High Wind, Southern San Luis Valley
- When
- December 21, 5:00 PM MST to December 22, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern San Luis Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.240, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in Colorado, December 21 to 22, 1996
High winds were reported from the Rampart Range, west of Colorado Springs to the Wet Mountains, west of Pueblo. High winds also occurred in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Wet Mountain Valley.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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 PUB wrote it up.
High winds were reported from the Rampart Range, west of Colorado Springs to the Wet Mountains, west of Pueblo. High winds also occurred in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Wet Mountain Valley. A few specific reports had winds gusting to 73 mph in Manitou Springs, west of Colorado Springs, and to 64 mph in Beulah, in western Pueblo County.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft
- When
- December 21, 5:00 PM MST to December 22, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft
- When
- December 21, 5:00 PM MST to December 22, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft
- When
- December 21, 5:00 PM MST to December 22, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft
- When
- December 21, 5:00 PM MST to December 22, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.867, -105.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft
- When
- December 21, 5:00 PM MST to December 22, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft
- When
- December 21, 5:00 PM MST to December 22, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.426, -104.809 (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
- High Wind in California, December 21, 1996
- Winter Storm in California, December 21 to 23, 1996
- Cold in Minnesota, December 21 to 27, 1996
- Cold in North Dakota, December 21 to 27, 1996
- Avalanche in California, December 21, 1996
- Winter Storm in California, December 21 to 22, 1996
- High Wind in Colorado, December 21, 1996
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, December 21 to 22, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Montana, December 21, 1996
- High Wind in Alaska, December 21, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Montana, December 21 to 31, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, December 21 to 22, 1996
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5578310, 5578311, 5578312, 5578313, 5578314, 5578315, 5578316.