A fast moving storm system swept a strong cold front across western Colorado followed by cold northwest flow.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 fast moving storm system swept a strong cold front across western Colorado followed by cold northwest flow.
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 23, 4:45 AM MST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 445 AM MST SUN DEC 23 2007 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT... UPPER TROUGH CROSSING THE NRN ROCKIES AND GREAT BASIN AT 09Z. SOME LIGHT PRECIP NOTED OVER ID/NRN UT SO FAR EARLY THIS MORNING PER MOSAIC RADAR AND SFC OBS WITH WARM ADVECTIVE CLOUDS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS WY/WRN CO. NOSE OF 120 KT JET REFLECTED BY GROWING PATCH OF CLOUDS OVER NE NE/NW UT AT 10Z WILL PROVIDE A PERIOD OF UPPER DIVERGENCE THIS MORNING AS IT SWEEPS ACROSS. HOWEVER...THIS SYSTEM GENERALLY LACKING SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE/DYNAMICS/COLD ADVECTION...AND SPEED OF MOVEMENT WILL LIMIT DURATION OF WHAT THERE IS WITH DRYING AND Q-DIVERGENCE SPREADING IN FROM THE W AFTER MIDDAY. IT DOES HAVE DECENT WNW OROGRAPHICS WITH 700 MB WINDS 25-30 KTS THIS MORNING...AND NW 15-25 KTS THIS AFTERNOON. CURRENT FORECAST OF 3-5 INCHES NEW SNOW FOR THE NRN MTNS AND VAIL AREA...AND 1-3 INCHES FOR THE CENTRAL MTNS STILL LOOKS OKAY. HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT MOVES IN TONIGHT. NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE PAC NW TONIGHT AND SHOULD BRING A STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS ERN UT/WRN CO MONDAY NIGHT... CHRISTMAS EVE. MODELS BRING DEEPENING MOISTURE ACROSS THE N MONDAY IN WARM ADVECTION...WITH SPECIFIC HUMIDITIES 3+ G/KG. THIS IS HIGHER THAN 24 HRS AGO AND COULD BE REFLECTING THE GOOD MOISTURE STREAM INTO BC/WA APPARENT ON WATER VAPOR...ALTHOUGH MOISTURE TAILS OFF FAIRLY QUICKLY TOWARD 30N/150W. INCREASED CLOUDS AND NRN MTN POPS ANYWAY MON AFTN AND EVE AS BETTER FITS MOS GUIDANCE. WHILE LIGHT PRECIP COULD BREAK OUT ACROSS THE NRN MTNS MONDAY...BULK OF THE PRECIP EXPECTED MON NIGHT WITH THE FRONT...AND IN THE NW FLOW BEHIND IT. COMBINATION OF GOOD DYNAMICS AND NW OROGRAPHICS WORKING ON DEEP POTENTIAL INSTABILITY AND ADEQUATE MOISTURE SHOULD PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SNOW FOR ALL BUT THE FAR S MON NIGHT WITH SEVERAL INCHES AGAIN FOR THE MTNS. BUT SPEED OF MOVEMENT WILL BE LIMITING FACTOR AS MODELS SHOW LIFT AND MOISTURE FADING BY 12Z TUE. NO HIGHLIGHTS PLANNED AT THIS TIME...BUT FOLKS TRAVELING OVER THE MTNS MONDAY EVENING OR MONDAY NIGHT SHOULD EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER SOME WINTER WEATHER...AND MONITOR FUTURE FORECASTS. .LONG TERM (CHRISTMAS DAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... TROUGH AXIS WILL BE MOVING EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING CHRISTMAS MORNING. QVECTOR CHARTS INDICATE DESCENT...BUT OROGRAPHIC LIFT AND MID LEVEL COLD ADVECTION WILL KEEP SHALLOW CONVECTIVE SNOW SHOWERS ONGOING. THE NRN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL BE THE FAVORED AREAS WITH NORTHWEST FLOW. HIGH SNOW TO LIQUID RATIO EXPECTED IN COLD POST FRONTAL AIR MASS...NEAR 30 TO 1 TOWARD RABBIT EARS...VAIL AND POSSIBLY AS FAR SOUTH AS THE UNCOMPAHGRE GORGE. SNOW WILL END FAIRLY QUICKLY IN THE AFTERNOON WITH PROGRESSIVE RIDGE AXIS MOVING ACROSS UTAH BY TUESDAY NIGHT. THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY WITH SURFACE FRONT MOVING ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE GFS MODEL KEEPS THIS TROUGH AN OPEN WAVE...AND THE ECMWF MODEL HAS SHIFTED TOWARD THE GFS SOLUTION. THIS TROUGH IS COLDER AND DEEPER THAN THE CHRISTMAS TROUGH...BUT THIS SYSTEM LACKS MOISTURE WITH MAXIMUM H7 MIXING RATIOS BARELY REACHING 2.5 G/KG. TYPICALLY IT/S A CHALLENGE TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH THESE TYPE OF VALUES. HAVING SAID THAT...THE TROUGH DOES NOT MOVE AS QUICKLY AS EARLIER TROUGHS AND THEREFORE THE STORM DURATION WILL BE LONGER. ALSO THE MID LEVEL INSTABILITY COINCIDES WITH THE BEST DYNAMICAL LIFT FOR ENHANCED MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL. THE AIR MASS WILL BE NEAR SATURATION IN THE -12C TO -18C TEMP RANGE FOR MAXIMUM DENDRITIC ICE CRYSTAL GROWTH. GFS ENSEMBLES DIVERGE BEYOND THURSDAY BUT STILL INDICATE THAT THE RELATIVELY ACTIVE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE. BROADBRUSH FORECAST OFFERED BY YESTERDAY/S 18Z HPC GUIDANCE LOOKS REASONABLE. && AVIATION...FOR MOST OF THE AREA...