Winter Storm in Colorado, February 20 to 21, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Colorado, February 20 to 21, 2002
Start: 2002-02-20T02:00
End: 2002-02-21T12:00
Location: Colorado

February 20 to 21, 2002 · NWS GJT · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A strong and moist northwest flow brought 8 to 16 inches of new snow to most mountains of western Colorado, beginning in the north and spreading to the south. Northwest winds of 20 to 40 mph over the higher elevations produced considerable blowing and drifting snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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.

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 Feb 19, 1:30 PM MST, 12 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 19, 1:30 PM MST, 12 hours 30 minutes before

WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
130 PM MST TUE FEB 19 2002

AS THE CURRENT LOW PUSHS INTO THE PLAINS A BROAD AND DIRTY RIDGE
MOVES OVER THE WEST. WE WILL BE UNDER THIS INFLUENCE WITH A FAIRLY
QUICK NORTHWEST FLOW THROUGH WEEKS END. SHORT WAVES IN THIS FLOW
WEAKEN HAS THEY MOVE TOWARD THE ROCKIES...WITH THE BEST OF SHOW ON
TAP FOR WEDNESDAY.

JET ENHANCEMENT FOR WED AND TIGHT GRADIENT BRINGS BRISK WINDS TO
THE HIGHER TERRIAN. THIS WILL ALSO HELP WITH OROGRAPHIC SNOW. SNOW
MODEL KICKS AMOUNTS UP TO 7 INCHES FOR AN 18 HOUR PERIOD USING THE
MOST OPTIMISTIC MODEL VALUES. BELIEVE BROADER SNOW VALUES WILL REMAIN
UNDER ADVISORY LEVEL WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS UP TO 6 INCHES.  CURRENT
FORECASTS PRETTY MUCH ON TRACK WITH THIS AND WILL ADJUST SOME
ACCUMULATIONS. NO HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS PACKAGE. THANKS TO RIW FOR
COORD. DJC/21

FRI-TUE:  MODELS TENDING TO MERGE A LITTLE MORE ON HANDLING OF NEXT
PACIFIC SYSTEM. THE MRF IS TRENDING STRONGER AND SLOWER WHILE THE
OTHER MID RANGE MODELS ARE TRENDING WEAKER AND FASTER ONCE THE
SYSTEM COMES ONSHORE SAT. WITH THIS TIMING IT MIGHT BE HARD TO GET
ANY PRECIPITATION ON SAT AND WILL REDUCE POPS THEN. SUN CONTINUES
TO LOOK LIKE THE BEST DAY. THE MRF INDICATES THAT THE TROUGH IS
REINFORCED MON FOR CONTINUED CHANCE...WITH CHANCE OVER THE NORTHERN
PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA CONTINUING INTO TUE IN STRONG NORTH
FLOW. HEFFERNAN

.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

8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When: February 20, 2:00 AM MST to 9:00 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)

Winter Storm, Flattop Mountains

When: February 20, 2:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where: Flattop Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.062, -107.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When: February 20, 2:00 AM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When: February 20, 2:00 AM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Yampa River Basin

When: February 20, 2:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.485, -106.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When: February 20, 8:00 AM MST to February 21, 4:00 AM MST
Where: West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When: February 20, 8:00 PM MST to February 21, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When: February 20, 8:00 PM MST to February 21, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Southwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.594, -107.912 (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

Every storm in Colorado in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, February 2002

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: 5282116, 5282117, 5282118, 5282119, 5282123, 5282120, 5282121, 5282122.