Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Elkhead and Park Mountains, Colorado

2025-01-21 to 2025-01-22 · Elkhead and Park Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

The STORM mesonet at Storm Peak Lab recorded over 24 hours of wind speeds at or above 10 mph and temperatures at or below 25F, resulting in wind chill values below 15F. Temperatures ranged from -5F to 2F, and wind speeds ranged from 10 mph to 50 mph. The coldest wind chill value recorded during this period was -28F. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received.

Wider weather episode

A cold front ushered in an arctic airmass on the evening of January 17th, as well as bringing widespread wind and snow to eastern Utah and western Colorado. This arctic airmass was reinforced over the course of the next week by several passing waves with their own associated cold fronts. Temperatures during this period were 15-20 degrees below normal, and in some places close to 30 degrees below normal. With temperatures this cold, any amount of wind would produce a dangerously cold wind chill. The coldest period of this event was January 20th to the 22nd, with temperatures finally beginning to moderate after the 23rd.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1234067. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.