Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 29 to 31, 2002

Name: Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 29 to 31, 2002
Start: 2002-01-29T17:00
End: 2002-01-31T12:00
Location: Colorado

January 29 to 31, 2002 · NWS PUB · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

9 heavy snow, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: 9

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 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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 29, 1:50 PM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 29, 1:50 PM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO COLORADO
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
150 PM MST TUE JAN 29 2002

...MAIN CONCERN SHIFTING TOWARD AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST
AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL COMBINE WITH ARCTIC AIR EAST OF THE ROCKIES TO
PRODUCE WHAT SHOULD BE A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL EVENT FOR THE
AREA.  ARCTIC AIR HAS ALREADY SETTLED BACK THROUGH PUB AND COS AND
HEADED FOR TAD.  INITIALLY...UPSLOPE IS VERY SHALLOW SO ONLY VERY
LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES EXPECTED ON THE PLAINS TONIGHT AS BEST
DYNAMICS IN THE WAY OF FRONTOGENESIS REMAINS JUST WEST OF THE
PLAINS.  FARTHER WEST IN THE MOUNTAINS...SNOW SHOULD BE INCREASING
AS THE DYNAMICS BEGIN TO AFFECT THE AREA LATE TONIGHT ALONG WITH
INCREASING MOISTURE.  SNOW MODEL YIELDS AMOUNTS CLOSE TO ADVISORY
CRITERIA OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS...AND
NEAR WARNING CRITERIA IN THE WOLF CREEK PASS AREA.  WITH ADDED
AFFECTS OF DYNAMICS...THIS SHOULD ADD ON A COUPLE MORE INCHES AND
BOOST AMOUNTS INTO THE APPROPRIATE ADVISORY/WARNING CRITERIA FOR
THE RESPECTIVE MOUNTAIN ZONES.  ADVISORY FOR THE SANGRES WILL LIKELY
HAVE TO BE EXTENDED THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

BEST SNOWFALL ON THE PLAINS WILL BE RESERVED FOR WEDNESDAY AND
ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER TROF AND HEART OF THE
DYNAMICS SHOWN IN THE MODEL 700-300 MB QUASI-GEOSTROPHIC FIELDS MOVE
ACROSS.  ALSO...THERE APPEARS TO BE A PERIOD OF WEAK BUT DEEPER
UPSLOPE FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING TO AID
SNOWFALL.  NOT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT ADVISORY CRITERIA
MAY BE APPROACHED ON THE PLAINS...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER
WHERE BEST ISENTROPIC LIFT OCCURS.  AT THIS TIME...WILL MENTION 1 TO
2 INCHES ACCUMULATION WEDNESDAY ON THE PLAINS WITH ANOTHER 1 TO 3
INCHES EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

BY THE TIME THURSDAY ROLLS AROUND...UPPER TROF EXITS THE REGION WITH
DRIER AIR WORKING IN.  CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE MORNING WILL BE
REPLACED BY SOME SUNSHINE BY AFTERNOON.  TEMPS REMAIN QUITE COLD AND
WELL BELOW NORMAL WITH 700 MB READINGS NEAR -17C.  SHAVED A COUPLE
DEGREES FROM GUIDANCE NUMBERS CONSIDERING AVN AND NGM MODEL BIAS AND
TEMP READINGS FROM LAST NIGHT AND TODAY.

MODERATING CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY AS
WEAK DOWNSLOPE FLOW FORECAST TO DEVELOP.  THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WEAK
WAVES THAT MOVE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS BUT MOISTURE IS VARY SCARCE.
WILL HAVE JUST A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS SATURDAY
AND SUNDAY...OTHERWISE DRY.

BARJENBRUCH

.PUB...WINTER STORM WARNING SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AND
         WEDNESDAY...ZONE 61.
      SNOW ADVISORY LA GARITA AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS LATE
         TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ZONES 60..65...AND 66.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 29, 11:52 AM MST, 5 hours 8 minutes before

COZ058>081-292000-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1155 PM MST TUE JAN 29 2002

...THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL
COLORADO...

...WINTER STORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA
MOUNTAINS TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

FAIRLY STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.  AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST
COLORADO LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT...THEN MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO
WEDNESDAY.  THIS DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE SNOW ACROSS
ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO TONIGHT AND BRING SNOW TO SOUTHEAST
COLORADO LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS TODAY....WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES.  THE SNOW IS
EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS
TONIGHT...BECOMING LOCALLY HEAVY ACROSS THE SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA
MOUNTAINS...WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.  SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WILL CAUSE AREAS OF
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS...WIDELY SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL
DEVELOP TONIGHT.  THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE
DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AS THE UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains

When: January 29, 5:00 PM MST to January 31, 3:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An upper level storm system moved from the four corner region on the evening of the 30th and then across southeast Colorado during the morning of the 31st...producing the following snow totals: In Baca county...a general 5 to 6 inch snowfall occurred. In Prowers county...6 inches of snow fell in Holly while Lamar received 8 inches. In Kiowa county...6 inches of snow was noted in Eads while 9.5 inches of snow was measured at Chivington. In Otero county... 6 inches of snow graced La Junta. In Fremont county...Howard received 6 inches of snow while Coaldale accumulated 6.5 inches of snow. In Huerfano county...6 inches of snow frosted Walsenburg with 7 inches noted in La Veta. In Pueblo county...7 inches of snow blanketed Rye. In Custer county...6 inches of snow was deposited just to the west of Gardner...while 7 inches of snow covered Rosita and 8 inches occurred just to the west of Westcliffe. Finally, in Mineral county...the Wolf Creek Pass area was buried in up to 24 inches of the white stuff.

Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When: January 30, 1:00 AM MST to January 31, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties

When: January 30, 2:00 AM MST to January 31, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains

When: January 30, 2:00 AM MST to January 31, 8:00 AM MST
Where: Wet Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity

When: January 30, 2:00 AM MST to January 31, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity

When: January 30, 5:00 AM MST to January 31, 10:00 AM MST
Where: Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kiowa County

When: January 30, 6:00 AM MST to January 31, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Kiowa County forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity

When: January 30, 6:00 AM MST to January 31, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity

When: January 30, 6:00 AM MST to January 31, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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: 5279271, 5279272, 5279273, 5279274, 5279275, 5279276, 5279277, 5279278, 5279279.