The Yampa Valley is projected to have the hottest summer day it has had in two years with temperatures grazing 90 degrees Monday.

Also, the western part of the Yampa Valley, including Craig and beyond, has been issued a red flag warning for high risk of wildfires.

According to forecasters, temperatures will remain high across Colorado this week with some areas expected to experience record-breaking heat.

Monday’s high could reach 93 degrees, a temperature Routt County has not seen since 2021, according to Mike Weisbluth, who runs the website SnowAlarm.com. Based on his predictions, Tuesday is slated to be 87 degrees, Wednesday 84 and Thursday 83.

Weisbluth said a ridge of high pressure to the west of Steamboat and a wave of low pressure moving across the central Rockies are responsible for the sunny conditions early this week. High winds are also expected to accompany the hot weather.

The wave of low pressure is anticipated to bring record heat to the Grand Junction area Monday with the National Weather Service putting the high at 99 degrees.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-pressure system coming up from the south of Steamboat should bring some monsoonal moisture that could result in light rain. Weisbluth said possible lighting storms are in the forecast for the middle of the week as well. 

The National Weather Service in Grand Junction said there will be a small chance of rain Friday leading into Saturday as well.

Steamboat and Oak Creek will both dip down to humidity levels that are a concern for wildfires this week, though neither are considered to be at a high risk.

“The last we checked, the fuels in those areas are not critical,” said Tom Renwick of the National Weather Service.

While Oak Creek and Steamboat may be in the clear for this week, Craig is not. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the area, citing the presence of multiple factors that contribute to wildfires. 

The warning will go into effect Monday, as the area’s temperatures reach the 90s, humidity dips down to 10% — which is 5% below the threshold — and winds ramp up to 25 mph.