Record high from 1997 could fall today in Denver

DENVER — FORECAST BY: 9NEWS Weather Impact Team Meteorologist Chris Spears

THE FORECAST AT A GLANCE: 

Get ready for a very warm Saturday across Colorado, especially east of the Continental Divide, where highs will climb well into the 80s and 90s on the eastern plains. Denver’s forecast is for a high of 87 degrees which would break the record of 86 from 1997. It will even be warm in the mountains with widespread 60s and 70s. To put this into perspective, the normal high for Denver right now is 70 degrees.

In addition to the warm weather, it will also be windy, thanks to the current setup in the upper atmosphere. An area of low pressure passing through southern Canada will help drive gusty winds out of the west and northwest this afternoon. Speeds could top 25 mph at times with gusts between 30-50 mph. 

Because of the very warm, windy and dry weather, we will reach critical levels for fire danger across a large part of eastern Colorado, including all of metro Denver and the adjacent foothills. The National Weather Service has placed all of the areas in pink on the map below under a Red Flag Warning through sunset.

We’ll see a very slight cool down on Sunday thanks to a weak cold front that will cross the region later today, but even so, we’ll still remain above normal. Highs will only cool about 5 to 7 degrees tomorrow. 

Then it is right back to near record highs again as we roll into the new work week with widespread 80s in store for Denver and the lower elevations. If you are hoping for a change, hang tight, as there are a few indications that we could finally see a shift in this weather pattern as we move into the middle of the month.

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny, breezy and warm, with high fire danger, high 87 (record: 86°). Mostly clear overnight, low 45.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny and a tad cooler, high 79. Mostly clear overnight, low 49.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny and warm, high 81. Mostly clear overnight, low 52.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny and warm, high 83 (record: 85°). Partly cloudy overnight, low 53.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and warm, high 82 (record: 87°). Partly cloudy overnight, low 51.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny and warm, high 83. Mostly clear overnight, low 53.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and warm, high 82. Mostly clear overnight, low 52.

RADAR: Click/tap here for Live Interactive Radar

CLOSINGS: Latest closings and delays in Colorado

WEATHER LINE 9: Updated weather forecast information at 303-871-1492.

RELATED: Miss getting daily 9NEWS forecasts to your phone? Here’s how to get them back

EMAIL FORECAST: Sign up to have the weather forecast delivered to your inbox twice a day!

TRAFFIC CENTER: Keep up on crashes and travel times here

If you have a weather report, photo or video to share, you can contact the 9NEWS Weather Team in these ways:

EMAIL: Weather photos, videos

Share updates on our Facebook wall: facebook.com/9weather

Tweet your updates using the hashtag #9WX or tweet us at twitter.com/9NEWSWeather

Download the 9NEWS app:

iTunes: on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: on9news.tv/1lWnC5n 

The 9NEWS Weather Impact Team of Kathy Sabine, Cory Reppenhagen, Laurann Robinson, Keely Chalmers and Chris Bianchi update the Denver weather forecast multiple times each day.

Bookmark this link to always have the latest forecast from 9NEWS. The team values your local weather reports and often features your photos and videos during weather segments in all newscasts.

RELATED: Introducing the 9NEWS Weather Impact Team