Colorado, 2004

Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 2 to 3, 2004

January 2 to 3, 2004 · NWS PUB · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A strong winter storm moving across southern Colorado caused areas of heavy snow. The highest reported snow totals with this event are as follows.

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 PUB wrote it up.

A strong winter storm moving across southern Colorado caused areas of heavy snow. The highest reported snow totals with this event are as follows. In the vicinity of Leadville in Lake county 6 to 10 inches of snow was reported. 6 inches of snow was also measured at Rye and 3 miles to the southwest of Rosita. 7 to 8 inches of snow covered Florence and Canon City in Fremont county. 7 inches of snow was also noted some 7 miles west of Westcliffe in Custer county. 10 inches of snow graced the community of Divide in Teller county and 10 inches of snow was also observed some 7 miles to the southwest of Gardner in Huerfano county. 11 inches of snow fell some 12 miles to the northeast of Texas Creek in Fremont county. Finally...14 inches of snow was seen approximately 11 miles to the south of Guffey in Fremont county.

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 2, 2:37 PM MST, 3 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 2:37 PM MST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 2, 7:00 AM MST, 11 hours before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 2, 3:03 PM MST, 2 hours 57 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 2, 3:54 PM MST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 2, 4:41 PM MST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.202, -106.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.488, -105.323 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.685, -104.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft

When
January 2, 6:00 PM MST to January 3, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (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

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2004

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5382278, 5382279, 5382280, 5382281, 5382282, 5382283, 5382284, 5382285.