Current Situation Briefing

NOTE: situation updates are now being posted to www.kcdem.info. This page will no longer be updated.

May 18, 2011

Weather: 72/42, east wind 20-25 gusting to 35 mph. Chance of thunderstorms continues through Friday night, with greatest chance tonight. Daytime temperatures will remain in the 70s through at least Tuesday.

Fire danger is high across most of SE Colorado, and very high in portions of Baca County.

HLS grant guidance may become available at any time. Agencies should continue to build their lists of needed equipment, gather cost estimates from three sources and write short justifications for each item to be included in the grant application.
 

May 16, 2011

Weather: 74/46, south wind 15-25 mph, gusting to 40. Temperatures will be in the mid-60s to mid-70 through Sunday. Expect strong winds through Thursday night. Slight chance of precipitation through Saturday night, with the best chances being Wednesday through Thursday night, however the possibility has decreased from initial forecasts over the weekend.

Fire danger has fallen to low across SE Colorado though drought conditions are persisting.

Guidance for the HLS grant program has not yet been received, however agency are strongly encouraged to continue building their list of needed equipment and/or training, along with obtaining quotes and writing short justifications for the items. Once guidance is received, turn-around in writing the grant application is expected to be 10-14 days vs. the usual multi-month process. Regional priorities are responder health and safety, public notification and warning, and communications. Equipment must be listed in the approved equipment list posted at www.krb.us in order to qualify. Training must appear in the FEMA/DHS approved training guide.

Riley Frazee, former Baca County Emergency Manager, assumes duties today as the CDEM Regional Field Manager for the south and southeast all-hazards regions. New contact information will be made available in the near future. In the interim, calls for assistance may be made to the state duty officer line or to former RFM Chad Ray (now the state operations officer).

Eunice Weber and Chris Sorensen will be in Las Animas all day Thursday to receive information on the state's new radio training program. Training will be mandatory for all DTRS radio users. Weber and Sorensen will be the lead trainers for the county. Local training sessions will be scheduled over the coming months.

The county emergency manager will be reporting to the state emergency operations center Tuesday to assist in processing mutual aid requests from states participating in this year's national level exercise.
 

May 12, 2011

Weather: 57/40, NNW wind 25-35 gusting to 50, scattered showers possible. Highs in the 60 for the next three days, then increasing to the 70s through mid-week.

Fire danger has moderated slightly, however extreme danger persists over Baca County and gradually decreases to the north and west of the area.

Drought conditions are virtually unchanged from last week, with a pocket of extreme conditions covering all of Baca County and parts of Bent, Las Animas and Prowers Counties. Kiowa County remains in severe drought.

Remaining weather radios have arrived and will be distributed to those on the waiting list started at the Kiowa County Health Fair. Citizens are continuing to call to get radios, however the supply is essentially exhausted once the waiting list is filled. Citizens may still purchase weather radios from retail outlets in Eads and around the region. Citizens have also started to ask the office to repair older radios. While the EM office can assist in correctly programming properly functioning radios, radio repair is not offered, and referrals to the radio manufacturer should be made.
 

May 11, 2011

NOTE: Isolated tornados and hail to 1" is possible east of Hwy 71 and north of Hwy 50. Staff weather briefing will be prepared for review this morning.

Weather: 61/41, showers likely, severe thunderstorms possible, north wind 15-25 with gusts to 30. Chances of precipitation will persist through Thursday. Daytime temperatures in the 60s through Sunday.

Fire danger has dropped slightly to the "very high" category across much of SE Colorado.

A small grass fire was reported east of Chivington around 0540 this morning. Two firefighters and a deputy responded and were able to control the fire without need for further assistance.
 

May 10, 2011

Weather: 81/46, west wind 5-10 increasing to 15-20 with gusts to 30, precipitation is not expected today. Showers are likely tomorrow, with thunderstorms possible after 1500. Temperatures will be in the 60s & 70s through Sunday.

A Red Flag Warning will be in effect from 1100 to 2000 today. Fire danger is very high to extreme across southeast Colorado, with extreme conditions across much of Kiowa County. Stage I ban remains in effect in the county.

