High winds developed ahead of an approaching storm system. The strong winds downed several trees around Evergreen.
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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.
High winds developed ahead of an approaching storm system. The strong winds downed several trees around Evergreen. Peak wind gusts included: 79 mph, 4 miles west-southwest of Eldorado Springs; 78 mph, 3 miles south of Evergreen; 75 mph and the NCAR Mesa Lab; and 69 mph in Longmont.
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 Dec 2, 4:51 AM MST, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 451 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 .SHORT TERM...A HIGHLY FAVORABLE SETUP IN PLACE FOR STRONG/HIGH WINDS IN AND ALONG THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE NEXT 24 HOURS. STRONG WEST-NORTHWEST JET LEVEL FLOW COUPLED WITH INCREASING MTN TOP STABILITY...AMPLIFICATION OF THE MTN WAVE AND A STEEP CROSS STATE PRESSURE GRADIENT ALL POINT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WESTERLY/CHINOOK WINDS IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE BEGINNING ANYTIME NOW. HOWEVER BEST TIME PERIOD FOR THESE WINDS WILL BE FROM 18Z TODAY TO 06Z TONIGHT. MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR IN THE FOOTHILLS OF GILPIN...CLEAR CLEAR...JEFFERSON AND BOULDER COUNTIES WHERE GUSTS COULD MAX OUT NEAR 80 MPH. OTHER PARTS OF THE FRONT RANGE...MAIN ITS EAST FACING SLOPE...COULD SEE PEAK GUSTS IN THE 65-75 MPH RANGE DURING THIS SAME PERIOD. AS IS THE NATURE OF CHINOOK WINDS...SPEEDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL NOT BE CONTINUOUS...BUT RATHER ERRATIC. SO ONE MINUTE WINDS COULD STREAM OUT OF THE WEST...THEN NEXT BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE BENEATH A MTN WAVE ROTOR. THEREFORE TIMING WHEN THESE VERY STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR AT ANY ONE LOCATION IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. NOW APPEARS LOWER AREAS ALONG THE BASE OF THE FOOTHILLS IN JEFFERSON AND BOULDER COUNTIES ARE ALSO LIKELY TO SEE HIGH WINDS LATER TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THEREFORE WILL ADD ZONE 39 TO THE HIGH WIND WARNING WHICH GOES INTO EFFECT AT 13Z THIS MORNING FOR THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAIN AND FOOTHILL ZONES 33>36. LOOKING AHEAD TO NIGHT...WITH PACIFIC MOISTURE STREAMING IN FROM THE WEST AHEAD OF THE POTENT UPPER TROUGH DIVING DOWN FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...SHOULD SEE SNOWFALL ON THE INCREASE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY...AFTER A LULL TODAY. HEAVIER SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT...ACTUALLY MORE LIKE AFTER 09Z TONIGHT AND MAINLY IN THE GORE MTN RANGE ZONE 31. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL...STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW REASONS TO ISSUE A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ZONE 31 BEGINNING AT 09Z. DO NOT SEE HEAVY SNOWFALL DEVELOPING IN OTHER MTN AREAS UNTIL TUESDAY. SO NO HIGHLIGHTS FOR THESE MTN AREAS JUST YET..AT LEAST NOT BEFORE 13Z/TUESDAY. OTHERWISE...AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AND DRY DAY FOR AREAS EAST OF THE MTNS WHERE MAX TEMPERATURES WILL BE AS MUCH AS 20 TO 25 DEG F ABOVE AVERAGE. SHOULD SEE GUSTY WEST WINDS SPREADING OUT ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH THE DAY...AGAIN THE STRONGEST WINDS NEAR THE FOOTHILLS. COULD SEE WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AT TIMES ON THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE DECOUPLES FROM THE STRONG ZONAL FLOW ALOFT...SHOULD SEE WINDS GRADUALLY WEAKENING ON THE PLAINS OVERNIGHT. SHOULD SEE SOME PRETTY WARM TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT IN THE CHINOOK ZONE NEAR THE FOOTHILLS...OTHERWISE EXPECT TO SEE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE READINGS ELSEWHERE UNDER INCREASING CLOUD COVER. STILL NO PRECIP ON THE PLAINS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. .LONG TERM...MAJOR WEATHER CHANGE STILL ON TRACK BEGINNING ON TUESDAY AS ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHWARD OVER EASTERN COLORADO AROUND MIDDAY TUESDAY. WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHEAST ON THE PLAINS BEHIND THE FRONT AS MOISTURE DEPTH INCREASES IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS TEMPERATURES PLUMMET. LOOKS LIKE SNOW WILL BECOME LIKELY OVER THE FRONT RANGE AND ADJACENT PLAINS ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY. IN THE MOUNTAINS...STRONG OROGRAPHIC FLOW KICKS IN ON TUESDAY AS STRONG 140KT JET MOVES INTO NORTHERN COLORADO. LOCAL SNOW MODEL AND MODEL QPF SHOWING STRONG POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW OVER THE MUCH OF THE MOUNTAINS. ZONE 31 WILL FAVOR THE MOST FROM THE FLOW DIRECTION AND WILL CONTINUE WITH A WARNING FROM TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW POSSIBLE. FOR THE REST OF THE MOUNTAINS WILL KICK THINGS OFF WITH A WATCH FOR NOW AS FLOW ESPECIALLY IN SUMMIT COUNTY WOULD KEEP AMOUNTS A BIT LOWER. STILL WITH THE JET IN THE PROXIMITY ANY SPOT IN THE MOUNTAINS COULD BENEFIT FROM THE HEAVY SNOW WITH DEEP MOISTURE AND MODEST LAPSE RATES IN PLACE. AS MODELS CONTINUE TO LATCH ONTO THE COLD AIRMASS HAVE CONTINUED TO LOWER TEMPERATURES