Colorado, 1996

High Wind in Colorado, December 2, 1996

December 2, 1996 · NWS BOU · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

High winds redeveloped in and near the Front Range Foothills. Some damage was reported 6 miles northwest of Fort Collins when a wind gust to 94 mph (82 kts) ripped off a patio deck.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Wind
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  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.

High winds redeveloped in and near the Front Range Foothills. Some damage was reported 6 miles northwest of Fort Collins when a wind gust to 94 mph (82 kts) ripped off a patio deck. Additional high wind reports included: 86 mph (75 kts) 1 mile east of Buckhorn Mtn, 81 mph (70 kts) at Golden Gate Canyon, 72 mph (63 kts) at Carter Lake and 70 mph (61 kts) 4 miles south of Livermore.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Larimer County Below 6000 Feet / Nw Weld County

When
December 2, 5:00 AM MST to 7:30 AM MST
Where
Larimer County Below 6000 Feet / Nw Weld County forecast zone
Measured
82 kt (94 mph)
Coordinates
40.611, -104.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jefferson & W Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Ne Park Counties Below 9000 Feet

When
December 2, 5:00 AM MST to 7:30 AM MST
Where
Jefferson & W Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Ne Park Counties Below 9000 Feet forecast zone
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet

When
December 2, 5:00 AM MST to 7:30 AM MST
Where
Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet forecast zone
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Boulder & Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet / W Broomfield County

When
December 2, 5:00 AM MST to 7:30 AM MST
Where
Boulder & Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet / W Broomfield County forecast zone
Measured
63 kt (72 mph)
Coordinates
39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5581091, 5581092, 5581093, 5581094.