Drought conditions are largely unchanged in Colorado over the previous week, with most of eastern Colorado in Severe to extreme drought.

Northern and western Colorado is preparing for high water events (also known as flooding in non-tourist areas) this spring. The western slope has conditions similar to 1982 when a presidential declaration was made for flooding. No assistance requests have been made at this time.
 

May 5, 2011

Weather: 68/38, NNW 5-10 mph, no precipitation expected through at least Monday. Temperatures will be in the 80s through Monday before dropping into the 70s by mid-week next week.

Fire danger is now high to very high across SE Colorado, with a pocket of extreme danger over Baca County.

StormReady Presentation ceremony will be held Friday at 10:30 in the Kiowa County Courthouse.
 

May 2, 2011

Weather: 56/30, NNE wind 5-15 mph, slight chance of showers in the afternoon. A freeze warning will be in effect from 0200 to 0900 Tuesday morning. Temperatures will rise to the low 70s Tuesday through Thursday, and near 80 Friday through Sunday. Overnight temperatures are expected to stay above freezing after tonight.

Fire danger across the state has fallen to low. Look for danger to increase over the week as temperatures rise while little precipitation is expected.

Change in drought condition is mixed. While areas in moderate to severe fell by a couple of percentage points across the state, and the area in severe shrank noticeably in northern Colorado, the area in extreme drought nearly tripled and now covers all of Baca County, as well as portions of Las Animas, Bent and Prowers Counties.

The US government has stated that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan Sunday. Travel alerts have been issued and embassy alerts have been raised as the threat of retaliation has increased. Caution is advised.

Kiowa County's StormReady certification ceremony will be held Friday at 1030 in the Kiowa County Courthouse.
 

April 26, 2011

Weather: 57/35, NNW wind 5-15 mph. Showers are likely today (up to 0.10"), and a rain/snow mix is possible tonight. Temperatures will be similar Wednesday, however precipitation is not likely. High temperatures Thursday and Friday will be in the 70s before returning to the 50s for the weekend.

Fire danger for Kiowa County has climbed to moderate despite areas of rain over night.

The south central US is expecting more severe weather today following Monday's tornado emergency. Tornado probability is 30% over portions of Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri. No EMAC requests have been noted at this time.
 

April 25, 2011

Weather: 57/35, NNE wind 5-10 mph, 20% chance of rain/snow throughout the day into this evening. Rain/snow is likely Tuesday, however less than 0.25 inches expected. Temperatures will be in the mid-50s through Wednesday before jumping to 60s & 70s through the weekend.

Fire danger is low to moderate across much of Colorado.

Drought conditions continue to increase, particularly in eastern Colorado - 43% of the state is now in severe drought, up from 41%. Half of Baca County is now in extreme drought, representing 1.12% of the state. This is the first week that extreme conditions have been noted in Colorado this year.

Emergency management and local representatives from ESF-8 (Mass Care) will be meeting today at 11:30 to discuss current plans and direction.

The emergency manager will be meeting with CSEPP representatives today at 1430 in Pueblo to review electronic crisis communications tools in preparation for a full-scale exercise next week.

The StormReady recognition ceremony has been moved to May 6, 1030, at the Kiowa County Courthouse.
 

April 19, 2011

Weather: 60/35, northeast wind 10-15 mph, chance of precipitation has fallen to 30 percent. Temperatures will range from the upper 50s to round 70 over the next several days. A slight chance of precipitation will continue through the weekend.

Fire danger has dropped to high across most of SE Colorado, with a pocket of very high to extreme conditions over Baca County. A fire weather watch will be in effect from 1200 to 2000 today.

A reorganizational meeting for the Kiowa County Local Emergency Management Committee has been tentatively set for April 25 at noon at the K&M restaurant. Details will follow.

Formal presentation for Kiowa County's StormReady designation will take place April 29 at 1100 in the Kiowa County Commissioners' office.
 

