High Wind — Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin, Colorado

2024-05-05 to 2024-05-07 · Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin, Colorado

Event narrative

Wind gusts across the zone ranged from 45 mph to 60 mph, with the peak gusts of 60 mph both occurring at the Colorado Department of Transportation Mesonet site 050w054 Mesa County Line South on the afternoon of the 5th. The peak gust recorded at the KMTJ ASOS at the Montrose Regional Airport was 51 mph on the morning of the 7th. Additionally all the sites in this zone recorded gusts above 45 mph each day during this multiple day event.

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 1181489. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.