ANOTHER 5 DEGREES OR SO EACH DAY FOR THE UPCOMING FORECAST. THIS WILL PUT HIGH TEMPS ONLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AND THEN ONLY SLIGHT MODERATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOWS AT NIGHT WILL DROP BELOW ZERO FOR MOST LOCALES. MODELS A LITTLE LESS CLEAR ABOUT SNOW POTENTIAL FROM LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS THE NAM REALLY TRIES TO DRY THINGS OUT BY WED AFTERNOON ON THE PLAINS WHILE THE GFS KEEPS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE. WOULD VENTURE THAT THE NAM IS TOO AMBITIOUS WITH THE DRYING AND WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF SNOW OVER THE PLAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A SECONDARY TROF DROPS INTO THE GREAT BASIN LATE IN THE WEEK WHICH WILL RESULT IN A CONTINUED THREAT OF SNOW FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...A WARM...DRY AND BREEZY DAY AHEAD FOR THE DENVER AREA AIRPORTS. NEAR THE FOOTHILLS...IT WILL BE MORE THAN BREEZY WHERE WEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH GUSTS IN THE 40 TO 50 KT RANGE LATER TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. OTHERWISE WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 KTS WILL BE COMMON ACROSS THE METRO AREA...WITH PERIODIC GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 KTS. THIS STRONG DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL SEND TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE AVERAGE. MID- LEVEL CLOUDS EARLY THIS MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO GIVE WAY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES LATE THIS MORNING AND MUCH OFF THE AFTERNOON. OVERNIGHT...WINDS AT APA AND DIA WILL GRADUALLY WAKEN TO BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY IN DIRECTION. WINDS NEAR THE FOOTHILLS..SUCH AT BJC...WILL REMAIN QUITE STRONG FROM THE WEST-SOUTHWEST AT 30-40 KTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO APPROACHING 65 KTS AT TIMES. FOR LATER PERIODS... SNOW WILL DEVELOP AT LOCAL TERMINALS LATE TUE AFTERNOON/EVENING BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD OVERNIGHT THROUGH WED AM. FIRST GUESS SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE AROUND 2-4 INCHES AT DIA BY WED AM DAYBREAK WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES AT APA AND BJC. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ033>036 AND 039. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR COZ030-032>034. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 AM TUESDAY TO 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR COZ031. && SHORT TERM...BAKER LONG TERM....ENTREKIN AVIATION...BAKER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 544 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 COZ030>051-031245- 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- 544 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 ...HIGH WIND WARNING TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS AND NEARBY PLAINS... ...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE MOUNTAINS ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING CHINOOK WINDS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP THIS MORNING IN THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS...FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND NEARBY PLAINS. THESE STRONG AND VERY ERRATIC WINDS SHOULD BE AT THEIR STRONGEST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WHEN WIND GUSTS COULD APPROACH 80 MPH. STRONG WESTERLY WINDS MAY ALSO SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE PLAINS DURING THE DAY...BUT SPEEDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO EXCEED 50 MPH IN THIS AREA. MEANWHILE SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE HIGH COUNTRY EARLY THIS MORNING WILL DECREASE DURING THE DAY...ONLY TO INCREASE AGAIN TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF A POTENT WINTER STORM SYSTEM TAKING AIM ON THE REGION. DRIVERS OF LIGHT WEIGHT AND HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL BE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO POWERFUL CROSS WINDS. THESE STRONG WINDS MAY ALSO TOPPLE DEAD AND DYING TREES IN THE HIGH COUNTRY POSING A SERIOUS FALL DANGER. OTHERWISE IT WILL BE DRY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM TODAY UNDER STRONG NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE WEATHER IS STILL EXPECTED FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AFTER A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE OUTLOOK AREA ON TUESDAY. BEHIND THE FRONT...TEMPERATURES WILL BE PLUNGING TO THE COLDEST LEVELS OF THE SEASON. FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE UPPER SINGLE DIGITS AND LOW TEENS WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS DROPPING BELOW ZERO. ALONG WITH THE COLD TEMPERATURES...THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE OF SNOW EACH DAY. INITIAL SNOWFALL POTENTIAL FOR THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW. ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS SNOWFALL WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 8 INCHES BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. BAKER/ENTREKIN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2013
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: 487668, 487671.