April 18, 2011

Weather: 79/44, south wind 10-15 mph, 30% chance of precipitation tonight. Showers are likely during the day Tuesday, however rainfall amounts will be low. Highs will generally be in the 60s for the remainder of the week, though Thursday will reach the mid-70s.

Fire danger remains very high across SE Colorado. A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 1100 to 2100.

Drought conditions moderated very slightly last week. Most of eastern Colorado remains in the severe drought category.
 

April 11, 2011

Weather: 65/30, NNW wind 5-15 mph, precipitation is not predicted. Temperatures near 80 Tuesday before falling to the low 60s for the remainder of the work week, then rising to the mid-60s Saturday and Sunday. Expect moderately strong wind through the week, particularly Tuesday.

A Fire Weather Watch will be in effect all day Tuesday due to wind gusts to 35 mph and low humidity.

Fire danger across SE Colorado is very high to extreme.

Drought continue to be severe across eastern Colorado. Currently, 41.6 percent of Colorado is experiencing severe conditions, up from 39.7 percent last week.

Numerous fires have sparked around the state over the past week, including a large fire in the Hasty area/John Martin reservoir in Bent County. Conditions will remain favorable for extreme fire behavior throughout the week. Caution is advised, and residents should be discouraged from conducting any open buring. Kiowa County continues to have fire restrictions based on implementation of a county ordinance.

The Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Department of Public Transportation will be holding a haz-mat route stakeholder meeting Wednesday at 10:00 at the community building in Lamar (610 S 6th Street).

KCDEM has placed an editable map of the area at http://kiowaoem.com/maps. State officials have been given the ability to assist in editing the map during major events in order to provide information to the public and media.
 

April 5, 2011

Weather: 74/41, WSW wind 5-15 mph, precipitation is not predicted. Daytime temperatures will be in the upper 60s/low 70s through Saturday before dropping to the low 60s Sunday and Monday. Slight chance of rain Wednesday and Saturday.

Fire danger is rated as Very High to Extreme across most of the SE Region.

Drough conditions are largely unchanged in Colorado from the previous report. Nearly 40% of the state, primarily eastern Colorado, is experiencing severe drought conditions.

Tom Magnuson, NWS-PUB, WCM, will be in Kiowa County today to conduct a site inspection. This will be one of the final steps in the county's path to receiving StormReady certification. Magnuson informally stated at last Wednesday's SkyWarn weather spotter class that the inspection should go well, and the county - based upon the current plan and application - appears to be "more than StormReady." Thanks go to all responders who have participated over the years to build our program. Following final inspection, the county's Severe Weather Plan will be submitted to the commissioners for adoption, and a formal recognition ceremony will be held.
 

March 29, 2011

Weather: 50/29, 50% chance of rain/snow (about 0.1" rain expected), NNW wind 5-15. Slight chance of rain/snow continues through Tuesday. Daytime highs are expected to increase to the upper 70s by Saturday before declining to the mid-50s Monday.

Fire danger across the SE region is currently moderate and likely to fall to low by the next update this morning.

SkyWarn weather spotter training will be held Wednesday at 1830 in the community room at the Kiowa County Courthouse. Excellent course for all first responders of any experience level as well as the general public.
 

March 28, 2011

Weather: 49/30, slight chance of "wintery mix" (rain, snow, freezing fog), ESE wind 5-15. Chance of rain/snow will continue through Tuesday. Daytime temperatures will increase through the week, reaching 70 Friday and Saturday.

Fire danger across the region is low to moderate.

NOAA All-Hazard Weather Radios will be distributed during the Kiowa County health fair this Friday and Saturday from 0700 to 1030 each day until the supply of 70 radios is exhausted. Price is $5, which includes a set of batteries and radio programming. Left over radios, if any, will be sold throught the emergency management office for the same price after the health fair. Randy Gray from NWS-PUB WFO will be here Friday to assist with the radio distribution.

Kiowa County's StormReady site visit with Tom Magnuson from NWS-PUB will be April 5. This is one of the final steps for achieving StormReady certification for the county.

Reminder: KCDEM distributes important, but non-emergent, infomation via the agency website, http://kiowaoem.com/briefing; Twitter, @kcdem; and facebook, http://facebook.com/co.kcdem.
 

