COLORADO, USA — Strong, gusty winds will impact Colorado through late Friday evening.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a High Wind Warning for most of eastern Colorado through 5 p.m. Friday.
The foothills will see west winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 75 mph. The plains will be impacted on Friday by northwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 75 mph.
Cheyenne Mountain reported a 105 mph wind gust Friday morning, while Colorado City hit 95 mph, Boulder at 90 mph and Rocky Flats had a 89 mph wind report.
NWS said precautions should be taken to secure Christmas decorations and loose items during the high winds.
High-profile vehicles should also take precautions when traveling. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said commercial truckers need to prepare for hazardous road conditions.
CDOT is staging maintenance personnel and equipment along the Interstate 25 corridor, anticipating the need for highway safety closures, and to assist with clearing blown-over vehicles.
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Much of western Colorado is also under a Winter Storm Warning or Winter Weather Advisory as a new round of winter-like weather impacts the region through Friday night.
Parts of the mountains could see snow accumulations of five to 12 inches with locally higher amounts possible and winds gusting as high as 60 mph.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said mountain commuters should plan for slippery road conditions. Blowing snow will also reduce visibility.
The snow will clear for the weekend ahead of the next chance for snow in the high country Saturday night into Sunday.
Monday could see some of that snow pushing onto the plains but amounts should stay relatively light.
Colorado chain and traction laws
The CDOT urged travelers to be aware of chain and traction law codes before heading out on the roadway:
- Code 18/Commercial Chain Law: Commercial vehicles and trucks must have chains. Vehicles without chains can often lose traction, causing traffic delays and sometimes road closures. For the safety of the traveling public, it's critical to use chains to comply with Colorado's chain law.
- Code 15/Passenger Traction Law: All passenger vehicles must have appropriate all-weather tires with 3/16-inch depth. Vehicles must have one of the following: winter tires, tires with mud/snow (M+S) designation, chains or alternative traction devices such as an autosock. 4WD and AWD vehicles must have winter tires or all-weather tires.
- Code 16/Passenger Chain Law: All passenger vehicles need chains, except for 4WD and AWD vehicles with all-weather tires with 3/16-inch tread depth.
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