Widepread heavy snow fell across parts of the North-Central Mountains as well as the high valleys of Jackson and Grand Counties. 5 inches, 12 miles northwest of Grand Lake, 13 inches, 5 miles north-northwest of Rand, 11 inches at Never Summer, with 10 inches reported 19 miles north of Breckenridge, 32 miles north of Grand Lake and Williams Fork Dam.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.
Widepread heavy snow fell across parts of the North-Central Mountains as well as the high valleys of Jackson and Grand Counties. Snowfall totals included: 13.5 inches, 12 miles northwest of Grand Lake, 13 inches, 5 miles north-northwest of Rand, 11 inches at Never Summer, with 10 inches reported 19 miles north of Breckenridge, 32 miles north of Grand Lake and Williams Fork Dam.
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 Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 28, 3:48 AM MST, 10 hours 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 348 AM MST SAT FEB 28 2004 .SHORT TERM...WILL HAVE TO RELY ON CONCEPTUAL MODEL VERSUS ANY OF THE SHORT RANGE MODELS SINCE SUCH DISCREPANCIES EXIST AMONGST THEM. IF AN ARGUMENT COULD BE MADE...ONE WOULD HAVE TO FAVOR THE ETA AND SOME OF THE SOUTHWARD POINTING GFS ENSEMBLE MEMBERS. THIS SAID DUE TO STRENGTH OF UPPER JET MOVING DOWN THE BACK SIDE OF THE MEAN TROUGH. THIS SHOWN NICELY BY JET STREAK OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THE MODELS DID A TERRIBLE JOB WITH AMOUNT OF JET STREAM WIND ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPSTREAM KICKER OF THE PACIFIC...ABOUT 40 KTS LIGHT. EVOLUTION OF SYSTEM LARGELY DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH OF THIS ENERGY SNEAKS INTO THE UPPER LOW OVER THE SOUTHWEST. THEREFORE... GENERAL THINKING SAYS MODELS ARE PLACING TOO MUCH EMPHASIS IN THE NORTHERN FIRST WAVE AND NOT HOLD ENOUGH BACK IN THE MEAN TROUGH. AT THE SURFACE...THE ETA SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THE LOW DEVELOPING OVER EAST CENTRAL COLORADO...BUT AS THE DAY SHIFT SAID YESTERDAY...EVEN IT LOOKS A LITTLE EXCITED TRYING TO PUSH IT NORTH INTO SOUTHEAST WYOMING THIS EVENING. SOME SUNSHINE AND GOOD SURFACE HEATING OVER OUR CWA SHOULD KEEP IT OVER NORTHEAST CO THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN UPWARD FORCING FROM UPPER TROUGH SHOULD KEEP IT IN NORTHEAST CO TONIGHT. THIS SHOULD HELP CAUSE TOMORROW...SEE BELOW. MOISTURE BEGINS TO INCREASE ON THE EASTERN PLAINS AND HIGH LAPSE RATES SO INCLUDED THUNDER ACROSS THE PLAINS. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISE FOR ISOLATED THUNDER IN THE MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS UPPER LEVEL DRY SLOT INCREASES POTENTIAL INSTABILITY. THIS SHOULD ALSO GIVE US SOME SUN DOWN HERE ON THE PLAINS. AS FOR SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS...THERE IS A NICE BAND OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE SHOOTING UP THROUGH WESTERN COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO AT THIS TIME. THIS SHOULD WORK SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS OUR MOUNTAINS. GOING FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE REGARDING THIS. WILL INCREASE POPS IN SOUTH PARK GIVEN SOUTHERLY FLOW AND INSTABILITY. HOISTING A WARNING STARTING LATE THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONE 31 WHILE KEPT THE WATCH GOING TONIGHT AND SUNDAY IN THE REST OF THE MOUNTAINS INCLUDING SUMMIT COUNTY WHERE BEST SNOW SHOULD NOT OCCUR UNTIL LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY WHEN OROGRAPHICS IMPROVE. OVERALL...GOING FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE THROUGH TONIGHT. .LONG TERM...FCST FOR SUN THRU MONDAY IS STILL A BIT TRICKY. WHILE THE MDLS SEEM TO HAVE INITIALIZED THE PSN OF THE UPR LOW OVR SWRN UT OK...THERE IS LTL CONSENSUS PAST 36 HRS. THE 00Z MDLS SEEM TO FALL INTO TWO CAMPS WRT THE TRACK OF THE UPR LOW - THE ETA/CANADIAN MDLS ARE FURTHER SOUTH WHILE THE GFS IS MORE ELONGATED AND FURTHER NORTH. HVWR...THE 06Z ETA SEEMS TO BE CHANGING ALLEGENCE AND NOW MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE 00Z AVN. ATTM...THIS SEEMS LIKE THE WRONG TREND SINCE ALL OF THE JET ENERGY ALG THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM IN CALIF SHOULD CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO DIG SWD...OR AT LEAST CONTINUE TO PROGRESS EWD ACRS SRN COLORADO. THIS SOUTHERN TRACK WOULD DEFINITELY RESULT IN MORE SNOW FOR THE CWFA. AS THE SFC LOW MOVES SOMEWHERE INTO WRN KS...THE NORTHEAST PLAINS WL BE AN AREA OF STG DEFORMATION. DIV-Q