High Wind, Sedgwick County
- When
- April 5, 9:00 AM MST to April 6, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Sedgwick County forecast zone
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.876, -102.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in Colorado, April 5 to 6, 1997
As the surface low tracked into Nebraska, northerly winds intensified even further in the northeast plains. Peak wind gusts to 70 mph (60 kts) were observed near Haxtun with gusts to 60 mph reported at Akron and Greeley (52 kts and 51 kts respectively).
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- 5
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.
As the surface low tracked into Nebraska, northerly winds intensified even further in the northeast plains. Peak wind gusts to 70 mph (60 kts) were observed near Haxtun with gusts to 60 mph reported at Akron and Greeley (52 kts and 51 kts respectively). The combination of strong winds and freshly fallen snow resulted in whiteout conditions as localized ground blizzards developed. Several accidents were reported in Logan, Sedgwick and Phillips Counties.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, C & S Weld County
- When
- April 5, 9:00 AM MST to April 6, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- C & S Weld County forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.555, -104.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Logan County
- When
- April 5, 9:00 AM MST to April 6, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Logan County forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.725, -103.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Washington County
- When
- April 5, 9:00 AM MST to April 6, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Washington County forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.971, -103.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Morgan County
- When
- April 5, 9:00 AM MST to April 6, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Morgan County forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.263, -103.810 (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
- Blizzard in North Dakota, April 5 to 6, 1997
- Blizzard in South Dakota, April 5 to 6, 1997
- Blizzard in Minnesota, April 5 to 6, 1997
- Flood in North Dakota, April 5 to 8, 1997
- Flash Flood in Arkansas, April 5, 1997
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, April 5, 1997
- Flood in Minnesota, April 5 to 8, 1997
- Flood in Minnesota, April 5 to 9, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Wisconsin, April 5, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, April 5, 1997
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, April 5, 1997
- Blizzard in Nebraska, April 5 to 6, 1997
More
Every storm in Colorado in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 1997
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: 5592207, 5592208, 5592209, 5592210, 5592211.