What's the fastest wind speed ever recorded in Colorado?

With powerful winds in the forecast, potentially nearing 200 miles per hour, some Coloradans will surely ask – "what's the fastest wind speed to ever be clocked in the Centennial State?"

A 2017 report from The Gazette's Matt Steiner indicates that while winds close to 200 miles per hour would certainly be noteworthy, they won't be record-breaking.

The fastest official – official being the key word – wind speed ever recorded in Colorado was a gust that reached 148 miles per hour in February 2016 on Monarch Pass. While there was some concern that issues with the sensor may have resulted in a falsely high reading, this was eventually cleared up by the National Weather Service.

While the 148 miles per hour mark is the highest official wind speed to be clocked, a special project conducted by the Rocky Mountain Nature Association reportedly measured winds on top of Longs Peak at 201 miles per hour during the winter of 1981.

Currently, some of the strongest gusts that are expected on Wednesday will be found on West Spanish Peak, located in southern Colorado. Gusts are expected to hit up to 192 miles per hour, according to mountain forecasting service OpenSummit, though this is subject to change. The consistent speed will be much lower, likely somewhere in the 80s.

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