The surface plot for 12 PM MST (Figure 3) shows some of the strongest winds from this wind event. At 11 AM MST, (Figure 2), winds were gusting to 81 mph in south Boulder, while as high as 99 mph near the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 72 (Coal Creek Canyon). The eventual fire perimeter is outlined by light purple (upper center of the plot images), while the city of Boulder is located in the northwest corner of these images. This can also be referred to as a rotor.įigure 1: Conceptual Model of a mountain wave.įigures 2 through 4 show the progression of winds and fire during the late morning and afternoon hours of December 30. It was interesting to note in this case, that easterly winds were observed at times immediately to the east of the "jump" area around Broomfield and Lafayette. From there, they spread east into the Superior and Louisville area, before suddenly weakening to the east (call the jump region). The schematic in Figure 1 represents the strong westerly winds moving down the mountain slope (in this case the Front Range Mountains and Foothills) and accelerating all the way to the base of the foothills. To further visualize what a mountain wave would look like, see Figure 1 below. It takes just the right combination of meteorological parameters, including stability, wind shear, and wind magnitude to create a powerful and damaging windstorm like this one. On this day, sustained winds of 50 to 60 mph with gusts of 80 to 100 mph were felt along Highway 93 and points east to around Superior and at times, Louisville. Mountain waves are usually focused very close to the base of the foothills and adjacent plains. The mountain wave remained nearly unchanged through the rest of the day, resulting in very persistent and extremely high winds. Green Ride provides service from the airport to locations in Boulder.High winds developed in the mid morning hours on Thursday, December 30th, 2021, the result of a mountain wave that developed as very strong westerly winds raced over the Front Range Mountains and Foothills and crashed down onto the plains.Broadway & Rayleigh Road is the closest stop to the Visitors Center and is also served by the Skip and Dash local bus routes.The FF buses provide regional service between Denver and Boulder from the Broadway & Baseline and Broadway & Dartmouth stops.The AB bus provides service between Boulder and the Denver International Airport.Regional bus service to Boulder is available through the Regional Transportation District (RTD). Current toll information can be found at: Taking the Bus
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