A storm system brought heavy snow to portions of the North-Central Mountains. Storm totals included: 18 inches at St.
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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.
A storm system brought heavy snow to portions of the North-Central Mountains. Storm totals included: 18 inches at St. Mary's Glacier; 17 inches at Berthoud Pass; 14 inches at Cabin Creek; 13.5 inches at the Niwot Ridge Snotel; 13 inches at Loveland Pass; 11 inches at Winter Park Ski Area; 10 inches at Jackwacker Gulch; 9.5 inches at the Eisenhower Tunnel; 9 inches at Keystone Ski Area; 8.5 inches at Willow Park. Elsewhere, storm totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches.
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 Dec 5, 3:15 PM MST, 5 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 315 PM MST WED DEC 5 2007 .SHORT TERM...SATELLITE PICTURES ARE SHOWING PLENTY OF MOISTURE STREAMING TOWARDS THE FORECAST AREA IN THE STRONG WEST-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. CANT FIND ANY PRECIPITATION FALLING OVER THE FORECAST AREA AT THIS TIME. THE STRATUS FIELD EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA MADE IT INTO PHILLIPS AND SEDGWICK COUNTIES EARLIER AND IS NOW PUSHING BACK EASTWARD. THE BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW OVER THE MOST OF THE PLAINS HAS BEEN SOUTHEASTERLY FOR SEVERAL HOURS. MODELS SHOW A SUBSTANTIAL NORTHWESTERLY JET MAXIMUM MOVING INTO THE FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. IT STAYS OVER THE NORTHERN BORDER AREA ON THURSDAY. THE QG VERTICAL VELOCITY FIELDS HAVE WEAK UPWARD MOTION TONIGHT FOR ALL THE FORECAST AREA. BUT FOR MUCH OF THURSDAY FAIRLY DECENT DOWNWARD MOTION IS PROGGED IN ALL AREAS. THE BOUNDARY LOWER FLOW PROGGS HAVE NO UPSLOPE FOR THE PLAINS TONIGHT AND MOST OF THURSDAY. IT COMMENCES BY 00Z LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. FOR MOISTURE...BOTH MODELS HAVE PLENTY OF DEEP MOISTURE FOR THE MOUNTAINS BY MID EVENING TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. THE PLAINS HOWEVER STAY SOMEWHAT DRY IN THE LOWER LEVELS WITH THE MOISTURE STAYING AT THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS. FOR MOUNTAIN POPS... WILL LOWER THIS EVENINGS INITIALLY...THEN KEEP 60%S IN FROM JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW MODEL YIELDS UP TO 10 INCHES OR SO IN THE BETTER AREAS FROM 06Z TONIGHT THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER THERE IS A PERIOD OF FAIRLY DECENT DOWNWARD MOTION FOR AT LEAST 9 HOURS OF THAT. WILL GO WITH UP TO 7 OR 8 INCHES IN THE BEST AREAS FOR THE 18 HOUR PERIOD FROM 06Z TONIGHT THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON. NO HIGHLIGHTS NOW. OVER THE PLAINS...THERE IS NO UPSLOPE...THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IS LACKING ON BOTH MODELS...THERE IS DOWNWARD SYNOPTIC SCALE ENERGY ON THURSDAY ...HOWEVER THERE WILL BE A JET AROUND. THE QPF FIELDS HAVE LIMITED PLAINS MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION. FOR NOW...I WILL GO WITH NOTHING THIS EVENING...THEN STICK WITH THE GOING 20%S THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO COOL SOME 2.0-3.5 C FOR THURSDAYS HIGHS. .LONG TERM...MODEL CONSENSUS CONTINUES TO IMPROVE THOUGH THERE ARE STILL A FEW SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES. MAIN ISSUE IS THE RELATIVE STRENGTH OF THE SHORTWAVE KICKING OUT OF THE TROUGH TO OUR WEST FRIDAY NIGHT VERSUS THE MAINTENANCE OF A STRONG TROUGH JUST WEST OF US. BEFORE THAT...WEAK ELEVATED WARM FRONT LIFTS OVER US THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE JET APPROACHES THREATENING TO BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW AT THIS POINT THE AIRMASS IS STILL RATHER WARM WITH A MOIST ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE...SO THERE SHOULD BE A DECENT CHANCE OF SNOW EVEN WITHOUT STRONG FORCING. ON FRIDAY WE ARE WAITING FOR THE MAIN EVENT WITH RIBBON OF OVERRUNNING MAINLY NORTH OF OUR AREA. PRECIPITATION MAY BEGIN TO SLIDE BACK TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON...SO I WILL NOT GET TOO FANCY WITH THE POPS AT THIS POINT. ONCE AGAIN AMOUNTS LOOK PRETTY LIGHT. TEMPERATURES ALSO WILL NOT HAVE COOLED TOO MUCH...MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW SNOW LEVEL DOWN TO 4-5 THOUSAND FEET FRIDAY MORNING BUT RISING TO 6-7 THOUSAND FEET IN THE AFTERNOON. AS FOR THE MAIN EVENT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...THE GFS HAS A STRONGER SLOWER WAVE WHILE THE NAM ECHOES THE ECMWF PLAN OF A WEAKER WAVE THAT IS THROUGH BY SATURDAY MORNING. BOTH GENERATE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ON THE PLAINS AND INDUCE A STRONGER SURGE OF COLDER AIR FROM THE EAST. ALL OF THIS SEEMS REASONABLE...SO WILL GO AHEAD WITH LIKELY POPS IN DENVER IN THIS TIME FRAME. NOT LOOKING LIKE A PARTICULARLY HEAVY EVENT...THOUGH THERE COULD BE A PERIOD OF DECENT FOOTHILLS CONVERGENCE AND ALSO POSSIBILITY OF SOME SHEAR INDUCED BANDING. IN ANY EVENT...THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND COLDER TEMPERATURES SHOULD IMPACT TRAVEL. STILL SOME CONCERN ABOUT FREEZING PRECIPITATION ON THE PLAINS AS THE COLD AIR COMES IN AT LOW LEVELS. MAIN THREAT APPEARS TO BE FRIDAY EVENING ALONG OUR EASTERN BORDER. ON SATURDAY NAM CLEARS THINGS OUT FAIRLY WELL...BUT THE GFS HAS A MORE WRAPAROUND BEHIND ITS WAVE AND KEEPS SOME LIGHT SNOW OVER EASTERN COLORADO THROUGH THE DAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLDER...IF THE GFS IS RIGHT WITH THE PRECIPITATION IT MAY STAY IN THE 20S...WILL HEDGE WITH LOWER TO MID 30S. LESS CONSENSUS AFTER THAT. GFS ENSEMBLES INDICATING PRETTY LOW POPS FROM SUNDAY ON...BUT WE WILL NOT BE FAR FROM THE EDGE OF THE MOISTURE TO THE SOUTH. MODEL SOLUTIONS BRING REMNANTS OF THE TROUGH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES SOMETIME IN THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK...POSSIBLY BRUSHING OUR AREA. IN ADDITION...ANOTHER SHOT OF COLDER AIR WILL COME DOWN BEHIND THE MAIN TROUGH AXIS AS IT COMES BY US. WILL HINT AT ALL THIS BUT GO WITH THE MOST LIKELY SOLUTION WHICH IS DRY BUT WITHOUT MUCH WARMING. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS LOOK TO CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR THE LOCAL TERMINALS. THERE WILL BE A SMALL THREAT OF MVFR CONDITIONS FROM 09Z THROUGH 00Z ON THURSDAY ALONG WITH A A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && RJK/GIMMESTAD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1120 AM MST WED DEC 05 2007 COZ030>051-061300- 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- 1120 AM MST WED DEC 05 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CLOUDINESS WILL BE INCREASING OVER THE FORECAST AREA FROM WEST TO EAST TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE HIGH MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON...BECOMING LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW OVER THE PLAINS FROM MID EVENING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT WINDS WILL BE ABOVE 9000 FEET WHERE WEST TO NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 35 MPH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A STORM SYSTEM ORGANIZING OVER THE SOUTHWEST WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF SNOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WHILE DETAILS ARE STILL UNCERTAIN...THE THREAT OF SNOW APPEARS TO BE GREATEST FROM FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. ALTHOUGH THE SNOW IS GENERALLY EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT...A LONG DURATION EVENT WILL BE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE STORM. MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE WEATHER WILL TREND WARMER BY MONDAY...THOUGH THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE A SECOND PART OF THE STORM WILL MOVE SOUTH OF OUR AREA WHICH WOULD DELAY THE IMPROVEMENT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. RJK/GIMMESTAD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
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: 63745, 63746, 63747, 63748.