A very moist storm brought heavy snow to the North Central Mountains and Front Range Foothills of Colorado. The storm spread into the Northeast Plains allowing for significant snowfall over parts of the the lower elevations as well.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 BOU wrote it up.
A very moist storm brought heavy snow to the North Central Mountains and Front Range Foothills of Colorado. The storm spread into the Northeast Plains allowing for significant snowfall over parts of the the lower elevations as well. Strong wind gusts also accompanied the storm, with peak gusts ranging from 40 mph to around 50 mph. Strong winds produced snow drifts up to 3 feet in depth.
Storm totals in the mountains and foothills included 15.5 inches at Joe Wright; 14.5 inches at Fremont Pass; 13.5 inches at Loveland Snotel; 13 inches at Gould; 12.5 inches at Aspen Springs and Buffalo Park Snotel; 11 inches, 4 miles west-northwest of Conifer; with 10.5 inches, 3 miles north of Central City and 6 miles southwest of Evergreen. Lesser amounts of 5 to 9 inches were observed elsewhere.
Storm totals across the Northeast Plains included: 10 inches, 6 miles south of New Raymer, and 5 miles south of Sedgwick; 9.5 inches, 12 miles southeast of Aurora; 9 inches, 7 miles north of Paoli; 7 inches at Woodrow; 6.5 inches at Akron and 10 miles west-northwest of St. Petersburg; 5.5 inches at Fleming and 6 miles north of Hyde; with 5 inches, 13 miles southeast of Holyoke and near Peetz.
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 Apr 9, 1:40 PM MST, 9 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 240 PM MDT WED APR 9 2008 .SHORT TERM...AHEAD OF OUR DEVELOPING STORM...STRONG DENVER CYCLONE HAS DEVELOPED DURING THE DAY...AND ORIENTED N-S JUST EAST OF DENVER BUT PUSHING SLIGHTLY WEST. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALREADY DEVELOPING AHD OF THE BOUNDARY SO WOULD EXPECT SOME THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS WELL. ALSO WOULD NOT BE SUPRISED TO GET A FEW LAND SPOUTS AND SMALL HAIL AS WELL WITH THE STORMS. SHOWERS ALSO STARTING TO DEVELOP IN THE MTNS AS WELL WITH LIGHTNING STRIKES NEARING THE 4 CORNERS REGION. UPPER LEVEL STORM STILL ON TRACK AND MAJORITY OF MODELS ARE TRACKING THE STORM ACROSS SRN CO AND THEN INTENSIFICATION INTO WRN KANSAS THU AFTN. MOST OF THE CONVECTION ON THE PLAINS THIS EVENING WILL BEGIN AS RAIN...BUT LOOKS LIKE ENOUGH COOLING PROCESSES ONGOING FOR A TURN TO SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT..GIVE A TAKE AN HOUR OR TWO. AT THIS TIME...GIVEN INTENSIFICATION PROCESS OF CYCLONE FURTHER EAST...HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL BE EAST OF DENVER AREA AND ACROSS EASTERN PLAINS...HENCE HAVE ALREADY ISSUED WARNINGS FOR LATER TNT AND THURSDAY WITH STRONG UPWARD FORCING NOTE ON QG VERTICAL VELOCITY FIELDS. BOTH GFS/NAM INDICATING THIS SCENARIO. FURTHER WEST OF THE URBAN CORRIDOR EXPECT LESSER SNOW AMOUNTS AS LOW LVL FLOW WILL BE MORE NW...HENCE MORE OF A DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT. ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE DENVER CYCLONE AND CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS THIS EVENING COULD PLAY HAVOC WITH THE LOW LVL FLOW AND KEEP WINDS FROM THE NW THRU THE EVENT. STILL SHOULD BE ENOUGH SNOWFALL AND SIGNIFICANT IMPACT DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR TO ISSUE SNOW ADVISORIES. STILL ZONE 41 WILL DO WELL WITH THE NW FLOW AND WILL GO WITH WARNINGS THERE. ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...HAVE HOISTED WINTER STORM WARNINGS AS WELL. CROSS SECTIONS INDICATE DEEP MSTR...LAPSE RATES AROUND 7C/KM AND NW OROGRAPHIC FLOW 15-20KT. LOCAL SNOW MODEL GAVE WARNING TYPE AMOUNTS. SNOW WILL BE WINDING DOWN THU AFTN OVER THE FRONT RANGE AND FURTHER EAST LATE IN THE DAY. .LONG TERM...MODELS SHOW UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW OVER EASTERN NEBRASKA THURSDAY EVENING...WITH NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS AREA. DESPITE ALL THE MOISTURE IN THE MODEL CROSS SECTIONS...DYNAMICS ARE ABOUT GONE. QG VERTICAL VELOCITY PROGS INDICATE DESCENT ACROSS ENTIRE AREA...WHICH SHOULD LIMIT PRECIPITATION. ACROSS MOUNTAINS... OROGRAPHICS REMAIN FAVORABLE...ENOUGH FOR CONTINUED SNOWFALL. BUT DESCENT WILL LIMIT ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...SO WILL KEEP AMOUNTS LOW. AS FOR PLAINS...BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION TO BE IN FAR NORTHEAST CORNER...CLOSEST TO DYNAMICS. FURTHER WEST TOWARD FOOTHILLS...CHANCES DECREASE DUE TO NORTHWESTERLY DOWNSLOPE FLOW. FAIRLY TIGHT SURFACE GRADIENT DURING EVENING...ESPECIALLY FAR NORTHEAST CORNER. ON FRIDAY...WILL CONTINUE SOME POPS ACROSS AREA...PARTICULARLY OVER MOUNTAINS. CROSS SECTIONS KEEP QUITE A BIT OF MOISTURE OVER AREA. BUT LACK OF DYNAMICS WILL LIMIT THE PRECIP CHANCES. MODELS SHOW SURFACE GRADIENT INCREASING A BIT OVER THE FAR NORTHEAST CORNER DURING THE AFTERNOON. COULD SEE SOME GUST TO 50 MPH AS A RESULT. ON SATURDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE TO BUILD ACROSS GREAT BASIN. CWA REMAINS UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AS UPPER LOW MOVES INTO NORTHERN PLAINS. SOME WRAP AROUND MOISTURE EXPECTED...THOUGH CROSS SECTIONS INDICATING MOISTURE IS LIMITED. QG VERTICAL VELOCITY PROGS SHOWING DESCENT ACROSS ENTIRE AREA. WILL KEEP THINGS DRY. WILL STILL BE DEALING WITH A BIT OF A SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT...PARTICULARLY ACROSS PLAINS. NAM SHOWING STRONGER SURFACE WINDS THAN GFS. WILL KEEP SOME WIND ACROSS AREA. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS HIGHS IN THE 50S ACROSS THE PLAINS...WHICH SEEMS REASONABLE GIVEN EXPECTED SNOW COVER. WILL LOWER CURRENT TEMPERATURE GRIDS. FOR SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...MODELS STILL CONSISTENT WITH BUILDING RIDGE ACROSS AREA. WITH DRY AIRMASS EXPECTED...SHOULD SEE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. MODELS INDICATE DECENT WARMUP EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH 5H HEIGHTS NEARING 578 DAM. AS A RESULT...SHOULD SEE HIGHS AROUND 70 DEGREES ACROSS THE PLAINS...WITH 40S AND 50S OVER THE MOUNTAINS. MODELS HINT AT WEAK SHORTWAVE AND SURFACE FRONT BRUSHING FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS WEDNESDAY. NOT ALOT OF MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH WAVE...PERHAPS A BIT OF COOLING. NO POPS BUT WILL LOWER TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES. && .AVIATION...DENVER CYCLONE ONGOING WITH STRONG SERLY LOW LVL FLOW OVER EASTERN SECTIONS AND LIGHTER N-NW SFC WINDS WEST OF INTERSTATE 25. MODERATE INSTABILITY FOR SCT TSRA THIS EVENING AT AIRPORT AND MVFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. MIX RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS LATER THIS EVENING WILL TURN TO ALL SNOW LATER TNT WITH IFR CIGS/VSBY EXPECTED AFT 06Z AND SFC WINDS WILL SHIFT N-NW IN ALL AREAS LATER IN PRD. THERE MAY BE SOME SLUSHY SNOW ACCUM ON RUNWAYS DURING HEAVIER SHOWERS...BUT SHOULDNT BE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF INCHES. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY FOR THE EASTERN PLAINS OF NERN CO..ZNS 41..42..44>46..48>51. .WINTER STORM WARNING 6 PM TNT THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY FOR NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND NRN FOOTHILLS..ZNS 31..33>34..35. .SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY FOR ZONES..38>40..36 SNOW ADVISORY FOR MOUNTAIN VALLEYS 6 PM TNT THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY ZNS 30..32. && SWE/D-L
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1120 AM MDT WED APR 09 2008 COZ030>051-101200- 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 MDT WED APR 09 2008 ...HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN PLAINS LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE MAY EVEN BE AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY SNOW AT TIMES. ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS...SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON...THEN A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW THIS EVENING BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL SNOW LATER TONIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE...THEN SHIFTING EAST OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS BY LATE THURSDAY MORNING. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES WITH SPEEDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WITH SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS AS WELL...MAINLY EAST OF THE DENVER AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT..BUT DIMINISH ACROSS THE PLAINS DURING THE EVENING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE URBAN CORRIDOR...WITH 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE PLAINS. OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE FOOTHILLS...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 16 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED. ON FRIDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW ON THE PLAINS. BY SATURDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS TO THE FORECAST AREA ALONG WITH WARMING TEMPERATURES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT...HOWEVER SNOWFALL REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED WITH THIS STORM. ENTREKIN/D-L
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm totals included 12.5 inches at Buffalo Park Snotel and 7.5 inches at Tower Snotel.
Storm totals included: 15.5 inches at Joe Wright, 13 inches at Gould and 8 inches at Willow Park.
Storm totals included: 14.5 inches at Fremont Pass, 13.5 inches at Loveland Snotel and 9.5 inches at Jonas Pass.
Storm totals included: 12.5 inches at Aspen Springs; 11 inches, 4 miles west-northwest of Conifer; with 10.5 inches, 3 miles north of Central City and 6 miles southwest of Evergreen. Lesser amounts of 5 to 9 inches were observed elsewhere.
Stotm totals ranged from 4.5 to 7 inches.
Storm totals included 10 inches, 6 miles south of New Raymer; and 6 inches near Ft. Morgan.
Storm totals included: 6.5 inches, 10 miles west-southwest of St. Petersburg; 5.5 inches at Fleming, and 5 inches at Peetz.
Storm totals included 10 inches, 5 miles south of Sedgwick.
Storm totals included 9 inches, 7 miles north of Paoli; and 5 inches, 13 miles southeast of Holyoke.
Storm totals included: 7 inches at Woodrow, 6.5 inches near Akron and 5.5 inches, 6 miles north of Hyde.
Stotm totals included 9.5 inches, 12 miles southeast of Aurora.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2008
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: 90766, 90774, 90775, 90777, 90779, 90782, 90787, 90788, 90789, 90792, 90796.