Colorado, 2000

High Wind in Colorado, May 17, 2000

May 17, 2000 · NWS BOU · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

High winds occurred along and east of the Front Range Foothills as an intense surface low formed in the northeast plains of Colorado. The Gateway Amusement Park, located in north Boulder, received about $25,000 in property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 occurred along and east of the Front Range Foothills as an intense surface low formed in the northeast plains of Colorado. The Gateway Amusement Park, located in north Boulder, received about $25,000 in property damage. Peak wind reports from around the area included: 88 mph (77 kts) at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), 84 mph (73 kts) in Boulder, 83 mph (72 kts) at Fort Morgan, 80 mph (70 kts) at the NCAR Mesa Lab, 70 mph (61 kts) at Woodrow, 69 mph (60 kts), 4 miles southeast of Holyoke, 64 mph (56 kts) at Merino, 63 mph (55 kts), 1 mile north of Strasburg, with 58 mph (50 kts) at Akron and 2 miles east-northeast of Brush.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

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

When
May 17, 1:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins forecast zone
Measured
77 kt (89 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity

When
May 17, 1:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
73 kt (84 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Morgan County/Fort Morgan and Vicinity

When
May 17, 1:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Morgan County/Fort Morgan and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.263, -103.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washington County/Akron and Vicinity

When
May 17, 1:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Washington County/Akron and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.971, -103.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity

When
May 17, 1:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Logan County/Sterling and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.725, -103.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sedgwick and Phillips Counties

When
May 17, 1:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Sedgwick and Phillips Counties forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.876, -102.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Adams and Eastern Arapahoe Counties

When
May 17, 1:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Adams and Eastern Arapahoe Counties forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.762, -104.338 (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, 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: 5148504, 5148505, 5148506, 5148507, 5148508, 5148509, 5148510.