High Wind in Grand Valley, Colorado

The Colorado Department of Transportation road weather mesonet site 070w001 Utah State Line recorded a gust to 60 mph at approximately 1:21 PM MDT on the 20th. Other gusts around the region ranged from the upper 40s mph to the mid 50s mph. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received.

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.