A series of disturbances embedded in a moist flow off the Pacific brought widespread snowfall of 5 to 12 inches to the central and southern mountains of western Colorado. Locally higher snowfall amounts included 17 inches at Red Mountain Pass and 22 inches at Vail Ski Area.
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 GJT wrote it up.
A series of disturbances embedded in a moist flow off the Pacific brought widespread snowfall of 5 to 12 inches to the central and southern mountains of western Colorado. Locally higher snowfall amounts included 17 inches at Red Mountain Pass and 22 inches at Vail Ski Area.
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 Dec 18, 3:02 AM MST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
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</html>HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 400 AM MST SUN DEC 18 2005 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-181100- ANIMAS RIVER BASIN-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES- CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN- CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN- CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR- EASTERN UINTA BASIN-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS- ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-FLAT TOPS- FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER- GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS- GRAND VALLEY-LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN- NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER- ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH- SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU- UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE-UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY- UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS- 400 AM MST SUN DEC 18 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TODAY...WHICH WILL INCREASE AND SPREAD SOUTHWARD TONIGHT TO INCLUDE THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. ACCUMULATIONS BY SUNDAY MORNING OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN PASSES WILL BE IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE. ROADS THROUGH THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WILL BECOME LOCALLY ICY AND SNOWPACKED CAUSING IN HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...SNOW IS LIKELY IN PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL COLORADO MOUNTAINS. FROM 2 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE CAUSING LOCALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE IS A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS OF UTAH AND THE BALANCE OF THE WESTERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY IN THE EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT...BUT YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION. MC/CJC
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2005
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5480077, 5480078, 5480079, 5480080.