High Wind in Colorado, January 18, 1999

Name: High Wind in Colorado, January 18, 1999
Start: 1999-01-18T00:00
End: 1999-01-18T13:00
Location: Colorado

January 18, 1999 · NWS BOU · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Damaging downslope winds continued to cause problems in and near the Front Range Foothills. Several trees were toppled in Estes Park.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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Wind
Hail
Winter weather
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Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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.

Damaging downslope winds continued to cause problems in and near the Front Range Foothills. Several trees were toppled in Estes Park. At Eldora, the roof was blown off an A-frame house. Peak wind reports included: 100 mph (87 kts) at Central City, 84 mph (73 kts) at Wondervu, 77 mph (67 kts) at Blue Mountain, 75 mph (65 kts) at Golden Gate Canyon, 72 mph (63 kts) at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility, with 70 mph (61 kts) at the NCAR Mesa Lab near Boulder.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin / W Jefferson / Ne Park / E Clear Creek / Se Gilpin / Sw Douglas

When: January 18, 12:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where: Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin / W Jefferson / Ne Park / E Clear Creek / Se Gilpin / Sw Douglas forecast zone
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
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 / C Boulder / Ne Gilpin / C Larimer

When: January 18, 12:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins / C Boulder / Ne Gilpin / C Larimer forecast zone
Measured: 73 kt (84 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity / E Boulder / X Sw Weld

When: January 18, 12:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity / E Boulder / X Sw Weld forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Denver Metropolitan Area / E Jefferson / W Adams / Denver / W Arapahoe / N Douglas

When: January 18, 12:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where: Denver Metropolitan Area / E Jefferson / W Adams / Denver / W Arapahoe / N Douglas forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.714, -104.707 (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

Every storm in Colorado in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, January 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: 5678655, 5678656, 5678657, 5678658.