High wind warnings for this weekend
Boulder County residents and visitors aiming to get outside this weekend may want to rethink those plans: A spring weather system is poised to move through the area Saturday, bringing wind gusts of 70 to 100 mph in some areas.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning signifying high fire danger from noon Saturday through 6 p.m. Sunday, as well as a high wind warning effective from 9 a.m. Saturday to noon Sunday for the Boulder County area.
David Barjenbruch, a meteorologist with the NWS in Boulder, said wind speeds will start to pick up on Saturday morning, and gusts of 50 to 60 mph are possible during the day across the county. Very high winds are likely also in mountain communities such as Ward and Nederland.
But winds will grow stronger heading into Saturday late afternoon and evening. Boulder will likely see the strongest winds, particularly on the western side of town, with gusts that could reach up to 100 mph. However, gusts of up to 70 mph are still possible also in Longmont, Louisville and Lafayette.
“Boulder has a large population of outdoor recreationists (and) cyclists. It’s not a great weekend, we’ll just say, for doing any of those activities,” Barjenbruch said.
Precipitation-wise, the county could see some rain showers, snow or even thunder on Saturday morning. That’s expected to clear up by the afternoon, but temperatures will also drop later in the day. High temperatures on Saturday should hover in the mid-40s, with lows expected in the mid30s, according to Barjenbruch.
Between the wind and the cold temperatures, he said, Saturday night will be “not a nice night to be outside.”
Such strong winds can break tree limbs, bring down power lines and blow over fences. In the eastern part of the county where there are plenty of open farm fields, there could be blowing dust, and wind speeds will make it difficult to control vehicles while driving. Barjenbruch
also said the windy conditions will create a heightened fire danger this weekend.
A post on X (formerly Twitter) from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office advised residents to secure loose objects outside, prepare for possible power outages and avoid activities that can cause a spark outside. Open burning will not be allowed in unincorporated parts of the county on Saturday.
Readers are also advised to stay indoors and avoid travel during the windiest parts of the weekend. Pets should be kept indoors Saturday night for their safety.
By Sunday, the wind will start to gradually die down. Daytime highs should get back into the mid-50s, but wind speeds could still hover around 20 to 30 mph with gusts of up to 50 mph.
Barjenbruch said the weather outlook starts to improve heading into next week, with generally lighter wind and temperatures back up into the 60s expected by mid-week.