Colorado, 2000

High Wind in Colorado, March 7 to 8, 2000

March 7 to 8, 2000 · NWS BOU · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

High winds developed in and near the Front Range Foothills, as well as parts of the northeast plains of Colorado as yet another Pacific storm system moved across the region. Several trees and power lines were reportedly downed near Blackhawk, Boulder and in Coal Creek Canyon.

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
None recorded
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.

High winds developed in and near the Front Range Foothills, as well as parts of the northeast plains of Colorado as yet another Pacific storm system moved across the region. Several trees and power lines were reportedly downed near Blackhawk, Boulder and in Coal Creek Canyon. In Boulder, about 30 homes in the Pinebrook Hills subdivision were evacuated when downed power lines sparked a grassfire. The winds eventually shifted the fire into itself, allowing firefighters to contain the two acre blaze. Several roofs were also blown off barns, sheds and garages. High winds forced the closure of U.S. Highway 287, from Fort Collins to the Wyoming stateline, and Colorado 71, from Stoneham to the Nebraska stateline. Two semi-trailers were blown over; one along Colorado 470 between Golden and Morrison, with the other along Interstate 25 near the Longmont exit. In and along the Front Range Foothills, peak wind gusts included: 101 mph (88 kts) atop Bonner Peak and at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility, 100 mph (87 kts) at the NWTC, 98 mph (85 kts) at Wellington, 93 mph (81 kts) near Estes Park, 90 mph (78 kts) at Blackhawk and Blue Mountain, 92 mph (80 kts) at South Boulder, 85 mph (74 kts) at Allenspark and Como, 81 mph (71 kts) at Pinewood Lake, 80 mph (70 kts) at Carter Lake, 73 mph (63 kts) at Coal Creek Canyon, 72 mph (62 kts) at Golden and 70 mph (61 kts) at Hourglass Lake, Louisville and atop Loveland Pass.In the Northeast Plains, peak wind gusts included: 89 mph (77 kts) at Padroni, 74 mph (64 kts) at Merino, 71 mph (61 kts) at Fort Morgan, 69 mph (60 kts) at the Akron airport, 68 mph (59 kts) at Hereford, 66 mph (57 kts), 4 miles east of Haxtun and 15 miles west-northwest of Sterling, 64 mph (56 kts), 14 miles north-northwest of Otis, 63 mph (52 kts) at New Raymer, 61 mph (53 kts), 9 miles north of Limon, with 60 mph (52 kts) at Crook.

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

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Denver Metropolitan Area / E Jefferson / W Adams / Denver / W Arapahoe / N Douglas forecast zone
Measured
88 kt (101 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.714, -104.707 (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
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins / C Boulder / Ne Gilpin / C Larimer forecast zone
Measured
88 kt (101 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin / W Jefferson / Ne Park / E Clear Creek / Se Gilpin / Sw Douglas forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, South Park / S Park

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
South Park / S Park forecast zone
Measured
74 kt (85 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.119, -105.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties / Fort Collins and Vicinity / E Larimer / Nw Weld

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties / Fort Collins and Vicinity / E Larimer / Nw Weld forecast zone
Measured
88 kt (101 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 / E Boulder / X Sw Weld

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity / E Boulder / X Sw Weld forecast zone
Measured
87 kt (100 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
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Northeastern Weld County forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.555, -104.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Morgan County/Fort Morgan and Vicinity

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Morgan County/Fort Morgan and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
62 kt (71 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.263, -103.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
77 kt (89 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.725, -103.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washington County/Akron and Vicinity

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Washington County/Akron and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 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
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Sedgwick and Phillips Counties forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.876, -102.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Eastern Elbert and Northern Lincoln Counties/Limon and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.138, -103.825 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks / S Grand / Summit / W Clear Creek / W Gilpin / Sw Boulder / Nw Park

When
March 7, 11:30 PM MST to March 8, 9:30 AM MST
Where
Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks / S Grand / Summit / W Clear Creek / W Gilpin / Sw Boulder / Nw Park forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.726, -105.675 (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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 2000

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: 5132693, 5132694, 5132695, 5132696, 5132697, 5132698, 5132699, 5132700, 5132701, 5132702, 5132703, 5132704, 5132705.