Strong winds developed across the northeast plains and Palmer Divide ahead of an approaching storm system. At the National Wind Technology Center, peak wind gusts ranged from 79 to 92 mph during the early morning hours.
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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 developed across the northeast plains and Palmer Divide ahead of an approaching storm system. At the National Wind Technology Center, peak wind gusts ranged from 79 to 92 mph during the early morning hours. The high wind was more widespread further east. Sustained winds from 30 to 40 mph were common with peak winds gusts to 66 mph. In Greeley, the wind snapped tree limbs and downed power lines, causing a few brief outages. Some minor roof damage was reported in Greeley as well as Julesburg. Across metro Denver, the strong winds toppled a few trees and damaged patio furniture. The wind caused a few flight delays at Denver International Airport due to a partial ground stoppage of incoming flights.
Peak wind reports included: 66 mph at Cedar Point, 63 mph at Denver International Airport, 62 mph at Julesburg and Natural Fort Rest Area; 61 mph at Holyoke; 60 mph at Buckley Air Force Base and Woodrow; 59 mph at Highlands Ranch, Limon and New Raymer; 58 mph at Akron, Deer Trail and Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Broomfield; 57 mph at Wiggins; 55 mph at Bennett, Centenniel Airport, City Park in Denver and Greeley; 54 mph at Sterling.
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 Oct 5, 8:36 PM MST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 936 PM MDT WED OCT 5 2011 ...CORRECTION TO FIRST LINE OF FIRST PARAGRAPH... .UPDATE... NO CHANGES AT THIS TIME TO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...AND THE HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS....SPECIFICALLY EASTERN ELBERT AND LINCOLN COUNTIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY THURSDAY EVENING. SNOWFALL IS STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND INTENSIFY IN THE MOUNTAIN AREAS AND THE STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS ON THE PLAINS DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT...CURRENT FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK. THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS ON THE PLAINS HAS ENDED. THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS WITHIN THE CWFA ARE GENERALLY DRY AT THIS HOUR...BUT SHOULD SEE AN INCREASE IN RAIN AND SNOW SHOWER COVERAGE OVERNIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW AND SFC COLD FRONT MOVE IN FROM UTAH. && .AVIATION...PRESENT DENVER AREA TERMINAL FORECASTS ALSO ON TRACK AT THIS TIME. GUSTY SOUTH-SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS AT DEN...APA AND BJC HAVE EASED SOME IN THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS WITH THE SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXING AND WITH A DECOUPLING FROM THE STRONGER SWLY FLOW ALOFT. STILL LOOKING FOR SFC WINDS TO INCREASE STEADILY AND SIGNIFICANTLY LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON ON THURSDAY ESPLY AT DEN AND APA WITH THE STRONG SWLY FLOW ALOFT MIXING DOWN TO THE SFC. CURRENT TERMINAL FCST REFLECT THIS. FURTHERMORE DO NOT SEE ANY PRECIPITATION AT DENVER AREA AIRPORT EITHER TONIGHT OR THURSDAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 318 PM MDT WED OCT 5 2011/ SHORT TERM...A DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL SHIFT FROM THE WEST COAST TONIGHT TO THE GREAT BASIN TOMORROW. SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF IT WITH A 140 JET MOVING OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. FOR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MID LEVELS CONTINUE TO BE SOMEWHAT MOIST AND UNSTABLE. WATER VAPOR SHOWING DRIER AIR MOVING ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO AT THIS TIME. DO EXPECT A FEW SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A COUPLE OF STORMS TO FORM...HOWEVER COVERAGE WILL BE LESS THAN YESTERDAY. MAY HAVE A FEW WEAK SHOWERS CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW MORNING OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY. WILL HAVE LOW POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR THIS. PACIFIC COLD FRONT AND UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION WILL MOVE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TOMORROW AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVEL WILL START OFF AROUND 11000 FEET AND QUICKLY FALL DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS BEHIND THE FRONT. BY SUNSET...EXPECT THE SNOW LEVEL TO BE AROUND 8000 FEET. TOTAL SNOW FALL AMOUNTS THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE 3 TO 6 INCHES IN THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WITH UP TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SUMMIT COUNTY. WILL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ZONES 31 AND 33 FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE A SURFACE LOW OVER EASTERN MONTANA AND EASTERN WYOMING. A DRY LINE WILL SET UP ALONG THE COLORADO/KANSAS BORDER TOMORROW AFTERNOON. