Winter Storm in Colorado, January 28 to 30, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Colorado, January 28 to 30, 2002
Start: 2002-01-28T21:00
End: 2002-01-30T15:00
Location: Colorado

January 28 to 30, 2002 · NWS GJT · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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: 14

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.

A powerful, slow-moving Pacific trough dumped 1 to 2 feet of snow in the mountains and 4 to 10 inches of snow in many lower elevation areas of western Colorado. The highest storm total was 28 inches at Columbine Pass on the Uncompahgre Plateau. In addition, winds gusted 20 to 40 MPH in the mountains and some valley locations, producing areas of blowing and drifting snow. Snow drifts 2 to 3 feet deep were reported on some mountain roads. A peak gust of 70 MPH was clocked at Telluride Ski Area.

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 Jan 28, 3:00 PM MST, 6 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 28, 3:00 PM MST, 6 hours before

WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
300 PM MST MON JAN 28 2002

COMPLEX WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS OVER EASTERN UTAH AND
WESTERN COLORADO.. BUT GENERALLY EXCELLENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AVN
AND MESOETA MODEL.  BUT WITH RESPECT TO PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS.. HAVE
STRONGLY LEANED TOWARDS THE MESOETA AND ITS BETTER CLOUD PHYSICS
PACKAGE.

SLOW MOVING BAROCLINIC ZONE FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST UTAH
SHIFTING SOUTHEASTWARD.  COLDER AIR BEGINNING TO SPILL OVER THE
WASATCH RANGE WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE AT 21Z (2 PM) AT PRICE.. UTAH.
INCREASING STRATOCUMULUS OBSERVED OVER NORTHEAST UTAH AND EXTREME
NORTHWEST COLORADO PER SATELLITE VISUAL (AND LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW
AT WFO GJT).  CONFIDENCE HAS INCREASED THAT SURFACE FRONT AND
ASSOCIATED BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL GET INTO NORTHWEST COLORADO LATER
TONIGHT AS MESOETA SHOWS.  WITH STRONG FLOW ALOFT (140 KNOT JET)
PARALLEL TO THE THERMAL GRADIENT.. BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL CONTINUE TO
BE SLOW SHIFTING SOUTHEASTWARD.  THE NET RESULT WILL BE A LONG
DURATION OF SNOWFALL IN THE MOUNTAINS.. REACHING THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT AND THEN SHIFTING THE FOCUS FARTHER SOUTH BY
TUESDAY EVENING.  OTHER FACTORS THAT WILL HELP GENERATE HEAVY
MOUNTAIN SNOW.. DEEP INSTABILITY TO 500 MB.. STRONG COLD ADVECTION
THAT SATURATES THE LOWER LEVELS.. AND SNOW DENSITY (BETWEEN 20 TO
30:1 SNOW TO WATER RATIO).  WHILE OROGRAPHIC FLOW WILL BE SOMEWHAT
LESS THAN IDEAL FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS (WEST SOUTHWEST AS OPPOSE
TO NORTHWEST).. STRONG JET ALOFT WILL CAUSE GOOD OROGRAPHIC LIFT..
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY LIFT THE JET PROVIDES WITH ANY EMBEDDED
RIPPLES.  BEST UPWARDS MOTIONS OCCURS OVERNIGHT WITH THE LEADING
SHORT WAVE.

COLD CORE ALONG THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST SHIFTS INTO THE
DESERT SOUTHWEST BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON.  MODELS INDICATE SURFACE
CYCLOGENESIS WILL OCCUR OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AS WELL.. THIS
WILL INCREASE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE.  IF THE SURFACE LOW
DOES FORM OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA TUESDAY.. THAT SHIFTS INTO NORTHERN
NEW MEXICO BY WEDNESDAY.. HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE
SAN JUANS AND ADJACENT SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO VALLEYS DUE TO DEEP
LAYER OF SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW.  WITH GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT IN THE
24 TO 48 HOUR RANGE.. WILL GO ALONG WITH THIS IDEA AND ISSUE WINTER
STORM WATCHES FOR THE SOUTHERN ZONES.  SIMILAR TO THE NORTHERN
ZONES.. THERMAL GRADIENT/BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL BE SLOW AND THEREFORE
AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED.  FRISBIE

THURSDAY-MONDAY...AS IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSION WESTERN TROF SHIFTS EAST
OF THE CWFA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MOISTURE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW SUFFICIENT
FOR MENTION OF SNOW CHANCE FOR THURSDAY IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS.
FAST PATTERN CHARACTERIZES FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY PERIOD. AFTER WEAK
RIDGING FRIDAY...S/WV TROF SLIPS BY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...
THOUGH LOOKS LIKE THE BULK OF THE ENERGY NORTH OF THE CWFA...
THEREFORE WILL LEAVE DRY FORECAST ALONE FOR THIS PERIOD. SATURDAY...
SPLIT FLOW RETURNS WITH UPPER LOW MOVING ALONG THE SOUTHERN CA COAST
LEAVING AREA UNDER DRY...LIGHT NORTHWEST FLOW. LOW SKIRTS AREA TO THE
SOUTH BEFORE PHASING WITH NORTHERN STREAM AND EXITING SUNDAY INTO
SUNDAY NIGHT. MOISTURE LIMITED...SO WILL KEEP DRY FORECAST GOING INTO
THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. NL

.GJT...WINTER STORM WARNING LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
          NORTHWESTERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS (CO ZONES 04 09 10 13)
       WINTER STORM WATCH TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SOUTHERN
          MOUNTAINS (CO ZONES 17 18 19 AND UTAH ZONE 28)
       WINTER STORM WATCH TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SOUTHWESTERN
          COLORADO VALLEYS (CO ZONES 21-23).
       SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY TONIGHT UTAH ZONE 23
       SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY UTAH
          ZONE 25 AND COLORADO ZONE 03
       SNOW ADVISORY TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NORTHWESTERN VALLEYS
          (CO ZONES 01 02 05 07 08).

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When: January 28, 9:00 PM MST to January 30, 12:00 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: January 28, 9:00 PM MST to January 30, 12:00 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, Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin

When: January 28, 9:00 PM MST to January 30, 8:00 AM MST
Where: Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.737, -107.907 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Yampa River Basin

When: January 28, 10:00 PM MST to January 29, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Central Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.361, -107.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus

When: January 28, 10:00 PM MST to January 29, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.532, -108.196 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When: January 28, 10:00 PM MST to January 29, 3:00 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, Debeque to Silt Corridor

When: January 28, 10:00 PM MST to January 29, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Debeque to Silt Corridor forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Colorado River Basin

When: January 28, 10:00 PM MST to January 29, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Central Colorado River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When: January 28, 11:00 PM MST to January 30, 3:00 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: January 29, 12:00 AM MST to January 30, 3:00 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)

Winter Storm, Flattop Mountains

When: January 29, 2:00 AM MST to 3:00 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, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide

When: January 29, 2:00 AM MST to January 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin

When: January 29, 5:00 PM MST to January 30, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.294, -108.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When: January 30, 3:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM 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)

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, January 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: 5278862, 5278863, 5278864, 5278857, 5278858, 5278859, 5278860, 5278861, 5278868, 5278869, 5278866, 5278867, 5278870, 5278865.