Colorado, 1997High Wind in Colorado, December 27 to 28, 1997
December 27 to 28, 1997 · NWS BOU · 9 events in 9 counties and zones
High winds combined with fresh snow from previous days caused slick roads and near whiteout conditions as localized ground blizzards developed. One person was injured in Summit County when she drove off Interstate 70 in whiteout conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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.
High winds combined with fresh snow from previous days caused slick roads and near whiteout conditions as localized ground blizzards developed. One person was injured in Summit County when she drove off Interstate 70 in whiteout conditions. Strong winds blew snow across the runways at Centennial Airport which glazed over and formed areas of black ice. Two planes were damaged when they slid off the runway while landing. No injuries were reported. Numerous accidents were also reported on Interstates 25 and 70 as black ice formed under the same conditions. High winds were also attributed to a rollover accident along Highway 93 near the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility. Four people were injured in the accident.High wind reports included: 95 mph (83 kts) 4 miles northwest of Fort Collins, 86 mph (75 kts) at Golden Gate Canyon, 80 mph (70 kts) at Loveland Ski Area, 74 mph (64 kts) at Livermore, 72 mph (63 kts) 8 miles west of Conifer, 70 mph (61 kts) at the NCAR facility, in the foothills southwest of Boulder, and at Jefferson County Airport, 68 mph (59 kts) 4 miles east of Haxtun and 58 mph (50 kts) at Limon.
High Wind, Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks forecast zone
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.726, -105.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties forecast zone
- Measured
- 64 kt (74 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.611, -104.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Denver Metropolitan Area
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Denver Metropolitan Area forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.714, -104.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Douglas and Western Elbert Counties/Castle Rock and Vicinity
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Douglas and Western Elbert Counties/Castle Rock and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.422, -104.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Elbert and Northern Lincoln Counties/Limon and Vicinity
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Elbert and Northern Lincoln Counties/Limon and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.138, -103.825 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity
- When
- December 27, 9:00 AM MST to December 28, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 59 kt (68 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.725, -103.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
- 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.
- Tornado in Florida, December 27, 199718 injured · $6.0 million · F2 · 1 event
- Cold in New Mexico, December 27, 19971 death · 1 event
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Florida, December 27, 1997$1.9 million · F1 · 2 events
- Flood in Florida, December 27 to 31, 1997$600,000 · 1 event
- Flood in Florida, December 27 to 30, 1997$500,000 · 1 event
- Flood in Florida, December 27, 1997$400,000 · 1 event
- Flood in Florida, December 27 to 31, 1997$250,000 · 1 event
- Tornado in Florida, December 27, 1997$200,000 · F0 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Texas, December 27, 1997$80,000 · 1 event
- Flood in Florida, December 27 to 31, 1997$40,000 · 1 event
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in South Dakota, December 27 to 28, 199721 events
- Damaging Wind in Florida, December 27, 1997$20,000 · 1 event
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: 5620392, 5620393, 5620394, 5620395, 5620396, 5620397, 5620398, 5620399, 5620400.