A series of disturbances within a moist southwest flow brought heavy snow and strong winds to much of western Colorado.
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 GJT wrote it up.
A series of disturbances within a moist southwest flow brought heavy snow and strong winds to much of western Colorado.
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 Mar 29, 3:26 AM MST, 8 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 426 AM MDT SAT MAR 29 2008 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... A PROGRESSIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE OVER THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES WILL AFFECT THE AREA WITH THE STRONGEST IMPULSE ARRIVING SUNDAY NIGHT. WARM ADVECTION OVER THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING RESULTING IN AREAS OF SNOW ACROSS THE HIGH ELEVATIONS. MOST OF THE MOISTURE IS AT MID LEVELS AND SNOWFALL HAS BEEN LIMITED TO ELEVATIONS GENERALLY ABOVE 9000 FEET. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER IDAHO WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST TODAY AND PUSH A WEAK SURFACE FRONT INTO THE AREA TODAY. WITH THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW BEING ZONAL EXPECT THE FRONT TO STALL OUT GENERALLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR. THE BULK OF THE MOISTURE PROGGED TO REMAIN AT THE MID LEVELS SO EXPECT GENERALLY LIGHT SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS OF WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST COLORADO. AFTERNOON MIXING AND TIGHT GRADIENT FLOW WILL PRODUCE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL REACH THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. INCREASING MOISTURE IN WARM AIR ADVECTION SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING A BETTER CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. BEST CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE ACROSS THE NORTH IN OVERRUNNING ENVIRONMENT AS THE SURFACE FRONT RETREATS NORTH AS A WARM FRONT WITH JET DYNAMICS OVERHEAD. ON THE HEALS OF THIS WAVE...ANOTHER MUCH COLDER SHORTWAVE TROUGH CURRENTLY WEST OF VANCOUVER ISLAND WILL REACH THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AMPLIFYING THE PATTERN AND PUSHING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. MOISTURE AND FORCING LOOK FAVORABLE FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS ESPECIALLY ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO LATE SUNDAY TO SUNDAY NIGHT. HAVE INCREASED SNOW AMOUNTS TO ADVISORY LEVELS WITH WINTER WEATHER HIGHLITES LIKELY FOR LATE SUNDAY TO SUNDAY NIGHT TIME-FRAME. LIGHT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FORECAST FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH MUCH UNCERTAINTY WITH AMOUNTS DUE TO WARM ADVECTION AND TIMING OF WAVES AND SNOW LEVEL. EXPECT DAYTIME HIGHS TO TREND UP A FEW DEGREES TODAY COMPARED TO YESTERDAY. COOLER SUNDAY WITH INCREASING MOISTURE AND CLOUDS. .LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... MODELS CONSISTENT IN DRIVING VIGOROUS TROF ACROSS THE CWFA ON MONDAY BRINGING A GOOD CHANCE OF SHOWERS TO THE REGION. STRONG CAA INDICATED WITH 7H TEMPS DROPPING TO NEAR -16 DEG C BY 00Z TUES. THEREFORE... DROPPED HIGHS BY ABOUT 5 DEGREES. LATER SHIFTS MAY NEED TO FURTHER COOL TEMPERATURES. DRYING TREND EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. LINGERING MOISTURE MAY PRODUCE SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WAA IN SOUTH-SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER TEMPERATURES. MODELS DIVERGE ON WEDNESDAY WITH GFS DEEPER AND SLOWER THAN EC. GIVEN UNCERTAINTY...WILL CONTINUE WITH LOW POPS...MAINLY IMPACTING THE MOUNTAINS. MEANWHILE...TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO MODERATE AS FLOW BACKS TO THE SOUTHWEST. APPEARS CLOSED LOW WILL SHIFT EASTWARD...WITH TROF PASSAGE OCCURRING AROUND THURSDAY. FEEL CURRENT SCATTERED COVERAGE ADEQUATE OVER THE MTNS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION BY FRIDAY. TEMPS WILL BE A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL MONDAY BUT WARM TO NEAR OR ABOVE NORMAL BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION... MID LEVEL CLOUD TO TO PREVAIL OVER THE AREA TODAY AS WEAK DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED IN WESTERLY FLOW MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS IN SCATTERED SNOW OR MIXED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY ESPECIALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM KGUC TO KVEL. GUSTY SOUTHWEST TO WEST SURFACE WINDS WILL IMPACT ALL AIRPORTS IN THE REGION. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .CO...NONE. .UT...NONE. SHORT TERM...TAL LONG TERM....NL/MC AVIATION.....TAL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 545 AM MDT SAT MAR 29 2008 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-301145- 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 MDT SAT MAR 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN COLORADO AND NORTHEAST UTAH TODAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN VALLEYS TONIGHT. SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN GENERALLY BE EXPECTED ABOVE 8000 FEET THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE CHANCE OF MOUNTAIN SNOW INCREASES ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT FOR ALL MOUNTAIN AREAS. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ABOVE 8000 FEET AND IMPACT TRAVEL OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY OCCUR OVER THE HIGHER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VALLEYS. THE THREAT OF SNOW DIMINISHES ON MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. TGJT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter weather, 5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
One to two feet of snow fell across the area while wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
One to two feet of snow fell across the area while frequent wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. A localized wind gust of 54 mph was recorded at the Storm King Mountain RAWS.
One to two feet of snow fell across the area while frequent wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
One to two feet of snow fell across the area while frequent wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. An accident involving 60 to 75 vehicles occurred in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 at Mile Marker 189, about 1 mile west of the Vail Pass summit. The eastbound lanes were subsequently closed due to a combination of snow and blowing snow combined with poor road conditions. The interstate was closed for nearly 8 hours. One fatality (indirect) occurred in the accident and at least 22 people (indirect)were injured. Poor visibility combined with icy and snow packed roads caused drivers to collide with vehicles involved in the initial accident.
Widespread snowfall of 3 to 5 inches occurred with local amounts up to 8.5 inches at Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge. Frequent wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 10 to 16 inches occurred while frequent wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 6 to 13 inches occurred while frequent wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall of 3 to 5 inches occurred with locally higher amounts, including 8 inches at Hayden and 10 inches at Maybell. Frequent wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. A locally stronger gust of 49 mph was clocked at the Meeker Airport.
Snowfall of 5 to 12 inches occurred while frequent wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. Wind gusts of 65 mph and 67 mph were recorded at Mount Putney and Eagle Mountain, respectively.
Snowfall of 5 to 12 inches occurred while frequent wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. Locally stronger wind gusts of 69 mph and 72 mph were recorded at the top of Telluride Ski Area and Mount Abrahms, respectively.
Widespread snowfall of 5 to 11 inches occurred above 8000 foot level while frequent wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Storm, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys | 2008-03-31 | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
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, March 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: 95158, 95159, 95162, 95160, 95170, 95161, 95167, 95171, 95166, 95164, 95174.