High winds developed in the mountains of Summit and Boulder counties. Peak wind gusts included 91 mph atop Niwot Ridge and 82 mph, 6 miles south of Frisco.
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The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.
High winds developed in the mountains of Summit and Boulder counties. Peak wind gusts included 91 mph atop Niwot Ridge and 82 mph, 6 miles south of Frisco.
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 27, 10:57 AM MST, 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1057 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2022 .UPDATE... Issued at 1042 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2022 The forecast is performing well with only minor updates this morning. The trough is moving over the Pacific Northwest, currently centered just off shore, and there is a lot of moisture and cloudiness ahead as well as an embedded jet. The 12Z upper air analysis shows the nose coming on shore over northern California. Mid to high level cloudiness is gradual increasing over northeastern Colorado. At the surface, it was a warm morning following a warm night. Continue to expect high temperatures well above normal, in the 50s and 60s across the plains and 20s to 40s across the high country. Brisk westerly winds have been increasing across mountains and higher foothills, and some gusts to around 35 mph have made it out across Boulder County. We maintain our High Wind Warning for the Front Range through 8 PM this evening. It is also getting pretty dry in the windy parts of the lower foothills, Palmer Divide and adjacent plains. We will continue to monitor fire weather conditions, and may need a Red Flag Warning this afternoon depending on how strong and persistent winds are in these areas. We also maintain our Winter Weather Advisory for the Park and northern Gore Ranges (more so for the Park). It is already cloudy over the mountains and light snowfall will begin soon. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 355 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2022 Water vapor shows a strong trough entering the Pacific Northwest with high level moisture ahead of it over Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho. It also shows dry air currently over our forecast area with a few high clouds around. At the surface, lee cyclogenesis is strengthening along the northern high plains which is leading to increased drainage winds at some locations. It has been a mild night with temperatures as warm as 55 degrees at Rocky Mountain Airport at 1AM. As a jet streak associated with the aforementioned trough moves towards Yellowstone National Park, it will provide subsidence flow under the right exit region across our forecast area. Warm air advection, downslope winds, and subsident flow will lead to well above normal temperatures today. If there is limited cloud cover today, Denver could see a high in the upper 60s. However, there is a good chance that high level clouds will develop especially in the afternoon which will limit high temperatures slightly. The high temperature forecast was kept near the 50th percentile of the MOS data and not higher as a result. The main concern today will be high winds. Strong flow aloft will be pushed towards the surface as a mountain wave develops late this morning and into the afternoon. Cross sections show strong stability mainly this afternoon and early evening over the Front Range mountains and foothills with a short-lived mean state critical layer. The HRRR wind gust forecast really jumps out with gusts as high as 103 mph in the foothills. Other high resolution models don't show winds that strong but it's hard to ignore. With high confidence a mountain wave will develop and high resolution model data showing winds well within High Wind Warning criteria, the High Wind Watch was upgraded to a warning. Another thing that is concerning is the potential for strong winds to make it onto the adjacent plains mainly in and south of the city of Boulder. It is only for an hour or two but some high resolution model data show winds reaching up to 65 mph in Boulder and along the usual windy spots south of town. The ECMWF ensembles even had a few members showing gusts as high as 80 mph at Rocky Mountain Airport this afternoon. So the eastern Boulder and Jefferson County zone will need to be watched closely for a possible upgrade to a High Wind Warning but the low confidence in the strength of the winds is the reason for us not issuing a warning there this morning. Nonetheless, wind speeds were increased pretty substantially in the forecast for Boulder and jefferson Counties. Unfortunately, if the high winds do push onto the plains, they would occur with low relative humidity possibly as low as 15 percent. So there could be an hour or two of near critical fire weather conditions. Elsewhere along the I-25 corridor, elevated fire weather conditions will exist as relative humidity will drop to the teens with gusts up to 35 mph. The moisture from the recent snowfall and the short duration of the elevated fire weather conditions lead us to not issue any fire weather highlights. Otherwise, moisture will deepen across the northern mountains late this afternoon and tonight. Snow will develop mainly over the Park Range late this afternoon. The Park Range will receive up to 6 inches of snow by Wednesday morning while the western slopes of the Front Range mountains will see an inch or two of snow. The Winter Weather Advisory was largely unchanged in its update this morning. