High Wind — Grand Valley, Colorado

2024-04-05 · Grand Valley, Colorado

Event narrative

Wind gusts across the zone ranged from 45 mph to near 65 mph, with the peak recorded gust occurring at the Colorado Department of Transportation weather station located in Palisade, CO. This was the only location to record gusts above 58 mph. The KGJT ASOS at the Grand Junction Regional Airport recorded a peak gust of 55 mph.

Wider weather episode

A deep trough of low pressure approached eastern Utah and western Colorado from the west, with a strong 140 knot jet aloft wrapping around the trough's base. This jet, combined with a very tight southwesterly pressure gradient aloft, brought very strong winds to the region ahead of an impressive cold front. Wind gusts ranged from 45 mph to 65 mph across valley locations, while mountain locations saw gusts up to 90 mph.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1178112. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.