FIELDS INDG STG UPLIFT IN THE 300-500MB LYR DURG THE LT AFTN/EVE SUN. AS A SURFACE LOW DEEPS ACRS THE ERN PLAINS SUNDAY...SOME COLD AIR SHOULD BE DRAGGED INTO THE AREA AND THE PCPN SHOULD CHANGE OVER TO SNOW DURING THE AFTN WHICH IS WHEN THE MEANINGFUL PCPN SHOULD BEGIN. THE MORE BULLISH 00Z MESOETA/ETA PAINT A WIDE SWATH OF 8-12 STORM TOTAL OF SNOW ACRS THE NERN PLAINS. THE GFS AND LTR RUNS OF THE ETA CAST SOME DOUBT ON THIS SO WL EDGE THESE NUMBERS DOWN SOMEWHAT. THE SNOW WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY STG WNDS AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL BE PROBLEM IN THE OPEN COUNTRY OF THE EASTERN PLAINS. WE WILL ISSUE A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST PLAINS SHORTLY. CONCERNING THE FNT RANGE...UPSLOPE FLOW NEVER REALLY GETS GOING AND SNOWFALL SHOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS IN THE FOOTHILLS AND URBAN CORRIDOR. PERHAPS 1-3 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE DENVER AREA FOR THE STORM TOTAL BEFORE PCPN ENDS MON MRNG. AS THE FOCUS OF THE LONG TERM HAS BEEN ON THIS UPCOMING STORM... VERY LTL CHGS WL BE MADE FOR DAYS 3-7. GFS BRINGS ANOTHER STORM INTO THE SOUTHWEST TUESDAY. CUR FCST HAS ISOLD POPS DURING THE MIDWEEK TIMEFRAME TO REFLECT THIS WHICH SEEMS APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT PORTIONS NORTHERN MOUNTAINS... ZONE 31. WINTER STORM WATCH TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT REMAINDER OF NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTH PARK...ZONES 30..33..AND 34. WINTER STORM WATCH SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS...ZONES 42..44..48>51. BARJENBRUCH/046
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1138 AM MST SAT FEB 28 2004 COZ030>051-291300- JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/ NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/ SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY-BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/ EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET-NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY-CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY- 1138 AM MST SAT FEB 28 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM CONTINUES TO APPROACH COLORADO WITH THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW NOW OVER EASTERN UTAH. LOW PRESSURE HAS FORMED OVER SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO THIS MORNING. THERE CONTINUES TO BE UNCERTAINTIES IN THE EXACT TRACK OF THIS LOW OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND THIS WILL BE CRITICAL IN DETERMINING THE AREAS UNDER THE THREAT FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW. FOR THIS AFTERNOON SNOW SHOWERS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS WITH SNOWFALL RATES THAT COULD EXCEED AN INCH AN HOUR INTO THE EVENING. FOR THE PLAINS SHOWERS OF RAIN AND EVEN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT RANGE CORRIDOR AFTER 2 PM AND A LITTLE LATER FARTHER EAST. ALONG THE FRONT RANGE WEST OF I25 THE RAIN COULD MIX WITH AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW IN SOME AREAS AFTER 4 PM. SNOW WILL INCREASE TONIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS WHILE ACROSS THE PLAINS THINGS ARE MUCH LESS CERTAIN. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ACCUMULATING SNOWS ON THE PLAINS AT THIS TIME OVERNIGHT APPEARS TO BE FROM INTERSTATE 76 NORTHWARD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH MONDAY. ANOTHER 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL IN THE HIGH COUNTRY SUNDAY WITH STORM TOTAL APPROACHING 16 INCHES IN SOME AREAS WEST OF THE DIVIDE. AS THE STORM EMERGES FROM THE MOUNTAINS...SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE SNOWFALL WHICH WILL CREATE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. IN GENERAL...4 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHEAST PLAINS WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES EXPECTED IN THE URBAN CORRIDOR. THE SNOW WILL COME TO AN END MONDAY MORNING OVER MOST AREAS. HOWEVER...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WILL BRING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SNOW TO THE AREA TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. DRIER AND WARMER WEATHER WILL RETURN BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL BE APPRECIATED. SZOKE/GIMMESTAD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 2004
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: 5384500, 5384501, 5384502, 5384503.