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE PLAINS THURSDAY. WITH STRONG MIXING AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT...GUSTS TO 50 TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. WILL ISSUE A HIGH WIND WATCH FOR LINCOLN AND EASTERN ELBERT COUNTIES WHERE THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED. THE STRONG AND DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP MOST OF THE PLAINS DRY THURSDAY. MAY SEE A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS NEAR THE FOOTHILLS THAT GET BLOWN ACROSS THE DIVIDE. THE BEST CHANCE ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL BE NEAR THE WYOMING BORDER WHERE THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL PRODUCE UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG CHEYENNE RIDGE. LONG TERM...MODEL DIFFERENCES PERSIST IN THE HANDLING OF THE TAIL END OF THE UPPER TROUGH. GFS HAS BEEN FAIRLY PERSISTENT IN BRINGING AN ELONGATED LOW FAIRLY QUICKLY ACROSS COLORADO ON SATURDAY...ECMWF REMAINS STRONGER AND SLOWER...QUITE A BIT SLOWER IN SOME RUNS. 12Z NAM HAD A DEVELOPING LOW MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO SATURDAY WHICH LOOKED JUST RIGHT FOR A PERIOD OF DECENT ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND A FOOT OF SNOW ON THE EAST SLOPES OF THE FRONT RANGE...18Z RUN IS SLOWER AND A BIT FURTHER SOUTH. EVEN AFTER THROWING OUT THE EXTREMES STILL LOTS OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THE DETAILS...WILL SLOW DOWN THE TIMING IN THE FORECAST A BIT AND RAISE POPS TO LIKELY MOST PLACES...WILL START SATURDAY OFF WITH A CONSENSUS QPF THAT LOOKS AS GOOD AS ANYTHING. THIS PRODUCES SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS BUT DOES NOT HAVE BIG AMOUNTS IN THE FOOTHILLS. ONCE THIS SYSTEM MOVES OUT THE WEATHER LOOKS PRETTY QUIET AGAIN WITH WNW FLOW ALOFT. SOME SHORTWAVE ENERGY IN THE FLOW THAT PASSES NORTH OF US ABOUT TUESDAY...MAYBE WITH LITTLE EFFECT BUT COULD PROVIDE A LITTLE COOLING AND A FEW MOUNTAIN SHOWERS AS IT PASSES. AVIATION...GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS POSSIBLE. VERY SMALL CHANCE FOR A SHOWER OR STORM. IF ONE DEVELOPS IT WILL BE HIGH BASED AND ONLY PRODUCE LIGHT RAIN. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE IF CONVECTION FORMS. THE SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL TEMPORALLY DECREASE OVERNIGHT BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN ON THURSDAY. WINDS WILL BE EVEN STRONGER AND DEVELOP EARLIER THURSDAY WITH GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS POSSIBLE. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WATCH FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR COZ046-047. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 6 AM MDT FRIDAY FOR COZ031-033. && SHORT TERM...BAKER/MEIER LONG TERM....GIMMESTAD AVIATION...BAKER/MEIER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1101 AM MDT WED OCT 05 2011 COZ030>051-061200- 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- 1101 AM MDT WED OCT 05 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS AND PALMER DIVIDE AREA ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING TO AROUND 35 MPH. THIS WILL RESULT IN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER ALTHOUGH HUMIDITIES WILL BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN YESTERDAY. OTHERWISE...LOOK FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY EVENING. THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF MODERATE RAINFALL ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS. SNOW LEVEL WILL BE BETWEEN 10 AND 11 THOUSAND FEET. LITTLE IF ANY ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER MILD AND WINDY DAY IS EXPECTED ON THURSDAY. STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE WILL CAUSE GUSTY WINDS TO DEVELOP ON THE PLAINS AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE MID 70S. RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL DROP TO THE UPPER TEENS WHICH WILL COMBINE WITH THE GUSTY WINDS TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. IN THE MOUNTAINS...AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PRODUCE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW. SNOW LEVELS MAY DROP TO 8500 FEET IN THE AFTERNOON. FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...MUCH COOLER AND WETTER WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST COLORADO. THE UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE MOVING OVER THE STATE WILL PRODUCE THE CHANCE OF RAIN ON THE PLAINS AND A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP INTO THE FOOTHILLS. PEOPLE PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE MOUNTAINS THIS WEEKEND SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR COLD AND WET WEATHER. WARMER AND DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO THE REGION MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. MEIER/GIMMESTAD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Some roof damage and scattered power outages were reported.
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, October 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: 346263, 346268, 346270, 346273, 346266, 346264, 346265, 346267, 346274.