Colorado, 1999

High Wind in Colorado, February 17 to 18, 1999

February 17 to 18, 1999 · NWS BOU · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Following the passage of the storm system, damaging bora winds developed in and near the Front Range Foothills. Downed power lines caused major outages in Evergreen, Idaho Springs, Golden and Lakewood.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

Following the passage of the storm system, damaging bora winds developed in and near the Front Range Foothills. Peak wind reports included: 90 mph (78 kts) at the Gamow Tower on the Boulder Campus, 79 mph (69 kts) at the NCAR Mesa Lab and the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), 7 miles west of Broomfield, 75 mph (65 kts) at Carter Lake, 72 mph (63 kts) at Blue Mountain and Jefferson County Airport and 71 mph (61 kts), 5 miles south of Fort Collins.Downed power lines caused major outages in Evergreen, Idaho Springs, Golden and Lakewood. The outage affected at least 10,000 residents. In Golden, the wind toppled a "lightning static protection" line atop a 70-ft, 230,000 volt distribution tower. The downed line, sparked a small grass fire just east of the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center. The fire burned a path approximately 100 yards wide and a third of a mile long before it was contained.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin

When
February 17, 9:25 PM MST to February 18, 12:30 AM MST
Where
Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin forecast zone
Measured
69 kt (79 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

When
February 17, 9:25 PM MST to February 18, 12:30 AM MST
Where
Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins forecast zone
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Denver Metropolitan Area

When
February 17, 9:25 PM MST to February 18, 12:30 AM MST
Where
Denver Metropolitan Area forecast zone
Measured
63 kt (72 mph)
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
39.714, -104.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties

When
February 17, 9:25 PM MST to February 18, 12:30 AM MST
Where
Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.611, -104.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity

When
February 17, 9:25 PM MST to February 18, 12:30 AM MST
Where
Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.878, -105.220 (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, February 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: 5681795, 5681796, 5681797, 5681798, 5681799.