March 24, 2011

Weather: 65/29, SSE wind 20-30 gusting to 40 mph, slight chance of showers today. Kiowa County is NOT under a Fire Weather Watch or Red Flag Warning, however conditions appear to be just under the threshhold for fire statements and neighboring counties are under Red Flag Warnings and High Wind Warnings.

Temperatures will fall to the mid-50s Saturday and mid-40s Sunday and Monday before recovering to the mid-50s again Tuesday. The greatest chance of rain/snow continues to be Sunday, however forecast model have been showing a northern drift to the system which may decrease the possibility of precipitation.

Forecast fire danger remains high across most of southern Colorado and Kiowa County.

Areas of severe drough have increased, with nearly 40 percent of Colorado in the severe category, up from 10 percent three months ago and zero one year ago.

Kiowa County is again maintaining the state-wide fire restriction web site this year at http://COFireBan.info. New statuses have just started to come in. Regional and state media outlets have begun using the site to report restriction statuses due to the level of interest generated by Indian Gulch Fire in JeffCo as well as the outbreak of fires across the state this week.
 

March 23, 2011

Weather: 62/25, north wind 5-10 mph, precipitation is not predicted today, however chances of rain/snow have increased slightly through Sunday, with Saturday night and Sunday morning having the greatest possiblity at this time.

A fire weather watch is in effect Thursday from 1000 to 2000 due to strong winds, low humidity and dry fuels. Expect ESE wind Thursday 20-25 mph, gusting to 35 mph.

Fire danger maps are severaly out of date (most recent data is five days old), however expected fire danger is high to very high across most of the area.

A number of call have been received from residents wishing to purchase a reduced-price weather radio prior to the start of official distribution April 1 during the Health Fair. Radio distribution will not be made prior to the official start. Radios that are not sold during the two day health fair (if any) will be available for purchase through the emergency management office the following week and will continue to be available for $5 until supplies are exhausted.

SkyWarn weather spotter class will be held Wednesday, March 30, beginning at 1830 in the Kiowa County Courthouse. The course is available at no charge, and is appropriate for all levels of experience. It is not necessary to commit to serving as a weather spotter in order to take the class. Those interested in attending should send an email to thomas.magnuson@noaa.gov if possible so enough materials will be on hand for all attendees.

Tom Magnuson from the NWS-PUB office will be in Kiowa County April 5 to conduct a site inspection as one of the final step in obtaining StormReady certification.

The state emergency operations center will be conducting a tornado drill this afternoon. KCDEM will participate remotely to exercise communications systems.
 

March 22, 2011

Weather: 62/30, northwest wind 15-25 mph, gusting to 40 mph through tonight. Little chance of precipitation through at least Monday.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 1000 to 2000 today for the eastern half of Colorado, and extending in to Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Expect strong wind, dry fuel, and very low RH creating conditions favorable for extreme fire behavior and rapid fire growth if a fire starts.

Effective immediately, the Kiowa County Sheriff has implemented Stage I fire restrictions under the county fire ordinance. Restrictions will remain in place until further notice. Notifications to agencies have started, and a reverse telephone alert will be made to resident later this morning.

The Kiowa County emergency manager provided mutual aid to the Otero County emergency operations center due to multiple fires in that county. All fires have been contained and the county EM has returned to regular duty.

Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center has schedule an urgent conference call at 1400 today to discuss fire restrictions in the region.

March 21, 2011

Weather: 80/40, southwest wind 15-20 mph, gusting to 35, no precipitation predicted through at least Friday. Daytime highs will dip to the low 60s Tuesday through Saturday.

NOTE: a Red Flag Warning will be in effect from 1000 to 2000 today. A Fire Weather Watch will be in effect Tuesday from 1200 to 2000. Both have been triggered by the expectation of strong wind, low RH and dry fuels.

The most recent fire danger map (Friday) shows southeast Colorado under moderate danger, however this has likely increased to at least high danger over the weekend, and can be expected to continue escalating.

