jet stream of air that is being delineated right over Colorado causing these high winds.

Lucas Boyer:

That jet stream not moving strong pressure gradient and then the afternoon we warm up and we mix our atmosphere those stronger winds will mix down to the surface we get these gusty conditions that we've had now for several days in a row.

Sarah Flower:

A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either happening or have great potential to cause a severe fire Boyer says the National Weather Service works closely with fire crews throughout the region.

Lucas Boyer:

The number one concern is just watching for our fuels to change and working with our partners in the fire community to keep them abreast of the meteorological conditions wind and relative humidity of course being the two big drivers for red flags and fire weather

Sarah Flower:

forecasts are showing the Red Flag Warning to subside later in the week. Boyer says it's hard to predict what things will look like in the long term but the current El Niño weather pattern looks hopeful for monsoonal rain to arrive early in June reporting KSUT Tribal Radio. I'm Sarah flower

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