Widespread winds battered the Front Range on Wednesday, with gusts over 100 mph knocking down trees and powerlines and closing roads throughout the the foothills and northern Colorado.
Strong, downslope winds hit the mountains, foothills and Interstate 25 corridor, with widespread gusts up to 90 mph, National Weather Service forecasters said.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Mesa Lab in Boulder recorded gusts over 100 mph just after 4 p.m., according to the lab’s monitoring equipment.
The winds are expected to spread into the Eastern Plains by the afternoon, reaching Colorado’s northeastern corner by night, according to the weather service.
Forecasters said Wednesday’s windstorm will be strong enough to blow down trees and power lines and, if flames spark, rapidly spread wildfires.
Nearly 100,000 Xcel Energy customers were without power because of planned and unplanned power outages on Wednesday.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, forecasters said. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed several highways because of the wind, including sections of U.S. 287 in Larimer County, Colorado 93 between Boulder and Golden and Colorado 128 near Broomfield.
A high wind warning is active for most of the Front Range and Eastern Plains until 5 a.m. Thursday, with the strongest winds expected Wednesday evening. People should secure any items that could be blown around or damaged by the wind, forecasters said.
The high winds, combined with a recent string of warm weather and minimal moisture, also triggered fire weather watches across Colorado.
A red flag warning is active until 6 p.m. for parts of Weld, Boulder, Jefferson, Douglas, Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield and Elbert counties. Red flag warnings indicate “critical fire weather conditions” — a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures — according to the weather service.
In southern Colorado, a high wind warning will be active from 2 p.m. Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday, according to the weather service’s Pueblo office.
Teller County and the nearby mountains can expect winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts near 80 mph, forecasters said. Steady winds of 20 to 30 mph and up to 60 mph gusts are forecast for the I-25 Corridor, Fremont County and the Wet Mountains Range.
“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines,” forecasters wrote in the warning. “Widespread power outages are possible.”
School districts, colleges and universities across the Front Range and metro Denver canceled classes on Wednesday, while other districts are monitoring conditions for potential school closures.
As of Wednesday morning, confirmed closures included the University of Colorado Boulder, Red Rocks Community College and Weld RE-4, Clear Creek, Jefferson County and Poudre school districts.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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