High Wind in Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus, Colorado

The Colorado Department of Transportation road weather mesonet site at Douglas Pass recorded a wind gust to 75 mph at approximately 2:00 PM MDT on the 21st. An additional gust to 74 mph was recorded later in the afternoon. Other gusts across the zone were above 45 mph through the afternoon. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received in association with this event.

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.