A Pacific storm system brought moderate to heavy snowfall and strong gusty winds to the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 Pacific storm system brought moderate to heavy snowfall and strong gusty winds to the 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 Feb 25, 4:00 AM MST, 3 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 400 AM MST SUN FEB 25 2007 ...MORE SNOW ON THE WAY FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT... .SHORT-TERM (TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... NEXT STORM TAKING AIM ON ERN UT AND WRN CO. WARM ADVECTION CLOUDS ALREADY MOVING IN FROM THE WEST...WITH STRONG UPPER JET NOSING INTO NRN CA. TIME-HEIGHT SECTIONS SHOW MOISTURE DEPTH INCREASING RAPIDLY TODAY IN THE WARM ADVECTION AND SW FLOW...AND EXPECT LIGHT PRECIP TO BREAK OUT ACROSS THE ERN UINTAS LATER THIS MORNING...AND THE NRN CO MTNS THIS AFTN. TEMPS SLOWLY BEGIN TO COOL AT 500 MB ACROSS THE N... WITH LAPSE RATES GRADUALLY INCREASING LATE TODAY. THE 120-130KT 300 MB JET PUNCHES INTO SW CO BY THIS EVENING...WITH THE AXIS ORIENTED FROM SW CO BACK TO THE OR/CA BORDER. EXPECT THE BEST CHANCE OF SNOW TO BE TONIGHT...FAVORING THE NRN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND WILL HOIST A LOW-END SNOW ADVISORY /4-8 INCHES/ FOR THE NRN MTNS /ZONES 4 10 13/. BELIEVE IT WILL BE MAINLY AN OROGRAPHIC EVENT WITH 700 MB WINDS WSW AROUND 25 KTS...NOT THAT FAVORABLE FOR THE ERN UINTA MTNS...BUT SUCH A DIRECTION SHOULD BE GOOD FOR VAIL. UNIMPRESSIVE DYNAMICS AND 700-500 MB LAPSE RATES OF 7.0 TO 7.5 C/KM...BUT MOIST AND PERSISTENT FLOW. WITH THE UPPER JET AND 500 MB N-S TEMP GRADIENT OVER SW CO AND MOISTURE PRESENT TO THE N...SETUP LOOKS SOMEWHAT FAVORABLE FOR SLANTWISE CONVECTION ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT...THAT MIGHT FAVOR SNOW FOR ZONES 9 AND 12. TIME-HEIGHT SECTIONS INDICATE LAYER WOULD BE QUITE SHALLOW. SOMETHING TO WATCH. JET AXIS SLOWLY BEGINS TO DRIFT N LATE TONIGHT AND IS FORECAST TO NEAR THE WY BORDER MON MORNING. JET WILL CONTINUE LIFTING NWD DURING THE DAY MON WITH PRECIP TAPERING OFF. WEAK RIDGING MON NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT STORM. CURRENT TEMP GRIDS LOOK REASONABLE. DO NOT EXPECT MUCH CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 48 HRS. .LONG TERM (TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... BAROCLINIC ZONE AND ACTIVE SURFACE FRONT WILL BE DROPPING SOUTHEAST FROM NRN UTAH ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THE GFS SHOWS A DEEP SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHEAST UTAH AND THIS WILL BRING WARMER AIR FROM THE SOUTHWEST. TEMPERATURES MAY BE HIGHER THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST AND WILL ADJUST UPWARDS BY 2-4 DEGREES...BUT THE MODELS STILL NOT SHOWING CONSENSUS WITH THE EVOLUTION OF COLD TROUGH (BUT ITS IMPROVING). TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT ARRIVAL IS ONE OF THE FORECAST CHALLENGES AS UPSTREAM ENERGY DIGGING ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROUGH COULD SLOW DOWN THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION. BUT THE MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT THAT THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM THE NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. WHEN THE FRONT DOES ARRIVE IT WILL BE QUITE NOTICEABLE AND EXPECT RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES WITH A BAND OF SNOW. THERE IS PLENTY OF COOL AIR WITH H7 TEMPS FALLING TO -10C TO -12C BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE COLD TROUGH COULD DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK THROUGH FRIDAY. THE GFS SHOWS A SECONDARY SURFACE FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY NIGHT...A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR WITH ONGOING SNOW SHOWERS FOR ALL MOUNTAIN AREAS WITH SOME SNOW SHOWERS PASSING OVER THE LOWER VALLEYS. NOT SURE IF THIS IS REAL YET AS THIS FEATURE DID NOT APPEAR IN EARLIER GFS OR ECMWF VERSIONS. PREVIOUS GRIDS INDICATED A CHANCE OF SNOW FOR THE NWRN MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO...BUT LESSER CHANCE ELSEWHERE. WILL CONTINUE WITH THIS IDEA UNTIL THERES BETTER MODEL CONSENSUS. WARMER AND DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR SATURDAY AS RIDGE AXIS MOVES ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .CO...SNOW ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR THE NORTHERN MTNS...ZONES 4 10 13. .UT...NONE. JAD/PF
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
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall of 5 to 8 inches blanketed the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall of 12 to 19 inches occurred with local amounts up to 2 feet. Additionally, frequent wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph caused blowing and drifting snow. A peak gust of 49 mph was measured at Storm Peak Lab above Steamboat Springs Ski Area.
Snowfall of 5 to 10 inches occurred. Frequent wind gusts of 20 to 45 mph with local gusts up to 60 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 6 to 12 inches blanketed the area with a local amount of 17 inches that was measured at Vail Ski Area. Wind gusts of 20 to 45 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 6 to 16 inches occurred with a local amount of 18 inches at Schofield Pass. Snowfall amounts in excess of a foot covered less than half of the area. Frequent wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph caused blowing and drifting snow. A wind gust of 79 mph was recorded at Salida Mountain.
Snowfall of 4 to 11 inches blanketed the area.
Snowfall of 5 to 8 inches blanketed the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 4 to 8 inches occurred with frequent wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph that caused blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 3 to 4 inches occurred. Frequent wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 3 to 6 inches occurred. Frequent wind gusts of 20 to 37 mph caused blowing and drifting snow.
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, February 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: 15341, 15233, 15238, 15342, 15344, 15340, 15343, 15235, 15237, 15236.