A winter storm generated heavy snow accumulations over the central and southwest mountains. Generally over 8 inches fell across the higher elevations.
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 PUB wrote it up.
A winter storm generated heavy snow accumulations over the central and southwest mountains. Generally over 8 inches fell across the higher elevations. Some of the higher snow totals include...9 inches at the Monarch Ski Area...12 inches 5 miles west of Maysville in Chaffee County...and 14 inches at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass in Mineral County.
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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 9, 4:07 AM MST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 407 AM MST WED JAN 9 2008 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) UPPER TROUGH OVER THE GREAT BASIN EARLY THIS MORNING FORECAST TO SWING EASTWARD ACROSS COLORADO TODAY...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL FOR THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. LATEST RADAR/SATELLITE LOOPS SUGGEST INTERMITTENT SNOW FROM WOLF CREEK PASS NORTH THROUGH KLXV WILL BECOME STEADIER/HEAVIER AFTER SUNRISE...AS MAIN AREA OF UPWARD MOTION FROM THE TROUGH SPREADS OVER THE AREA. MAIN QUESTION IS AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL...AS MOISTURE IS RATHER MEAGER AND SYSTEM IS FAIRLY FAST-MOVING. WESTERLY MID LEVEL FLOW SHOULD ENSURE THE SAWATCH RANGE REACHES WARNING CRITERIA (8 INCHES OR MORE)...WHILE AREAS FARTHER SOUTH TOWARD THE SAN JUANS LOOK SLIGHTLY LESS PROMISING AS WESTERLY FLOW TENDS TO CUT DOWN SNOW AMOUNTS SOMEWHAT HERE. LATEST NAM GENERATES WARNING CRITERIA SNOWFALL OVER SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS BY 06Z TONIGHT...WHILE GFS IS A FEW INCHES LOWER. TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO DOWNGRADE WARNING TO AN ADVISORY...SO WILL KEEP THE CURRENT WARNING HIGHLIGHTS IN PLACE. FARTHER EAST...SURFACE WESTERLY WINDS HAVE KICKED UP OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS/I-25 CORRIDOR WITH TEMPERATURES RISING THE LAST FEW HOURS IN MANY LOCATIONS. WILL LIKELY SEE MAX TEMPS FAIRLY EARLY TODAY...WITH MID LEVEL COLD ADVECTION DEVELOPING AFTER 15Z KEEPING MAX TEMPS FROM CLIMBING QUITE AS HIGH AS PREVIOUS FORECAST. TRIMMED BACK TEMPS SLIGHTLY...KEEPING ALL BUT THE FAR SOUTHEAST CORNER IN THE 40S. STILL LOOKS LIKE SOME ISOLATED -SHSN OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS FROM 18Z-06Z AS LAPSE RATES STEEPEN...THOUGH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE PATCHY AND LIGHT. CURRENT POP/WX GRIDS LOOKED GOOD...FEW CHANGES MADE. DID TRIM BACK WIND SPEEDS SLIGHTLY FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AS LATEST NAM AND GFS SHOW LESS OF A SURFACE GRADIENT THAN PREVIOUS RUNS. GENERAL IDEA OF PRECIP DIMINISHING ALL BUT THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AFTER 06Z LOOKS OK. --PETERSEN .LONG TERM... (THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) THURSDAY-SATURDAY...MODERATE TO STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW PROGGED ACROSS THE REGION AS POLAR JET CORE MOVING ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST SLOWLY CARVES OUT A BROAD TROUGH ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS THROUGH THE PERIOD. SEVERAL EMBEDDED SHORT WAVES TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA WITH ONE THURSDAY EVENING AND NIGHT AND A STRONGER ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LEE TROUGHING ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR DEEPENS THURSDAY EVENING WITH MODEL X SECTIONS INDICATING DECENT PROFILE FOR STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS THURSDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RAMPART RANGE WITH MT TOP STABLE LAYER ALONG WITH NORTHWEST CROSS BARRIER WINDS BETWEEN 40-50KTS AND NEUTRAL TO WEAK REVERSE SHEAR. HAVE BEEFED UP WINDS A TAD IN CURRENT FORECAST THOUGH DOES NOT LOOK TO BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR ANY HIGHLIGHTS ATTM. SNOW LOOKS TO RAMP UP ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DVD THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY WITH AVAILABLE MOISTURE...UVV AND INCREASED OROGRAPHIC FLOWS AND MAY EVENTUALLY NEED SOME SORT OF HIGHLIGHT ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL MTS. HAVE KEPT ISOLATED POPS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY THOUGH BEST CHANCES WOULD BE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH PASSING WAVE. SUNDAY-TUESDAY...NO CHANGES TO THE CURRENT FORECAST AS MODERATE NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW WITH HARD TO TIME SHORT WAVE PROGGED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION. LATEST GFS MUCH FURTHER EAST WITH EMBEDDED WAVE FOR SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY THAN PREVIOUS RUNS WHEREAS THE 09 00Z ECMWF STILL INDICATING MINOR WAVE RIPPLING ACROSS THE ROCKIES. BOTH MODELS STILL INDICATING A MUCH STRONG WAVE DIGGING ACROSS THE ROCKIES TUESDAY WITH POSSIBLE STRONG BORA WIND EVENT. -MW && .AVIATION...FEW SNOW SHOWERS ALL TAF SITES AFTER 18Z...THOUGH RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY WILL BE BRIEF. STILL EXPECTING N-NW WINDS TO INCREASE AT KCOS AND KPUB THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH SOME GUSTS IN THE 20-30 KNOT RANGE UNTIL 06Z. CIGS OUTSIDE OF ANY SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD REMAIN VFR. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ058-060- 066-068. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ059. && 10/23
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 826 PM MST TUE JAN 8 2008 COZ058>089-093>099-091400- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- 826 PM MST TUE JAN 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE GREAT BASIN REGION LATE TONIGHT CAUSING SNOWFALL TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE WEATHER SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS COLORADO WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE PROJECTED MOVEMENT OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH THE CHANCE OF LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS THE REST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND THE EASTERN PLAINS. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 20 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES...AND THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. AROUND THE LEADVILLE AREA...5 TO 11 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. BRISK TO VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE HIGH TERRAIN WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW PROBLEMS. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM LOOKS TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY...ALLOWING FOR THE CHANCE OF GENERALLY LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE REGION...WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE LATE TONIGHT. METZE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
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, January 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: 76430, 76431, 76428, 76429.