Colorado, 1999

High Wind in Colorado, April 8, 1999

April 8, 1999 · NWS BOU · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

2 million, making it the third costliest storm to strike the region. 35 million) consisted of broken fences, awnings, doors and windows.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$7.2 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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.

Another damaging windstorm ravaged much of northeast Colorado to the tune of $7.2 million, making it the third costliest storm to strike the region. Most of the damage to homes ($4.35 million) consisted of broken fences, awnings, doors and windows. In one instance, a home under construction in Fort Collins was blown down by the strong winds. Scores of automobiles ($2.85 million) suffered broken or cracked windshields and paint damage from flying debris. Crop damage was also incurred as budding crops were blown away in the windstorm.Multiple accidents were triggered as several tractor-trailer rigs were blown on their sides by strong cross-winds. Blowing dust and dirt caused near zero visibilities at times. As a result, sections of Interstate 25, from Denver to the Wyoming State line, Interstate 76, from Denver to the Nebraska State line and State Highway 93, between Golden and Boulder, were closed until the winds safely subsided. Several trees, power poles and power lines were downed causing a number of outages throughout northeast Colorado as well as sparking a few small grass fires.Peak wind gusts reached or exceeded the century mark at several locations, including 116 mph (100 kts), 4 miles northwest of Bingham Hill near Fort Collins, 112 mph (97 kts) atop Niwot Ridge, 106 mph (92 kts), 2 miles north of Estes Park, 103 mph (90 kts) at Carter Lake, 102 mph (89 kts) at Wondervu, and 100 mph (87 kts) at the NCAR Mesa Lab, in the foothills southwest of Boulder.Other peak wind reports included: 96 mph (83 kts) at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility, 92 mph (80 kts) at Jefferson County Airport, 91 mph (79 kts) 4 miles south of Livermore, 90 mph (78 kts) at Allenspark, Highlands Ranch and 21 miles north of New Raymer, 87 mph (76 kts) at Merino, 85 mph (74 kts) 7 miles west of Broomfield, 82 mph (71 kts) at Golden Gate Canyon and Hereford, 80 mph (70 kts) at Broomfield, the CU Campus in Boulder, and 6 miles west-northwest of Loveland, 77 mph (67 kts) at the Akron Airport, 75 mph (65 kts), 6 miles south of Bennett, 74 mph (64 kts) at Crook and 4 miles east of Haxtun, 73 mph (64 kts) at Fort Collins, 71 mph (62 kts) at Woodrow, 70 mph (61 kts) at North Table Mountain near Golden and 15 miles west-northwest of Sterling, 65 mph (56 kts), 6 miles southeast of Wellington, 63 mph (55 kts) at Padroni, 59 mph (51 kts), 1 mile north of Strasburg and 58 mph (50 kts) at Greeley and 9 miles north of Limon.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins forecast zone
Measured
100 kt (115 mph)
Property damage
$7.2 million
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin forecast zone
Measured
74 kt (85 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties forecast zone
Measured
90 kt (104 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.611, -104.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Denver Metropolitan Area

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Denver Metropolitan Area forecast zone
Measured
83 kt (96 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.714, -104.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
71 kt (82 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northeastern Weld County

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Northeastern Weld County forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.555, -104.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Weld County/Greeley and Vicinity

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Southern Weld County/Greeley and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.555, -104.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Morgan County/Fort Morgan and Vicinity

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Morgan County/Fort Morgan and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.263, -103.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Adams and Eastern Arapahoe Counties

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Eastern Adams and Eastern Arapahoe Counties forecast zone
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.762, -104.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Elbert and Northern Lincoln Counties/Limon and Vicinity

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Eastern Elbert and Northern Lincoln Counties/Limon and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.138, -103.825 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
76 kt (87 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.725, -103.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washington County/Akron and Vicinity

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Washington County/Akron and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
67 kt (77 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.971, -103.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sedgwick and Phillips Counties

When
April 8, 3:20 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where
Sedgwick and Phillips Counties forecast zone
Measured
64 kt (74 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.876, -102.352 (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 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 1999

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: 5690555, 5690556, 5690557, 5690558, 5690559, 5690560, 5690561, 5690562, 5690563, 5690564, 5690565, 5690566, 5690567.