On Dec. 15, 2021, hurricane-force winds moved across Colorado’s Front Range with gusts averaging up to 80mph. Fox News reported the highest gust was 112 mph on Red Mountain Pass. A 107mph gust was recorded in Lamar in the southeastern corner of the state.
Rare winds of that force can rip mature trees out of the ground. Trees, particularly tall trees, can be uprooted when subjected to certain levels of wind velocity. The tree trunk acts like a lever between the fulcrum root structure and the treetop canopy. The taller the tree, the more powerful the lever. Juvenile trees less than 15 feet can be replanted, staked and saved. Taller trees require removal and replacement.