Colorado officials give state wildfire outlook for 2024 [Video]

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — State officials announced their outlook for the 2024 Colorado wildfire season on Wednesday.

Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) Director Mike Morgan said “normal” fire potential is forecasted for April to July. Morgan said southeast Colorado may see “elevated conditions” during the spring due to drought conditions.

The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map shows that five counties butting up along the Kansas border are experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Southern and southwestern Colorado are also listed as being abnormally dry. A swath of moderate drought conditions stretches from western Mesa County, including Grand Junction, through far-western portions of Garfield and Rio Blanco counties.

Morgan said long-range forecasts for the summer months don’t bode well as of now. 

Weather modeling DFPC uses, Morgan said, shows below-average monsoonal moisture making its way into Colorado, which would allow warm, dry conditions to creep …