High Wind — Yuma County, Colorado

2025-12-17 · Yuma County, Colorado

Event narrative

The strongest measured wind gust of the event was recorded 3 W Wray via a WeatherUnderground mesonet site named KCOWRAY25. The site also recorded a 81mph wind gust just before the 83mph gust. Another 80 mph wind gust was recorded via RAWS station near Hale named TT563 South Republican. A 75 mph wind gust was also recorded 4 NE Idalia on CDOT site CO047. A 71 mph wind gust was recorded on the Wray Airport AWOS named K2V5, a 64 mph wind gust was recorded shortly before as well. An Ambient Weather site 6 NNW Wauneta recorded a 69 mph wind gust. A CoAgMet site named CSU50 located 8 ENE Clarkville recorded a 60 mph wind gust. The county Emergency Manager relayed numerous damage reports such as numerous reports of roof and damage was reported in the town of Wray. A private hangar at the city of Wray Airport was destroyed due to the wind. Debris from this hangar also damaged neighboring hangars to the south. Fencing and part of a wood frame building was damaged in Eckley. A large tree in the town of Wray fell on a house destroying the house and compromising the framing.

Wider weather episode

A strong cold front brought high wind gusts up to 83 mph across Yuma county through just past midnight on the 18th. A couple wildfires occurred as well due to winds blowing down power lines. The largest fire was near Heartstrong which burned around 12,000 acres. Additional wind gusts to 76 mph was recorded in Burlington, along with a 63 mph wind gust near Cheyenne Wells in Cheyenne county. The high winds caused property damage in northern Yuma County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1299467. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.