A spring storm produced heavy snow over portions of the North Central Mountains and Front Range Foothills. 5 inches, 5 miles west of Evergreen.
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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 spring storm produced heavy snow over portions of the North Central Mountains and Front Range Foothills. Storm totals included: 18.5 inches, 4.5 miles south-southeast of Idaho Springs; 18 inches at Roach Snotel; 17 inches, 3 miles west of Jamestown and 4.5 miles northeast of Ward; 16.5 inches, 3 miles southwest of Conifer; 14.5 inches, 8.5 miles west-southwest of Livermore; 13.5 inches, 5 miles east-southeast of Aspen Park; 12.5 inches, 5 miles west of Evergreen. Storm totals elsewhere rangeed from 4 to 10 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 Apr 2, 2:45 PM MST, 9 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 345 PM MDT THU APR 2 2009 .SHORT TERM...A RATHER COMPLICATED SITUATION...AT LEAST FOR THE HIGH COUNTRY. FIRST FOR THE PLAINS...LEE TROUGHING SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO KEEP THE MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION THREAT AT BAY THROUGH 04/00Z ASIDE FROM AN ISOLATED SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM DURING THE AFTERNOON. REGARDING THE HIGH COUNTRY NOT MUCH IS GOING ON UP THERE AT THIS POINT IN TIME ASIDE FROM SOME SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER LOCALES. THE MODELS SHOW A BATCH OF WEAKENING QG LIFT COMING OVER THAT AREA DURING THE EVENING WHICH SWITCHES TO SUBSIDENCE BY 12Z FRIDAY. THE QPF FROM THE MODELS OVERNIGHT IS ALSO QUITE EXCITED BUT WEB CAMS AND SURFACE REPORTS FROM UPSTREAM ARE NOT ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE. UPSTREAM RADARS HAVE BEEN FILLING IN HOWEVER. HAVE OPTED TO CUT BACK ON MODEL QPF AMOUNTS BUT HAVE KEPT THE THREAT OF PRECIPITATION GOING UP THERE...INCREASING THROUGH THE EVENING THEN SETTLING DOWN AFTER DAYBREAK AS THE SUBSIDENCE KICKS IN. OROGRAPHICS ARE CERTAINLY NOT IDEAL...BEING BEST IN THE PARK/GORE RANGE...BUT DYNAMICS AND LIKELY SOME CONVECTION WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE SOME SNOW. AFTER A SLIGHT BREAK UP THERE IN THE MORNING QG LIFT WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM STARTS SPREADING INTO THE HIGH COUNTRY DURING THE AFTERNOON SO HAVE INCREASED POPS AGAIN IN RESPONSE TO THAT. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME THUNDER UP THERE TOMORROW AFTERNOON EITHER. .LONG TERM...WINTER STORM IS ON TRACK...BUT THERE ARE MANY DETAILS WHICH MAKE THIS A DIFFICULT FORECAST. UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL DIG SOUTHEAST ACROSS UTAH FRIDAY NIGHT AND APPROACH THE FOUR CORNERS REGION BY 12Z SATURDAY. THIS OCCURS AS THE NEXT PIECE OF ENERGY NOW SEEN JUST OFF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST DROPS INTO THE BACK SIDE OF THIS TROUGH. AT THIS RATE...WITH THIS AMOUNT OF JET ENERGY WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLOSE OFF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW NEAR THE 4 CORNERS...BUT WHAT IS A LITTLE CONCERNING IS THE PERSISTENCE OF THE ECMWF TO CLOSE THE SYSTEM OFF CLOSER TO GRAND JUNCTION AND THEN TRACK THE LOW FARTHER NORTH...PASSING JUST SOUTH OF DENVER BY MID DAY SATURDAY. IF THAT VERIFIES...THEN WE COULD BE LOOKING AT LESS SNOWFALL. THE OTHER AREA OF CONCERN IS HOW MUCH SNOW OCCURS FRIDAY EVENING. THINGS ARE QUITE WARM TO START OFF WITH BUT RAPID COOLING IS EXPECTED DURING THE COURSE OF THE EVENING AS WE GET PRECIPITATION GOING AND A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH PUSH OF DEEPER COLD AIR FROM THE NORTHEAST. THE RESULTANT UPSLOPE DEEPENS TO ABOUT 11 THOUSAND FEET AND STRENGTHENS TO 20-25 KNOTS PER THE NAM AND GFS. THIS PUSH SEEMS TO BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE LEAD SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCIATED SUBSIDENCE BEHIND IT WHICH MOVES ACROSS WYOMING TOMORROW. IF THIS COMES TO FRUITION...THEN WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT RAIN SHOWERS QUICKLY CHANGING OVER TO HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE FRONT RANGE AS EARLY AS TOMORROW EVENING. THE ATMOSPHERE IS QUITE MOIST AND UNSTABLE WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 0.40 TO 0.45 INCH AND