Yes. That鈥檚 why many ski areas shut down their gondolas and lifts when sustained winds clock 40mph. 鈥淚n November 2011, a wind gust was clocked at 115mph at Breckenridge Ski Area,鈥 recalls Denver-based meteorologist Chris Tomer, noting that the all-time highest wind gust in Colorado鈥201mph鈥攐ccurred near the summit of Long鈥檚 Peak during the winter of 1981.聽鈥淎t that point you’re essentially standing in the jet stream鈥攖he superhighway of wind that guides storms across the United States.鈥
So can you actually get blown off the mountain?聽Yes.聽鈥淎fter the wind reaches 50mph, most people聽are forced to lean into the wind to stay upright,鈥 Tomer says.聽鈥淏eyond 80mph, people can get blown down and away; the 115mph wind gust at Breckenridge would’ve sent most people tumbling down the mountain.鈥
And that鈥檚 not the only way a blast of cold air can be hazardous to your wellbeing. Gusts also create wind chills, so as the air blows the heat away from your body, you feel colder. 鈥淭he wind chill value is a temperature separate from the air temperature, and in the winter the wind chill is almost always colder,鈥 Tomer explains. 鈥淔rost bite occurs quicker when the wind is blowing, especially for exposed skin.鈥
THE BOTTOM LINE: No one wants read your mountain-town version of Gone With the Wind, so check the forecast before hitting the slopes.