Last week's drought monitor is largely unchanged, with much of eastern Colorado experiencing severe drought conditions.

KCDEM will be participating in a state tornado exercise Wednesday morning to test state systems. Participation is expected to be performed remotely using WebEOC and the Colorado-PIO group on facebook.
 

March 17, 2011

Weather: 75/35 (slightly lower than predicted yesterday), west wind 5-15, precipitation is not predicted. Friday highs will fall the low-50s before recovering to the mid-60s to low 70s Saturday through at least Wednesday. There is a slight chance of showers Friday.

As expected, fire danger has risen to high to very high across most of the region, with a pocket of extreme danger over Baca County.

Conditions have fallen just below the threashhold for a Red Flag Warning for Kiowa, Bent, Prowers and Baca Counties, but a warning is in effect west of the region. Caution is still encouraged.
 

March 16, 2011

Weather: 80/40, southwest wind 10-20 mph, no precipitation predicted. Conditions will be similar Thursdays. Temperatures will drop to the mid-50s Friday, and return to around 70 through the Monday. A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 1200 to 2000 due high temperatures, dry fuels, strong wind and low RH. Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior.

The fire danger map has not been updated for several days, however experience suggests that regional danger would now be in the high to very high categories, with some southern areas approaching extreme.

Information about KCDEM's weather radio distribution during the Kiowa County Health Fair has been posted to http://kiowaoem.com/weather/radios.htm and will also appear in this week's issue of the Kiowa County Press.

KCDEM would like to conduct a two-day ICS-200 course in May. Agency leads are encourages to suggest dates that would allow their responders to attend. This course can be conducted over two consecutive days or divided over two Saturdays (as an example).
 

March 15, 2011

Weather: 62/32, north wind 10-20 mph, precipitation is not predicted. Temperatures may reach 80 tomorrow. A fire weather watch is in effect from 12:00 to 18:00 Wednesday due to high temperatures, wind, low humidity and dry fuels. The watch may convert to a Red Flag Warning. Temperatures will gradually decrease to the mid-60s through Saturday, before recovering to the low 70s Sunday.

An updated fire danger map has not been released, however I believe moderate to high danger would be likely with the recent temperature increase and lack of moisture.

Governor Hickenlooper has ordered flags to fly at half-staff today to honor Limon police officer Jay Sheridan, who was killed by a fugitive last week. Funeral services will be held at the Limon High School gymnasium beginning at 11:00 a.m.

A public meeting will be held from 18:00 to 20:00 today at the Kiowa County Courthouse in Eads to discuss options for the general management plan for the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site.
 

March 14, 2011 (supplemental)

A Fire Weather Watch has been issues for all of SE Colorado for Wednesday from 1200 to 2000. Strong, gusty winds are expected, along with low RH and dry fuels.

Conditions will be favorable for extreme fire behavior and rapid rates of fire spread.

Updates will follow.
 

March 14, 2011

Weather: 64/32, SSW wind 5-15, slight chance of rain/snow tonight, otherwise dry throughout the week. Temperatures will be in the mid-60s to low 70s through at least Sunday. Winds are expected to strengthen later in the week.

Expect an increase in fire danger over the next several days. The most recent fire danger map shows southeast Colorado in the "low" category, however rapid change is likely.

Eleven students attended the ICS-100/NIMS-700 course Saturday. The mix of students included fire fighters, EMS, clinic staff, a community volunteer and an appointed board member. All successfully completed the course.

Reminder: regular situation reports are now being posted at http://kiowaoem.com/briefing. Updates are made several times per week. Addition information is also available by following @kcdem on Twitter (and also cross-posted to facebook at http://facebook.com/CO.KCDEM).
 

March 10, 2011

Weather: 64/32, wind 5-10, no precipitation predicted. Temperatures will be mainly in the 60s through Wednesday.

A fire weather watch will be in effect from 1100 to 1800 Friday due to high wind, low humidity and dry fuels. Experience suggests additional fire weather watches and red flag warnings are possible over the coming days.