NEARLY MOIST ADIABATIC LAPSE RATES...SO SNOWFALL RATES COULD BE 1-2 INCHES PER HOUR IF THIS ALL COMES TOGETHER. MEANWHILE...THE ECMWF DOES NOT BRING THAT SURGE IN VERY DEEP AT ALL...RESULTING IN ANY PRECIPITATION TOMORROW EVENING MOSTLY CONFINED TO THE WYOMING BORDER AREA. THEREFORE... THERE ARE SMALL DIFFERENCES WHERE JUST A 100 MILES OR SO OF STORM TRACK AS WELL AS LOCATION AND DEPTH OF COLD FRONT WILL PLAY A LARGE ROLE WITH REGARD TO STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATION. AT THIS TIME...THE WINTER STORM WATCH WITH POSSIBLE SNOW AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS THE PLAINS AND 8 TO 15 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY PERIOD LOOKS ON TRACK. IF HEAVY SNOW OCCURS FRIDAY NIGHT ALREADY THEN THESE AMOUNTS WOULD BE UNDERDONE ACROSS THE METRO AREAS AND FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS. HOWEVER...IF THE ECMWF VERIFIES THEN THESE AMOUNTS WOULD BE OVERDONE...SO WILL LEAVE THE WATCH AND POSSIBLE SNOW ACCUMULATION NUMBERS ALONE FOR NOW. WINDS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO INCREASE CONSIDERABLY BY SATURDAY AS THE SURFACE LOW INTENSIFIES OVER THE HIGH PLAINS WITH POSSIBLE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOPING. CANT RULE OUT A SNOW SHOWER LINGERING SUNDAY BEHIND THE STORM SINCE ANOTHER WEAK DISTURBANCE IS SEEN DROPPING DOWN THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROUGH AS IT KICKS INTO THE MIDWEST. OTHERWISE LOOK FOR A WARMUP UNTIL THE NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES BY THE MID TO LATE PART OF NEXT WEEK. THIS ONE IS LOOKING WARMER AND WEAKER THAN THIS WEEKENDS STORM. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. THERE MAY BE SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AROUND FRIDAY AFTER 20Z OR SO BUT THE BRUNT OF THE WEATHER WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 00Z. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS...AND PARK COUNTY FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY..ZONES 31..33>37. WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE URBAN CORRIDOR AND ADJACENT PLAINS FOR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING..ZONES 38>46. WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT..ZONES 48>51. ET/BARJENBRUCH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1105 AM MDT THU APR 02 2009 COZ030>051-031200- 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- 1105 AM MDT THU APR 02 2009 ...ANOTHER SPRING SNOWSTORM HEADED TOWARD COLORADO WITH WINTER STORM WATCHES POSTED FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST COLORADO... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE IN THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN AREAS TODAY BUT GRADUALLY DECREASE OVERNIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL IMPACT THE HIGH COUNTRY OVERNIGHT BUT SNOW AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY BE UNDER 2 INCHES AND CONFINED MOSTLY TO THE HIGH AREAS. THE PLAINS SHOULD REMAIN DRY TODAY AND TONIGHT. A WEAKENING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING INTO THE STATE FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS WITH DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE BRINGING THE DRY CONDITIONS TO THE PLAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING INTO THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS STORM HAS POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG WINDS... POSSIBLY HEAVY SNOWFALL...AND CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR 5 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE NORTHEAST PLAINS...AND 8 TO 15 INCHES OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE EXACT TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS STORM IS STILL A BIT UNCERTAIN...SO RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS COLORADO THIS WEEKEND SHOULD STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OR YOUR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION AND UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SPRING SNOWSTORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. ET/BARJENBRUCH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2009
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: 156841, 156844, 156845, 156842, 156843.