Colorado, 2009

Winter Weather in Colorado, February 12 to 13, 2009

February 12 to 13, 2009 · NWS GJT · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A moist southwest flow ahead of a Pacific low pressure system brought significant snowfall to the central mountains of western Colorado.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

A moist southwest flow ahead of a Pacific low pressure system brought significant snowfall to the central mountains of western Colorado.

What forecasters said that day

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 12, 4:29 AM MST, 6 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 12, 4:29 AM MST, 6 hours 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 12, 5:45 AM MST, 5 hours 15 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When
February 12, 11:00 AM MST to February 13, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 5 to 11 inches occurred while wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When
February 12, 12:00 PM MST to February 13, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 4 to 6 inches occurred over half of the area while wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Weather, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When
February 12, 1:00 PM MST to February 13, 11:00 AM MST
Where
West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 4 to 8 inches occurred while wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. Locally stronger winds included a gust of 52 mph at Monarch Pass.

Winter Weather, Debeque to Silt Corridor

When
February 12, 7:00 PM MST to February 13, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Debeque to Silt Corridor forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 3 to 5 inches occurred mainly over the western portion of the area. Locally heavier amounts included 10 inches around town of Mesa.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 2009

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 154435, 154436, 154437, 154438.