High Wind, Kiowa County
- When
- May 17, 9:45 AM MST
- Where
- Kiowa County forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in Colorado, May 17, 2000
A very strong surface low pressure system over northeast Colorado generated high winds across southeast Colorado. Winds gusted to around 60 mph in the southeast plains, and as high as 70 mph in the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 11
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 PUB wrote it up.
A very strong surface low pressure system over northeast Colorado generated high winds across southeast Colorado. Winds gusted to around 60 mph in the southeast plains, and as high as 70 mph in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. In El Paso county gusts to near 60 mph caused widespread minor damage. A large tree fell on a van and house in southwest Colorado Springs, and numerous signs and tree limbs were downed in central and southern sections of the city. About 2500 customers lost power for up to an hour.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Eastern Las Animas County
- When
- May 17, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Las Animas County forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- UNKNOWN
- Coordinates
- 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity
- When
- May 17, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- UNKNOWN
- Coordinates
- 38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity
- When
- May 17, 10:32 AM MST
- Where
- Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- May 17, 11:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- May 17, 11:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Reported by
- UNKNOWN
- Coordinates
- 37.778, -106.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity
- When
- May 17, 11:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- UNKNOWN
- Coordinates
- 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity
- When
- May 17, 12:23 PM MST
- Where
- Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity
- When
- May 17, 12:46 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity
- When
- May 17, 12:48 PM MST
- Where
- Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs and Vicinity
- When
- May 17, 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs and Vicinity forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 37.240, -105.810 (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
- Hail in Iowa, May 17, 2000
- Hail in Minnesota, May 17, 2000
- Hail and Damaging Wind in South Dakota, May 17, 2000
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Wisconsin, May 17 to 18, 2000
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 17, 2000
- Hail in Wisconsin, May 17, 2000
- Hail in Iowa, May 17, 2000
- Hail in Kansas, May 17, 2000
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 17 to 18, 2000
- Hail in Minnesota, May 17, 2000
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 17, 2000
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 17, 2000
More
Every storm in Colorado in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 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: 5145294, 5145299, 5145300, 5145293, 5144976, 5145297, 5145298, 5145295, 5144977, 5145296, 5145301.