Fire danger has jumped to high across much of the southeast corner of the state and extending in to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. A pocket of very high danger has formed over Baca County and the Oklahoma panhandle.

Drought conditions are largely unchanged from last week, with more than 1/3 of the state now showing severe drought conditions.
 

March 9, 2011

Weather: 48/22, NNW wind 5-15 mph, precipitation is not predicted until at least Sunday. Daytime temperatures through next Tuesday are expected to be in the upper 50s to upper 60s, with evening temperatures in the mid-20s to low 30s.

Fire danger remains low across nearly all of Colorado and border areas of neighboring states.

SkyWarn weather spotter course will be held March 30 beginning at 1830 in the community room at the Kiowa County Courthouse. A full schedule of SkyWarn classes can be viewed at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/?n=/wcm/talks.php. RSVP to thomas.magnuson@noaa.gov if you plan to attend. No charge for the course - open to responders and the public.

ICS-100/NIMS-700 course is still scheduled for Saturday, March 12, beginning at 0830 in the community room at the Kiowa County Courthouse. The course will run throughout the day until completed.

Kiowa County has received a grant to provide 70 NOAA All-Hazard Weather Radios to Kiowa County residents for only $5 (regularly $35-50). These radios will be distributed during the Kiowa County Health Fair April 1-2 on a first-come, first-served basis. Batteries will be installed, and the radios programmed for each customer. A full public announcement will be made next week.

Kiowa County has submitted its StormReady weather plan and application to the National Weather Service for approval. A site visit by NWS staff has not yet been scheduled, but tentative discussions point to March 30 prior to the SkyWarn class.
 

March 8, 2011

Weather: 31/18, northeast wind 5-15 mph. Snow is expected to continue today, with an additional 1-2 inches of accumulation. Temperature will approach 50 Wednesday and be near 60 through at least Monday - slightly warmer than originally expected.

Fire danger has dropped to low across most of the state, and should remain low for a few days due to wet snow accumulation.

Roads are icy or snow packed this morning due to wet snow over night. Multiple crashes reported throughout the region. One crash reported overnight in Kiowa County - a semi crashed into a power pole between 10th & 11th streets on Wansted Street (Hwy 287). The fuel tank ruptured, spilling an unspecified amount of diesel. CSP Haz-mat was notified regarding the spill, along with CDOT and SECPA. Kiowa County deputies and the Eads VFD responded. No serious injuries reported.

ICS-100/NIMS-700 class will go forward as planned Saturday, March 12, beginning at 0830 in the Kiowa County Courthouse.
 

March 7, 2011 (supplemental update)

The Winter Weather Advisory for Kiowa County has been extended. New time frame is 2000 Monday through 1400 Tuesday.

A strong Pacific storm will move across southern Colorado through Tuesday morning. The movement of this storm will bring favorable conditions for widspread significant snowfall to the area.

Snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches expected, with the highest amounts over eastern Kiowa County near the Kansas border.

Icy, snow-covered roads and poor visibility will be possible. Travel will be hazardous from late Monday into Tuesday.

Check forecast updates at http://weather.gov/pub and travel conditions at http://cotrip.org.
 

March 7, 2011

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect from 2300 Monday to 1100 Tuesday. A strong Pacific storm will move across the southern Colorado through Tuesday morning. Widespread snowfall is expected. 2-6 inches possible in Kiowa County. Icy, snow-coered road and poor visibility will be possible. Travel will be hazardous from late Monday into Tuesday.

Weather: 40/23, NNE wind 10-15 mph, slight chance of rain between 1300 and 1600, slight chance of snow until 2300. Snow is expected after 2300. 2-4 inches of snow expected overnight. Temperatures will be near freezing Tuesday, and increase to the mid-60s Friday. Weekend highs will be in the 50s.

Fire danger remains moderate across much of SE Colorado, but a pocket of high danger over Baca County extending in to Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.

Due to lack of registrations, the ICS-100/NIMS-700 course scheduled for March 12 may be cancelled. A final decision by the close of business today.

SkyWarn weather spotter class will be held March 30 at 1830 in the Kiowa County Courthouse.
 

