High Wind — Lower Yampa River Basin, Colorado

2024-05-05 to 2024-05-07 · Lower Yampa River Basin, Colorado

Event narrative

Winds across the region ranged from 45 mph to 60 mph during over the course of the multiday wind event, with the peak gust of 60 mph occurring on the afternoon of the 5th. This gust was recorded at the Dragon Road RAWS site.

Wider weather episode

As an unseasonably strong Pacific trough moved inland in the days leading up to this wind event, the pressure gradient ahead of it began to tighten. An accompanying deep layer jet streak brought an additional boost to winds ahead of this trough. Although the winds began early on the morning of the 5th, they lasted through the cold front passage on the 7th, particularly at higher elevations. Multiple wind highlights, with a combination of High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories, were in effect for this event.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1181478. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.