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For
residents along Colorado's Front
Range, the windstorms known
as chinooks can be both a blessing
and a curse. The warmth and
low humidity that accompany
a chinook can bring welcome
relief from winter's cold. Temperatures
can rise by 30° F or more
within a matter of minutes.
But
the warm gusts can sometimes
become violent. Chinook winds
frequently reach hurricane force
and can wreak havoc along the
foothills. One particularly
strong windstorm hit Boulder
on January 17, 1982. Wind gusts
were clocked in excess of 120
miles per hour. Damage from
the storm was assessed at $20
million.
Chinook
winds occur when a strong, deep
flow of air crosses the Rockies
from west to east. Air is forced
up by the high peaks of the
Continental Divide and then
races down the eastern side
to the plains below.
The
air heats up and dries out as
it descends due to the increased
atmospheric pressure at lower
elevations. This pattern of
air flow frequently produces
eerie, flying saucer-like clouds
called lenticular or lens-shaped
clouds by meteorologists. Near
sunset, this phenomenon can
produce dramatic and awe-inspiring
displays.
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Photo
credits: © Corbis Images,
© NCAR, © NOAA, courtesy
NEWS4, Colorado's news channel.
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