Strong winds in Greeley, gusting to 40 mph at times, allowed a fast moving fire to consume a home, two outbuildings and the field surrounding the farmland surrounding the immediate area.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.
Strong winds in Greeley, gusting to 40 mph at times, allowed a fast moving fire to consume a home, two outbuildings and the field surrounding the farmland surrounding the immediate area.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 2:15 AM MST, 11 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 315 AM MDT MON MAY 9 2011 .SHORT TERM...A MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL BE OVER COLORADO TODAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM SITTING OVER CENTRAL NEVADA. MAIN CONCERN TODAY WILL CONTINUE TO BE DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS AND ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED FOR TODAY STILL LOOKS ON TRACK. MDLS HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN TOO HIGH WITH THE FCST DEWPOINTS ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN PLAINS SO LOWERED THEM CLOSER TO YESTERDAYS OBSERVATIONS IN THE GRIDS. IN SPITE OF SOME INCREASE IN MID AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE OVER WESTERN COLORADO...IT WILL STILL BE HARD TO GENERATE THUNDERSTORMS. WL KEEP SLGT CHC POPS IN THE GRIDS FOR THIS AFTN/EVNG. NAM12 SOUNDINGS INDICATE DRY ADIABATIC SOUNDING TO 550 MB WITH SOME CAPE VALUES AROUND 150 J/KG. HIGH BASED CB BUILDUPS WITH GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS THE LIKELY BY-PRODUCT VS ANY RAINFALL. SOUNDINGS SHOW A DEEP LAYER OF SWLY WINDS AT DENVER...MORE S-SELY IN THE HIGH COUNTRY. FOR TNGT...WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL DECREASE AFTER 03Z. NOT MUCH QPF GENERATED IN THE MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT EITHER SO WL STICK WITH SLGT CHC POPS FOR PRIMARILY ZONE 31. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL BE SLOW TO RECOVER THIS EVENING. THE STORM SYSTEM OVER NEVADA APPEARS TO ELONGATE OVERNIGHT WITH SOME OF THE ENERGY SPLITTING TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF COLORADO...WHILE THE OTHER HALF DROPS INTO SRN NEVADA BY 12Z TUESDAY. OVERALL SWLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVER COLORADO LITTLE APPRECIABLE QG ASCENT PROGGED FOR THE CWFA. .LONG TERM...ON TUESDAY CONTINUING TUESDAY EVENING...FAIRLY STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT IS PROGGED OVER THE FORECAST AREA. BY LATER TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY THE FLOW BECOMES SOUTHERLY AND DECREASES AS AN UPPER CLOSED LOW MOVES EASTWARD CROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. BY 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE UPPER LOW IS FORECAST AROUND SOUTHEAST COLORADO WITH AN UPPER TROUGH AXIS STRETCHED NORTHWESTWARD INTO CENTRAL WYOMING. ON TUESDAY...THE QG VERTICAL VELOCITY FIELDS SHOW PRETTY STRONG DOWNWARD SYNOPTIC SCALE ENERGY OVER THE CWA. BY TUESDAY EVENING...THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING...FAIRLY STRONG UPWARD MOTION IS PROGGED. THE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE AND WIND FIELDS HAVE WESTERLY DOWNSLOPING BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW OVER THE CWA ON TUESDAY. BY TUESDAY EVENING...A SURFACE CYCLONE DEVELOPS OVER SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO WITH NORTH-NORTHEASTERLY UPSLOPE WINDS BY 03Z. THIS CONTINUES THROUGH MUCH OF WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. DOWNSLOPING IS THEN PROGGED FOR THE FORECAST AREA. FOR MOISTURE...IT REMAINS PRETTY SPARSE OVER THE CWA ON TUESDAY...WITH JUST A BIT IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS. MOISTURE INCREASES DRAMATICALLY TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA BY 06Z. THE WESTERN PLAINS HAVE DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE BY 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING ...WITH THE EASTERN PLAINS STILL SOMEWHAT DRY. ALL BUT THE EASTERN PLAINS HAVE DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE OVER THEM WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE EASTERN PLAINS FINALLY GET DECENT MOISTURE BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON LATE. THE MOUNTAINS STAY PRETTY MOIST OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY...AS DO THE EASTERN PLAINS...WITH DOWNSLOPING DRYING OUT THE FOOTHILLS AND IMMEDIATE PLAINS. THERE IS VERY LITTLE TO NO CAPE FOR THE CWA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE QPF FIELDS SHOW A TAD OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION IN THE MOUNTAINS ON TUESDAY. THERE IS QUITE A BIT MORE PROGGED TUESDAY NIGHT... ESPECIALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE BEST IS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. THE FAR EAST HAS NONE TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE ARE FAIR AMOUNTS PROGGED ON WEDNESDAY...EVEN A TAD GETTING INTO THE FAR EAST BY AFTERNOON. THE NAM KEEPS SOME OVER THE CWA WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE MOST OVER THE EAST. THE GFS IS DRIER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SO FOR POPS...WILL GO WITH NOTHING TUESDAY MORNING...IT IS JUST TOO DRY...THEN MINOR POPS IN THE MOUNTAINS BY AFTERNOON. FOR TUESDAY EVENING...WILL INCREASE THEM IN ALL AREAS...WITH 30-50%S AFTER MIDNIGHT CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WILL TAPPER THINGS BACK... ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS...AND IMMEDIATE PLAINS. CONCERNING THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT ON TUESDAY...IT SHOULD BE COOLER ...A BIT MORE MOIST...AND WINDS DO NOT LOOK SIGNIFICANT. FOR TEMPERATURES...TUESDAY'S HIGHS ARE 2-4 C COOLER THAN TODAY'S. WEDNESDAY HIGHS ARE 8-12 C COLDER THAN TUESDAY'S. FOR THE LATER DAYS...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...AN UPPER RIDGE IS OVER THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THIS PERIOD. THERE IS LITTLE MOISTURE AROUND THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO BE AT OR A BIT ABOVE SEASONAL NORMAL. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT 24 HRS. SLY WINDS 12-20 KT THROUGH 18Z THEN INCREASING BECOMING W-SWLY 20-30 KTS AFTER 20Z. THE WINDS WILL WEAKEN AND SHIFT BACK TO SSWLY COMPONENT SOMETIME AFTER 03Z. && .HYDROLOGY...NO RAINFALL EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...BUT THERE IS SLIGHT CHANCE OF A HIGH BASED SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AFTER 21Z. PENDING ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEXT MID WEEK TROF WILL DEPEND ON HOW MUCH RAINFALL FALLS IN THE WED-THU TIME FRAME OVER THE BURN AREAS. WITH AFTN TEMPERATURES STILL WELL ABOVE NORMAL TODAY...SNOWMELT WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE BUT CREEKS AND STREAMS WILL REMAIN WELL WITHIN THEIR BANKS. ONLY GAGE OF MINOR CONCERN IS MUDDY CREEK AT KREMMLING MLAC2...WHICH IS AT 7.25 FEET THIS MORNING WITH FLOOD STAGE (MINOR FLOODING) SET AT 8 FEET. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FOR 1100 MDT TODAY UNTIL 2000 MDT THIS EVENING FOR FIRE ZONES... 214..216..241..239-240-243>251 && COOP/KOOP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1056 AM MDT MON MAY 09 2011 COZ030>051-101200- JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/ NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/ SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY-BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/ EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET-NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY-CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY- 1056 AM MDT MON MAY 09 2011 ...RED FLAG WARNING TODAY THROUGH 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS...SOUTH PARK AND MUCH OF THE NORTHEAST PLAINS FOR GUSTY WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY WARM...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS WILL AGAIN PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTH PARK...THE SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND MOST OF THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 45 MPH. A FEW HIGH BASED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS BUT VERY LIMITED RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A GOOD CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION TO ALL THE FORECAST AREA FROM TUESDAY EVENING INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...WITH THE BEST CHANCE ALL DAY WEDNESDAY. DEPENDING ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE STORM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVING SOUTH TUESDAY NIGHT...AREAS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS COULD SEE ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF PRECIPITATION TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. COOLER TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ALLOW FOR SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW TO FALL OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. MAINLY DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH A FEW LATE DAY THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEEKEND. THE ONLY COOL DAY WILL BE WEDNESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES ABOUT 15 DEGREES COOLER THAN NORMAL...THEN NEAR NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THE REST OF THE DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. D-L/KRIEDERMAN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 2011
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: 312955.