As was expected, big winds hit Colorado over the weekend, reaching into the triple-digits in some places.

Per National Weather Service reporting, the Parsenn Bowl summit found at about 12,060 feet of elevation is where some of the strongest gusts were present, measured at 111 miles per hour around 1 a.m. on March 15. Skiers and snowboarders might recognize that location as being the highest point of Winter Park Resort, accessed via the Panoramic Express chairlift.

Winter Park Resort wasn’t the only ski area that got hit hard with wind, either. A Colorado Avalanche Information Center wind sensor located on Breckenridge’s Peak 8 also clocked wind speeds at 111 miles per hour – at about 3 a.m. on March 15. Peak 8 is also a resort high-point, reaching about 12,998 feet above sea level – though at least one LiDar data set puts it at 13,004 feet. Imperial Superchair drops guests off at 12,840 feet of elevation, with reaching the maximum elevation of this resort requiring a hike.

It’s also worth noting that it wasn’t just ski country that was getting hit hard by winds over the weekend. The wind sensor in the community of Sunshine near Boulder recorded gusts of 100 miles per hour at 5 p.m. on March 14, with that sensor located at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.

Here are a few other ski area wind speeds that were recorded over the weekend – not triple-digits, but still quite gusty:

• Keystone Resort: 88 miles per hour; 1:22 a.m. on March 15

• Steamboat Resort: 82 miles per hour; 1:20 a.m. on March 15

• Mount Crested Butte: 79 miles per hour; 2 a.m. on March 15

• Aspen (airport, elevation 7,820 feet): 60 miles per hour; 3:53 a.m. on March 15

Winds should be lower to start the week in Colorado, though a ‘high wind warning’ been in effect in part of the Central Mountain region on March 16 urging caution amid the likelihood of 25 to 40 mile-per-hour consistent winds with gusts of up to 80 miles per hour possible. This warning includes the mountains of Summit County, the Mosquito Range, and the Indian Peaks, set to expire at 2 p.m.

Per warned that entering wooded areas during windy periods can result in additional risk. Trees and limbs may fall, and the heightened level of risk related to this hazard can continue for hours and days after winds subside due to unnoticed damages that winds may have caused.

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