Colorado, 2001

Winter Storm in Colorado, March 3, 2001

March 3, 2001 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Over a foot of snow fell across the Elkhead and Park Mountains as a weak upper level disturbance moved southeast through the area. The heaviest snowfall was near Rabbit Ears Pass where 14 to 18 inches of new snow was reported.

Where it happened

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  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

Over a foot of snow fell across the Elkhead and Park Mountains as a weak upper level disturbance moved southeast through the area. The heaviest snowfall was near Rabbit Ears Pass where 14 to 18 inches of new snow was reported. In addition to the heavy snowfall, wind gusts to 40 mph resulted in considerable blowing and drifting snow.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 3, 11:00 AM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 3, 11:00 AM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1100 AM MST SAT MAR 3 2001

COLD CORE AT 500 MB TRACKED FARTHER SOUTH THAN EXPECTED AND
CURRENTLY OVER NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO.  VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY
SHOWS LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION IN THE VICINITY OF MOAB.  WITH UPPER
LEVEL SUPPORT ALREADY SHEARED FARTHER SOUTH.. EXPECT THIS FEATURE TO
GRADUALLY WEAKEN DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY. SUFFICIENT MOISTURE
AND INSTABILITY FOR SHOWERS.. ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS.  WITH
LITTLE IN THE WAY OF UPWARDS FORCING AND WEAK WIND ALOFT..
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHTER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT AND HAVE
UPDATED ZONES FOR THIS.  ALSO.. CLOUD COVER NOT AS THICK AS EXPECTED
AND HAVE ADJUSTED TEMPERATURES A LITTLE UPWARDS IN THE LOWER VALLEYS.
FRISBIE

.GJT...NONE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When
March 3, 12:45 PM MST to 11:30 PM MST
Where
Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5237376.