Big winds bring critical fire weather

Another storm system is moving through the Rockies on Tuesday, and very strong winds will increase the fire threat for areas east of the Rockies and through the Central Plains. The Breakfast Brief is published daily, Monday through Friday, at 5:00 a.m. Eastern time.

Two areas will experience strong winds on Tuesday. Florida will continue with a strong northerly flow that will make seas dangerous along both coasts, with winds that could reach 20 mph with stronger gusts. These north winds are also dry, which could propagate any fires that get started. Please avoid fires or anything that could ignite them.

The other area with stronger winds will extend from Las Vegas and northern Arizona through the Four Corners and West Texas. By the afternoon, extremely strong winds will be across New Mexico and Colorado, mainly from the west-southwest. Gusts could reach 75 mph at times. Across Texas, winds will come from the south, increasing humidity across the Central Plains.

Remember that from central Texas to the west, the winds will be dry and hot as they come from the northern Mexican desert. This dry wind could make fires spread quickly and erratically. Strong winds can also limit visibility as dust is picked up from the ground. Last week, hurricane-force winds killed over 8 people in a 71-vehicle pile-up in Kansas over I-70. There were also several people killed in West Texas due to obstructed visibility on the roads.

These windy conditions are ahead of a low-pressure system that will bring a nice coat of snow to the Rockies. Heavy snow will impact the morning commute from Elko to Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls. By the afternoon, the heavy snow will move over much of Colorado, where it will continue to fall through the evening. Denver will see little snow accumulations, while higher peaks could get up to a foot of snow, which could impact mountain travelers.

The big news on Wednesday will be the temperature drop as this low-pressure system moves eastward. It will take the active weather toward the Great Lakes, but strong winds behind it, mainly from the north, will bring much cooler temperatures, up to 20 degrees below average for many parts of the western half of the U.S.

It's (almost) spring season. Big weather events break out with low-pressure systems coming from the north or west and battling opposite conditions. There are often tight pressure gradients, which make the winds strong. You can track the change in winds and speed using our WindRadar.