Strong winds occurred from the Sangre de Cristo mountains and east from early morning of the 4th through most of the day, as a powerful jet stream moved across Colorado. Sustained winds of 30 to 50 mph prevailed across the entire area before tapering off by late afternoon of the 5th.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
Strong winds occurred from the Sangre de Cristo mountains and east from early morning of the 4th through most of the day, as a powerful jet stream moved across Colorado. Sustained winds of 30 to 50 mph prevailed across the entire area before tapering off by late afternoon of the 5th. Damaging wind gusts began early morning of the 5th. Winds gusts to between 70 and 100 mph in the mountains west of and into Colorado Springs. In El Paso County a 70 foot Ponderosa pine fell on a house, and numerous fences and other outbuildings were damaged. Extensive damage occurred across the Wet Mountain Valley. Numerous power lines, smaller buildings, house and vehicle windows, and large trees were destroyed or damaged, as winds gusted over 100 mph. The Pines Ranch, 10 miles northwest of Westcliffe in the northwest Wet Mountain Valley reported hundreds of large Ponderosa pines blown down and snapped off. In Stonewall, in Huerfano county, winds were estimated over 100 mph, damaging Picketwire Lodge.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 1996
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5578275, 5578277, 5578280, 5578281, 5578276, 5578278, 5578279.