With gusts in Boulder peaking at more than 100 mph Wednesday and Xcel Energy shutting down power lines to at least 50,000 people along the Front Range as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff procedure, it’s worth noting that extremely high winds are not unusual for Boulder and the Front Range.
Chinook winds are warm, dry, downslope winds that occur on the leeward (eastern) side of the Rocky Mountains, particularly along Colorado’s Front Range from Denver to Boulder and north to Fort Collins.
Westerly air flows over the Continental Divide, rises on the west side, cools, and precipitates moisture as rain or snow. As the now-dry air descends the eastern slopes, it compresses and warms at about 5–10 degrees per 1,000 feet of descent, often raising temperatures dramatically — sometimes 30–50 degrees in hours — while lowering humidity…