High Wind — Animas River Basin, Colorado

2024-05-05 to 2024-05-07 · Animas River Basin, Colorado

Event narrative

Wind gusts across the zone ranged from 45 mph to near 60 mph during this event. The peak recorded gust of 58 mph occurred during the early morning hours of the 6th at KDRO ASOS at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. Peak gusts occurred during the late night hours of the 5th into the early morning hours of the 6th, with a secondary peak on the afternoon of the 7th associated with the cold frontal passage.

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 1181606. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.