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL. HOWEVER...SOME MVFR AND LOCAL IFR CEILING AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGH COLORADO MOUNTAINS UNTIL 01Z FROM LIGHT SNOW. PILOTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF MODERATE TO STRONG TURBULENCE FROM MOUNTAIN WAVES...POSSIBLY IMPACTING MOUNTAIN VALLEY AIRPORTS WITH GUSTY WINDS AND LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR. TONIGHT...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL. HOWEVER THERE IS A CHANCE OF LOCAL FREEZING MIST IN THE UINTA BASIN AND IMPACTING THE VERNAL AIRPORT. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .CO...NONE. .UT...NONE. SHORT TERM.....JAD LONG TERM......PF AVIATION.......PF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 545 AM MST SAT DEC 22 2007 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-231245- 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- 545 AM MST SAT DEC 22 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND OF WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS EARLY THIS MORNING WILL END BY MIDDAY. ALSO...AREAS FOG COULD SLOW TRAVEL IN THE UPPER YAMPA RIVER VALLEY THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SNOW IS LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN COLORADO ON SUNDAY. THIS COULD POSE SOME TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES ALONG HIGHWAY 40 OVER RABBIT EARS PASS AND ALSO INTERSTATE 70 OVER VAIL PASS. FOUR TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED FOR THE ELKHEAD MOUNTAINS AND THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE PARK AND GORE RANGES...WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES IN LOWER ELEVATIONS AROUND STEAMBOAT SPRINGS. MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS ON MONDAY NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS DAY. SOME VALLEYS WILL HAVE LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. THE NEXT THREAT OF MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL BE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. TGJT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter weather, 3 winter storm, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
One to two feet of snow fell across the area while wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 12 to 16 inches occurred while wind gusts of 15 to 30 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 12 to 14 inches accumulated over half of the area while 6 to 11 inches occurred elsewhere. Wind gusts of 15 to 30 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall of 4 to 10 inches occurred while wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 1 to 2 feet accumulated on the north side of the Grand Mesa while 4 to 8 inches occurred on the south side. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall of 5 to 12 inches occurred while wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 5 to 12 inches occurred.
Snowfall of 3 to 5 inches occurred across the majority of the area while wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall of 3 to 6 inches occurred with a locally higher amount of 11 inches measured at Hamilton. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall of 3 to 6 inches occurred with locally higher amounts around 12 inches measured in the Steamboat Springs area.
Snowfall of 3 to 5 inches occurred across the majority of the area.
Snowfall of 6 to 10 inches occurred over the south half of the area while 1 to 4 inches occurred across the north.
Widespread snowfall of 3 to 5 inches occurred with a locally higher amount of 8 inches around Eagle.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2007
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: 121439, 121470, 121487, 121514, 121446, 121508, 121516, 121519, 121513, 121504, 121521, 121480, 121523.