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High Wind Warnings as Downslope Winds Drive Warmth and 90 MPH Gusts Across Colorado

Forecasters attribute the unusual December warmth to a strong northwest jet driving downslope flow that also generates damaging mountain gusts.

Overview

  • A High Wind Warning is in effect until midnight for the northern and central Front Range and high country, including Rocky Mountain National Park, the Eisenhower Tunnel, Fort Collins, Golden and Boulder.
  • Plains and I‑25 corridor highs reach the upper 50s to low 60s, running about 15 degrees above normal in spots such as Colorado Springs.
  • Gusts peak at 70–90 mph in higher elevations, near 60 mph around Boulder and Loveland, and generally 25–45 mph across the Pikes Peak region and southern I‑25 corridor.
  • Forecasters caution that strong winds may topple trees and power lines, cause outages and create hazardous travel over exposed roads and passes.
  • Winds ease along the Front Range Tuesday night but stay gusty over high passes Wednesday, with a late backdoor cold front trimming temperatures before a warm, dry pattern persists into the weekend.