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 306 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2022 The next incoming upper trof now off the Pacific northwest coast will move across Colorado on Wednesday and Wednesday night. This will result in continued persistent snowfall over the mountains through early Thursday morning. The orographics will initially favor zone 31 with the southwest mountain top flow but then flow shifting west and northwest late Wednesday and Wednesday night as the trof axis moves over the mountains. Initially lapse rates only in the 3-5c/km but do improve to 7-8c/km with the trof passage. In addition, expect weak to moderate QG ascent with this trof through the period along with strong upper jet moves across Colorado. A cooler airmass will begin to move into Colorado on Wednesday as 700mb temperatures drop to close to -5c by late afternoon. Models rather consistent with a snowfall range of 4-12", highest over the Rabbit Ears Pass area with the lesser amounts in the mountain valleys and further south across Summit county. Will continue the winter weather advisory for zone 31 which has already been issued. This storm also expected to impact the lower elevations with a cold front and a brief period of upslope northeast winds from late afternoon through a portion of Wednesday night. Initially, temperatures will be warm enough for a rain mixed with snow until all snow sometime later Wednesday evening with most likely accumulations of 1 to 3 inches. However, models are showing some areas receiving upwards of 6 inches anywhere from Boulder and Denver and southward through the Palmer Divide. This heavier snowfall may be somewhat overdone especially with initial melting expected through early evening. Will have likely pops for snow across much of the plains and colder temperatures Wednesday night and early Thursday. Subsidence and drying moves in quickly on Thursday with an end to the snowfall on the plains and diminishing snow in the mountains by Thursday afternoon. Expect another uptick in mountain snow especially from late Friday into Saturday with a persistent stream of moisture moving into the mountains ahead of the next storm system. The next storm system could also impact lower elevations late Sunday and Monday of next week with snow and colder temperatures. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 1042 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2022 VFR conditions are expected through the TAF period. Winds are holding southwesterly late this and should come around more westerly in the afternoon. Speeds will vary from around 10 knots to near 25 knots. BJC will be closer to the strong winds coming off the mountains and gusts are already reaching 30 knots at times. Intermittent gusts up to 50 knots will be possible in the afternoon. Winds will weaken with decoupling after sunset today and will should turn back to drainage tonight. A cold front will bring low clouds and precipitation tomorrow afternoon. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Thursday for COZ031. High Wind Warning until 8 PM MST this evening for COZ033>036. && UPDATE...EJD SHORT TERM...Danielson LONG TERM...Entrekin AVIATION...EJD
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1040 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2022 COZ030>051-281745- 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- 1040 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2022 ...High wind warning for the higher mountains and Front Range Foothills today through this evening... This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight High winds will develop later this morning in the Front Range mountains and foothills and last through the afternoon into the evening. Gusts will reach up to 80 mph, peaking in the mid afternoon. Some strong gusts up to 55 mph could make it onto the plains, mainly in eastern Boulder and Jefferson Counties. Warm, windy, and dry weather mean elevated fire weather conditions along the I-25 corridor. Snow will begin in the northern mountains late this afternoon and last through tonight. The Park Range will receive up to 6 inches of snow by Wednesday morning, and the western slopes of the Front Range mountains will see an inch or two. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Snow will continue over the mountains Wednesday through Thursday morning creating slick roads and poor travel conditions. Across lower elevations, precipitation will initially begin as rain during the afternoon but will mix with and turn to snow by late Wednesday evening across lower elevations. While precipitation amounts will most likely be light during this period, there is a small chance that moderate snow accumulations could occur and impact travel more significantly. Another storm system will bring another round of snow to the mountain areas over the weekend, and the lower elevations Sunday afternoon into Monday of next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2022
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: 1071131.