Strong winds developed in the foothills early in the morning, then spread into the northeast plains by late in the morning. 5 miles southwest of Superior.
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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 in the foothills early in the morning, then spread into the northeast plains by late in the morning. In the foothills, peak gusts included: 99 mph, 3 miles north-northeast of White Ranch Open Space; 85 mph at the junction of Highway 93 and Highway 72; 82 mph at the NCAR Mesa Laboratory, 3 miles northwest of Marshall; 78 mph, 3.5 miles southwest of Superior. Across the northeast plains, peak gusts included: 66 mph at the Akron Municipal Airport; 62 mph, 20 miles north-northeast of Fort Collins; 60 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 Jan 5, 7:53 PM MST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 753 PM MST Sun Jan 5 2020 .UPDATE... Issued at 736 PM MST Sun Jan 5 2020 Next upper level disturbance will be moving across the mountains tonight with a period of light snow and another bout of strong winds for the higher mountains and Front Range foothills. Currently, radar and observations are showing some light snow has moved into the mountains over the last several hours, especially north of the Interstate 70 corridor. Due to short duration event and shallow moisture depth, accumulations tonight look to be around 1-4 inches with a few more inches during the day on Monday. However, given the strong winds which will develop the ongoing winter weather advisory looks good. The trof axis will move across the northern mountains around midnight with increasing subsident flow that will extend through much of Monday. QG fields showing moderate to strong subsident flow which will then aid to increase winds over much of the mountains and plains on Monday. Across the plains, winds will increase during the morning hours given good mixing and subsident flow with widespread winds of 25-40 mph with a few possible higher gusts. Across the high mountains and Front Range foothills there is still a threat of high winds later tonight and through the day on Monday. Cross sections showing cross barrier flow increasing to 40-50kt before sunrise but then strongest winds retreat to the highest elevations. Hi resolution models of RAP/HRRR confirm this activity before increasing winds again over the lower foothills towards 18z with potential of 60-70kt. Again, overall threat of high winds look to be of short duration but overall a bit weaker than Saturday nights event which had stronger surface gradients. The QG signal is rather strong certainly some parameters pointing to high winds. Will let the mid shift take another look as main event would be daytime on Monday so won't issue any wind hilites on this shift. && .SHORT TERM...(This afternoon through Monday) Issued at 200 PM MST Sun Jan 5 2020 Increasing west/southwesterly flow aloft expected ahead of the next disturbance over northeastern NV early this afternoon. The models show this system will move across northern CO tonight. A strong upper level jet of 120-130 kts will accompany this system as it moves across the state. Weak to moderate mid level qg ascent is forecast to move across the region tonight followed by moderate qg descent on Monday. NAM12 spatial cross-sections show the deepest moisture along west facing aspects will be tonight, with the moisture depth decreasing as the subsidence kicks in on Monday. Models generate some snow primarily along the west/northwest facing slopes along with very strong winds of 50-60 kts around 700-650 mb layer. For this reason, we have issued a Winter Weather Advisory for snow and blowing snow that will be in the effect for the mountain areas tonight and continue into Monday afternoon. Expect storm totals of 4-9 inches in the Park/Gore ranges, with 3-7 inches possible in the Front Range mountains. Best chance of accumulating snow will north of I-70. Although the snow will decrease significantly by late Monday morning, the strong winds will persist through Monday afternoon. Another round of strong winds for the foothills in addition to the northeast plains late tonight and through Monday. No highlights, but areas in and near the foothills could see gusts in the 50-60 mph range, with gusts 40-45 mph across the northeast plains, strongest north and east of Denver. .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Saturday) Issued at 320 PM MST Sun Jan 5 2020 Models show strong northwesterly flow aloft in front of an incoming upper ridge for the CWA Monday night. This continues early Tuesday then the flow aloft decreases and becomes more westerly as the upper ridge moves in. The upper ridge axis moves eastward across the CWA Tuesday night with southwesterly flow aloft Wednesday and Wednesday night. The QG Omega fields show weak downward energy in the synoptic scale for the CWA Monday night and Tuesday. Upward motion moves in by Tuesday evening and continues through Wednesday evening. The surface winds look to be dominated by downsloping Monday night and Tuesday. Tuesday night through Wednesday night have more normal diurnal wind patterns. Cross section still show a mountain wave set-up on Monday night. Will beef up the speeds in the GFE grids. For moisture, there is a bit lingering in the mountains Monday overnight. The plains are dry. For Tuesday and Tuesday night it is dry with just a little upper level moisture around. On Wednesday, moisture increases from the west with some getting into the lower levels over the mountains by late afternoon and continuing Wednesday night. The plains have some increasing moisture, mainly in the upper levels, late Wednesday and Wednesday night. The QPF fields show little Monday night into Wednesday afternoon, then there is limited amounts of measurable snow late Wednesday and Wednesday night in the mountains. Will go the "chance"s for snow there. For temperatures, Tuesday's highs will be 3-6 C warmer than Monday's highs. Wednesday's will be 1-3 C warmer than Tuesday's. For the later days, Thursday through Sunday, models develop a decent upper trough over Colorado Thursday well into Friday. There is some upper ridging Friday night into early Sunday, then more upper troughiness the rest of Sunday into the following week. There is pretty deep moisture progged Thursday into Friday, even for the plains Thursday night. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Monday evening) Issued at 736 PM MST Sun Jan 5 2020 VFR with mainly clear skies tonight. Surface winds expected to be west and southwest tonight before increasing from the northwest on Monday morning following trof passage and increasing subsident flow. Expect wind gusts in the 25-40kt range during the day on Monday. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Monday for COZ031-033-034. && UPDATE...Entrekin SHORT TERM...Coop LONG TERM....Koop AVIATION...Entrekin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1003 AM MST Sun Jan 5 2020 COZ030>051-061715- 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- 1003 AM MST Sun Jan 5 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight This afternoon, clouds will begin increasing over the mountains again as some Pacific moisture arrives. Light snow is expected to develop tonight along with a resurgence in strong gusty winds over the mountain passes and ridges. Up to a few inches of new accumulation are expected by Monday morning, mainly over Rabbit Ears Pass and the Park and Gore Ranges. Mountain wind gusts could be up to 60 mph above timberline, causing areas of blowing and drifting snow. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday There will be a good chance of snow in the mountains Monday morning. Gusty winds will produce areas of blowing snow. Elsewhere it will be dry with gusty winds spreading from the foothills across the plains Monday afternoon and night. Tuesday will be dry with gusty winds continuing over the higher terrain. The next weather system will bring snow to the mountains and colder air to all the forecast area Wednesday afternoon through next Sunday. At this time, significant snowfall amounts are not expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2020
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: 863930, 863932, 863933, 863934, 863935.