March 3, 2011

Weather: 68/30, southwest wind 10-15 mph. 20% chance of rain/snow tonight - 30-40% chance Friday. Temperatures will be in the 50s through Monday before the next cold wave comes through.

Fire danger has fallen to moderate across much of southeast Colorado, however south central Colorado is under a Red Flag Warning today.

The drought monitor had a substantial change for the week. Severe drought conditions exist in 35% of the state, up from about 9%. Nearly all of SE Colorado is experiencing severe drought conditions.
 

March 1, 2011

Weather: 68/29, NNW wind 5-10 mph, no precipitation predicted. Temperatures will remain in the upper 50s-60s for the next few days before dropping off to near 50 Friday and Saturday. Chances of rain/snow have increased slightly, beginning Thursday night and continuing through at least Monday, however only small amounts of moisture are currently predicted.

Fire danger has dropped to moderate to high across SE Colorado, with a pocket of very high over Baca County and portions of the Oklahoma panhandle. Conditions may change rapidly.

The annual Colorado Emergency Management conference begins this morning. Updates will be posted to Twitter - follow @COEmergency and @ECIMT for updates throughout the week, and links to conference presentations.

February 28, 2011

Weather: 59/24, southwest wind 10-15, no precipitation predicted until the end of the week. Daytime highs will be in the upper 50 to mid-60s through Thursday before dropping to the 40s Friday and Saturday.

Fire danger in the region has taken a significant jump. Kiowa County is now high to very high, with extreme conditions over Baca County, SW Kansas and much of the Oklahoma pan handle into Texas. Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings may be possible throughout the week.

Registrations are still being accepted for ICS-100/NIMS-700 March 12. Pre-registration is requested to ensure materials are on hand. Contact chris@kiowaowm.com or csheridan@kiowaso.net for information.

Power was shut down for about 30 minutes in the town of Eads Saturday morning for urgent repairs to a line. Sheriff's deputies served as traffic control while SECPA crews worked to make repairs. No damage or adverse affects have been reported.
 

February 24, 2011

Weather: 42/19, snow possible but not likely before 11:00 a.m., ENE wind 5-10 mph. Daytime temperatures through Sunday have increased slightly from earlier predictions - now expecting low to mid-40s. Chance of snow for Sunday has also increased slightly to 20 percent. Daytime highs for Monday - Wednesday will be in the mid-50s.

Fire danger across most of SE Colorado has dropped to moderate, with the pocket of high to very high completely dissipating.

Drought conditions are largely unchanged from last week. The percent of area experiencing moderate drought conditions increased slightly, while the area experiencing severe conditions - which includes much of SE Colorado, remained steady but is down slightly from January levels.

The CodeRED signup page for citizens in Bent and Kiowa Counties was offline Tuesday through mid-morning Wednesday due to a technical issue in the vendor's system. The issue only affected adding new entries to the database - the ability to launch emergency notifications was not affected.

February 23, 2011

Weather: 56/21, NNW wind 5-15 mph, precipitation is not predicted. Daytime temperatures will be in the upper 30s to low 40s through Sunday. There is a slight chance of snow tonight, and decreased chance of a rain/snow mix Friday night through Sunday.

Fire danger across much of SE Colorado has reached high. The pocket of very high to extreme danger centered in Baca County has increased slightly from last week.

Contrary to yesterday's report, weekly drought information will not be updated until Thursday morning, with the report available Friday.

Spaces are still available for the ICS-100/NIMS-700 combined, one-day class March 12. This course covers the national requirements for basic NIMS compliance for all front-line workers and first responders. Contact chris@kiowaoem.com or csheridan@kiowaso.net for further information and to register.

SkyWarn Weather Spotter Training will be held March 30 at 18:30 in the courthouse meeting room. This two hour (approximate) course is strongly recommended for all first responders, and is appropriate for both new and experienced spotters. This course is also open to the general public. Send a note to Thomas.Magnuson@noaa.gov or chris@kiowaoem.com if you plan to attend so sufficient materials will be on hand for all attendees. 

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