Following an abnormally dry winter, the southwestern US was off to a rough start for the Spring and Summer months with drought categories climbing to extreme to exceptional conditions.
With dry fuels in place, this leaves the land vulnerable for wildfires as conditions continue to heat up across the area.
Unfortunately, several states now contending with active wildfires in the region from parts of the western New Mexico in the Gila National Forest all the way north into parts of the San Juans around Durango, CO.
The wildfire in Durango, CO is only a mere 15% contained and firefighters are still working endlessly to mitigate the flames.
Thankfully, good news coming out of the Ute Park Fire in New Mexico which is nearly 100% contained but the charred land left behind will make much of the terrain susceptible to mudslides as the area is forecasted to receive heavy rain by the weekend.
The good news is there is rain in the forecast for the weekend.
What is left of Bud will continue to track into the southwest reaching southern Arizona by Friday and New Mexico and southern Colorado by Saturday.
The medicine, in this case, is the moisture of course and the side effect will be the risk for flash flooding across the desert terrain by this weekend.
Please exercise caution if you plan to be in these areas this weekend.
Meteorologist Merry Matthews