High winds developed in and near the foothills of Boulder and Larimer Counties. Peak wind gust reports included: 91 mph near Lyons, 81 mph at the National Wind Technology Center, 69 mph at Loveland, 62 mph at Longmont and 58 mph at the Natural Fort Rest Area.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
High winds developed in and near the foothills of Boulder and Larimer Counties. Peak wind gust reports included: 91 mph near Lyons, 81 mph at the National Wind Technology Center, 69 mph at Loveland, 62 mph at Longmont and 58 mph at the Natural Fort Rest 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 Dec 23, 9:31 PM MST, 6 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 931 PM MST MON DEC 23 2013 .UPDATE... && .SHORT TERM...NEXT CLOUD BATCH...ASSOCIATED WITH NEXT UPPER TROUGH...MOVING THIS WAY. OUR HIGH MOUNTAINS ARE GETTING SOME VERY SNOW RIGHT NOW BUT IT IS PRETTY SPARSE LOCATION WISE. NOT MUCH TO CHANGE...JUST ADJUST OVERNIGHT LOWS DOWN A TINY BIT FOR THE PLAINS. .AVIATION...NORMAL DRAINAGE WINDS ARE GOING AT DIA RIGHT NOW...MAYBE ENHANCED A TAD BY LOW LEVEL TROUGHING OVER THE PLAINS. NO CEILING ISSUES EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 353 PM MST MON DEC 23 2013/ SHORT TERM...MODERATE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CURRENTLY OVER AREA. GRADIENT HAS DECREASED SLIGHTLY WITH SOME DECREASE IN WINDS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. MOISTURE HAS ALSO DECREASED BUT ENOUGH IN OROGRAPHIC FLOW FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW TO CONTINUE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND ACROSS ZONE 31. ACROSS PLAINS... WESTERLY WINDS HAD PUSHED OFF THE FOOTHILLS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY ACROSS DENVER. THIS HELPED WARM TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE DENVER AREA. FURTHER EAST...WINDS WERE LIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES COOLER. MODEL CROSS SECTIONS SHOW MOISTURE INCREASING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT INCREASING AS MID LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO WESTERN WYOMING. OROGRAPHICS INCREASE BY MIDNIGHT WITH LAPSE RATES AROUND 6 C/KM. THERE IS ALSO SOME MID LEVEL QG ASCENT. THIS SHOULD HELP INCREASE THE SNOW CHANCES OVER THE MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT AND WILL BOOST THE POPS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS ZONE 31. ACCUMULATIONS LOOK TO BE ABOUT 2 TO 4 INCHES... MAINLY ACROSS ZONE 31. WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUING ANY HILITES AT THIS TIME. CROSS SECTIONS SHOWING CROSS MOUNTAIN FLOW INCREASING TO AROUND 45 KTS AT MOUNTAIN TOP OVERNIGHT. COULD SEE SOME GUSTS INCREASING TO AROUND 55 ACROSS RIDGETOPS AND HIGHER EAST SLOPES. WITH SOME GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH IN THE LOWER FOOTHILLS. NOT EXPECTING STRONGER WINDS AT THIS TIME DUE TO INCREASING ASCENT. THERE MAY BE SOME BLOWING SNOW OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES. ACROSS THE PLAINS...WINDS TO DECREASE ALONG THE URBAN CORRIDOR... THOUGH WILL REMAIN A BIT GUSTY NEAR THE FOOTHILLS. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A MILD NIGHT NEAR THE FOOTHILLS. ON TUESDAY...FAIRLY STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TO CONTINUE AS MID LEVEL WAVE MOVES ACROSS WYOMING. CROSS SECTIONS SHOW MOISTURE DECREASING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS BY THE AFTERNOON AS MID LEVEL ASCENT MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA. SNOW WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE BY THE AFTERNOON...THOUGH GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE HIGHER RIDGES WITH SOME BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE. ACROSS PLAINS...GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE NEAR FOOTHILLS THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON THEN DECREASE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY DECREASE AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT PASSAGE. MOISTURE APPEARS LIMITED...BUT UPSLOPE FLOW AND LIFT WITH FRONT MAY BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AFTER 21Z. BELIEVE TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD ENOUGH