High Wind — Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus, Colorado

2025-06-20 · Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus, Colorado

Event narrative

The Colorado Department of Transportation road weather mesonet site at Douglas Pass recorded multiple gusts above 75 mph throughout the afternoon of the 20th. The first was a gust to 78 mph at 11:39 AM MDT, followed by the peak gust to 89 mph at 1:31 PM MDT, and an additional gust to 75 mph at 5:56 PM MDT. Other gusts around the zone were in the upper 40s and 50s mph. The Douglas Pass site is one of the highest sensors in the zone, and is oriented along a north-south axis that does well in wind regimes such as this one, explaining the particularly high wind gusts achieved at this location. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received associated with this event.

Wider weather episode

A trough dropping out of the Pacific Northwest on the 20th helped to tighten the pressure gradient aloft. This in turn worked to increase surface winds across eastern Utah and western Colorado. In addition, a ridge of high pressure that was still partly in place on the 20th promoted clear skies and deep mixing, helping to mix down even stronger winds to the surface. This pattern lingered into the afternoon of the 21st, allowing for a few late wind gusts to pop up at higher elevations of northwest Colorado.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1275581. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.