1:30 PM Update: Wall of Dust Moving Through Plains
Be cautious of a wall of dust and strong winds moving south through the Colorado eastern plains. Visibility will rapidly reduce and driving will become very dangerous.
12:30 PM Update: Blowing Dust Hazard
A Blowing Dust Advisory is in effect until 5 pm for Crowley County, Eastern Kiowa County, Eastern Las Animas County, La Junta Vicinity/Otero County, Lamar Vicinity/Prowers County, Las Animas Vicinity/Bent County, Springfield Vicinity/Baca County, Western Kiowa County.
Several Dust Storm Warnings have been issued in the plains, in Prowers and Baca County. This warning means visibility will drop to near zero and driving will be very dangerous.
The wind and corresponding blowing dust have made it to La Junta.#COwx pic.twitter.com/kWpLt11toJ
— Alex O'Brien (@WXAlexOBrien) December 2, 2022
9:00 AM Update: High Wind Restrictions lifted
High Wind Restrictions from CDOT have been lifted. Semi-trucks and other high profile vehicles will be allowed to travel normally along I-25.
8:00 AM: Updated wind reports
Use this interactive map to zoom in near your house and see the closest wind report.
6:30 Update: Wind Gust Forecast
Model loops support wind gusts in the 70 mph range south of Highway 50 through the lunch hour.
6 AM Update: School Closings & Space Base Delays:
Multiple schools are on two hour delays due to the wind.
Click here for a full list of school closings and delays.
We also have 2-hour delayed reporting for non-mission essential personnel for Peterson, Schriever & Cheyenne Mtn. Personnel should not arrive before 9:30.
5:00 AM Update: Travel Restrictions from Castle Rock through New Mexico
CDOT has issued a travel restriction along I-25 from Castle Rock all the way south through the New Mexico border. High-profile vehicles will are required to pull over until the restrictions are in place. The toll lanes of I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock are currently being used as semi pull-over lanes.
Wind Reports:
A dangerous wind storm moved through Colorado last night with wind gusts verifying between the 80 to 100 mph range on the high end. We've seen widespread wind reports in the 40 to 60 mph range, but Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado City near the Wet Mountains, and the Air Force Academy all have the top wind gusts as of 3 AM Friday morning.
The National Weather Service compiled a list of the top wind reports across the region at midnight Friday morning.
Locally, we will continue to see wind gusts in the 40 to 70 mph range across the Pikes Peak Region through sunrise. Through mid-morning, some of the strongest wind gusts may shift south to the southern I-25 corridor between Colorado City and Trinidad, as well as the mountains west near La Veta and Cuchara.
Winter Driving:
If you had plans to drive west across I-70, Monarch Pass, or Hoosier Pass, please use extra caution today. Most ski areas will see at least a few inches of snow today with wind gusts in the 30 to 60 mph range. Not only could driving west result in white-out conditions, it may simply be too windy for ski lifts to operate today.
The KOAA radar app shows show starting to accumulate along the I-25 corridor with more expected through Crested Butte, Monarch Pass, and eventually Winter Park through the morning.
Snow totals will collect best through the first half of the day, and that's when the winds will be strongest in the high country. If you absolutely needed to travel west on I-70 today, our advice would be to delay until the end of the day.
With all the wind and dangerous conditions schools across the News5 viewing area are closing down or on delay. Make sure you're in the know and check out our list of closings and delays.
Track this storm through the morning, including snow totals and updated forecasts, on the First Alert 5 Weather stream, which can be viewed on the KOAA News5 app for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV or AndroidTV.
Resources:
- Get your latest First Alert 5 Weather Forecast
- Find the current school closing and delay list
- Keep track of flight delays at Denver International Airport or the Colorado Springs Airport
- Watch KOAA News5 LIVE newscasts and updated content throughout the day in your browser, the News5 App, or your favorite streaming device.
- Download the free News5 App for your iOS or Android device to get the latest headlines and news across Colorado.
- Download the free First Alert 5 Weather App for your iOS or Android device to get the latest headlines and news across Colorado.
- You can find us on social media with KOAA on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