THAT IF SHOWERS DO DEVELOP...THEY SHOULD BE SNOW. NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. WINDS ALONG FOOTHILLS WILL DECREASE ONCE THE FRONT PUSHES INTO THE AREA. LONG TERM...DRY AIR AND SUBSIDENCE WILL BE MOVING INTO THE REGION TUESDAY EVENING. LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS WILL STILL BE OCCURRING OVER THE PLAINS DURING THE EVENING...BUT WILL BE ON THE DECREASE. MOUNTAIN AREAS WILL CONTINUE RECEIVING LIGHT SNOW THROUGH THE NIGHT AS MOISTURE GETS TRAPPED WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. AS THE SUBSIDENCE CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY...EVEN THE SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL COME TO AN END...LEAVING THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA DRY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD AS UPPER RIDGING SPREADS OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND LIGHT TO MODERATE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT DOMINATES. THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR PRECIPITATION WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AS A TROUGH CARVES ITSELF OUT OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. AT THIS TIME...MODEL QPF FIELDS ONLY SHOW LIGHT AMOUNTS FROM THE FAST MOVING CLIPPER- LIKE SYSTEM. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO BE COOLER AS A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL ACCOMPANY THE SHORT WAVE ALOFT. WILL INTRODUCE LOW POPS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY PASSING SYSTEM. AVIATION...WINDS HAVE BECOME NORTHERLY AT KDEN WHILE REMAINING WESTERLY AT KBJC. WINDS REMAIN LIGHT SOUTHEAST AT KAPA. SPEEDS WERE AROUND 8 KTS...EXCEPT 15 TO 25 KTS AT KBJC. WINDS TO GRADUALLY GO CLOCKWISE AT KEN...BECOMING SOUTHERLY BY 01Z WHILE REMAINING SOUTHEAST AT KAPA WITH DRAINAGE DEVELOPING AROUND 03Z. GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT KBJC...GRADUALLY DECREASING TO AROUND 12 KTS BY 02Z. SOME INCREASING IN MID LEVEL MOISTURE WITH CEILINGS ABOVE 12000 FEET. ON TUESDAY...WINDS TO SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AT 15Z WITH SPEEDS AROUND 12 KTS. COLD FRONT TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA AIRPORTS AT 21Z WITH WINDS BECOMING NORTHERLY. CEILINGS TO GRADUALLY LOWER TO AROUND 7000 FEET AGL. SLIGHT CHANCE OR A FEW SNOW SHOWERS BY 00Z...WILL KEEP OUT OF THE TAFS FOR NOW. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...D-L LONG TERM....DANKERS AVIATION...D-L
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1050 AM MST MON DEC 23 2013 COZ030>051-241800- 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- 1050 AM MST MON DEC 23 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL DECREASE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN 2 INCHES. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE WIND...THOUGH GUSTS AROUND 55 MPH CAN STILL BE EXPECTED ABOVE 9000 FEET THROUGH TONIGHT. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE SOME BLOWING SNOW OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES. ACROSS THE PLAINS...DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AS THE LIGHT SNOW OVER WASHINGTON COUNTY COMES TO AN END. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AN UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE ACCOMPANIED BY A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL SWING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST COLORADO ON TUESDAY. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE AFTERNOON... BRINGING COOLER TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY NORTH WINDS TO THE PLAINS. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND I-25 CORRIDOR DOWN TO THE PALMER DIVIDE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LESS THAN AN INCH. MOUNTAIN AREAS WILL SEE PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW THROUGH TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO OCCUR AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES. DRY CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO THE REGION CHRISTMAS DAY WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 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: 487820, 487822, 487823, 487824.