A Pacific trough and a series of upper level disturbances brought a prolonged period of snow and strong winds to much of western Colorado. This resulted in widespread heavy snow across the mountains and some of the lower valleys.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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 Pacific trough and a series of upper level disturbances brought a prolonged period of snow and strong winds to much of western Colorado. This resulted in widespread heavy snow across the mountains and some of the lower valleys. Additionally, cold air trapped in the valleys resulted in areas of freezing rain.
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 Jan 21, 3:49 PM MST, 11 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 349 PM MST WED JAN 21 2009 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY... HIGH CLOUDS INVADING FROM THE SOUTHWEST INDICATE THE ASSAULT ON THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE HAS BEGUN. THE BATTLE WILL LAST THROUGH THESE PERIODS WITH THE RIDGE SHARPLY FLATTENED BUT NOT FULLY DEFEATED. THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEL WITH THIS FORECAST. TONIGHT: THE FIRST WAVE PASSING TONIGHT IS SACRIFICIAL AND WILL LIKELY NOT PRODUCE PRECIPITATION. WHAT IT WILL DO TONIGHT...UNDER THICKENING AND LOWERING CEILINGS...IS DISRUPT THE OUTGOING ENERGY BALANCE. THIS WILL HELP ELIMINATE SOME OF THE VALLEY FOG BY KEEPING OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPS MILDER THAN PREVIOUS NIGHTS. INCREASING SW FLOW WILL JOIN WITH THE CLOUDS TO KEEP MTN MIN TEMPS MILDER ALSO. THE STRONG SUBSIDENCE INVERSION BETWEEN 9-15KFT MSL WILL ALSO BE LIFTED AND MOISTENED LEADING TO COOLER MTN DAY TEMPS. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE IS EVIDENT ON THE 305K SFC. FORECAST SOUNDINGS DO SHOW AN OVERRUNNING SIGNATURE LATE TONIGHT...BUT THE MTN TOP LAYER IS NOT SATURATED IN THE GFS OR NAM. COORDINATED WITH NEIGHBORING OFFICES TO LOWER POPS. THURSDAY-THURSDAY NIGHT: THE RIDGE WEAKLY REBOUNDS BUT A SECOND OPEN WAVE...LACKING JET SUPPORT...PASSES IN THE AFTERNOON-EVENING. THE STRONG SUBSIDENCE INVERSION BETWEEN 9-15KFT MSL WILL BE LIFTED AND MOISTENED LEADING TO COOLER MTN DAY TEMPS. ATMOSPHERE REMAINS MILD AND STABLE. SNOW LEVEL HOVERS AROUND 8500-9000FT BUT VALLEY INVERSIONS COMPLICATE THIS. IF COLD VALLEY AIR REMAINS TRAPPED THEN SOME VALLEY SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR IS FAVORED PLACES SUCH AS VERNAL CRAIG-STEAMBOAT...AND GUNNISON. OTHERWISE SNOWFALL WILL FAVOR THE SW- FACING SLOPES OF THE MTNS. ONLY LIGHT SUB-ADVISORY ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THIS WILL BE A MOIST SNOW (8 OR 10:1?) WITH 10KFT TEMPS AT -2 TO -3C. FRIDAY: SNOW LEVEL HOVERS AROUND 7500FT NORTH TO 9000FT SOUTH. WITH DEEP MOISTURE SHOWERS WORK INTO THE VALLEYS AND ELIMINATE MOST VALLEY INVERSIONS. GUSTY MTN SW-W WINDS CONTINUE. MTN TOP TEMPS REMAIN MILD AT -1 TO -4C. THE NORTHERN MTNS MAY SEE SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS STARTING IN THIS PERIOD. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... SHORT WAVE RIDGE AXIS OVER NV FRIDAY NIGHT WILL KEEP FLOW ALOFT WESTERLY WITH A SLIGHT HINT OF OF A NORTHERN COMPONENT. UPPER LEVEL WINDS INCREASE WITH A SMALL JET MOVING OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA STARTING LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...INCREASING AND SPREADING NORTH OVER CENTRAL PART OF EASTERN UT AND WESTERN CO SATURDAY. THIS RIDGE AXIS WILL TRANSITION EAST AND OVER EASTERN UT AND WESTERN CO BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FLOW ALOFT SHIFTS MORE SOUTHWESTERLY AS THE AXIS MOVES EAST OF THE DIVIDE SATURDAY NIGHT. SHOULD BE A BREAK OR SLOW DOWN IN PRECIPITATION WITH SHOWERS LINGERING LATE SATURDAY. THE NEXT SYSTEM DIGS SOUTH FROM CANADA ALONG THE PAC COAST LATE IN THE WEEKEND. GFS NOW CLOSES THIS SYSTEM OFF ALONG CA COAST LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY SPLITTING THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROUGH. THE NORTHERN PART ALONG THE SURFACE COLD FRONT STAYS NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA AND SLIDES EAST WITH THE FRONT. THE SOUTHERN PORTION CONTINUES TO SPIN ALONG THE COAST THROUGH LATE TUESDAY AND EARLY WEDNESDAY. WEAK DISTURBANCES AND JETS WILL MOVE OVERHEAD THROUGH THE FLOW IN FRONT OF THE TROUGH. CONFIDENCE IS LOW WITH DETAILS OF THIS SYSTEM AS MODELS TRY TO WORK WITH PATTERN CHANGE. && .AVIATION... HIGH PRESSURE WEAKENS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. CLOUD CEILINGS WILL THICKEN AND LOWER TONIGHT WITH MTN SHOWERS DEVELOPING THURSDAY NIGHT. CEILINGS ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON WILL REMAIN VFR BUT MAY LOWER TO MVFR ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE NORTH OF I-70. INCREASING SW WINDS WILL CREATE MODERATE TURBULENCE ALONG AND EAST OF MOUNTAIN TOPS AND RIDGES. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .CO...NONE. .UT...NONE. SHORT TERM.....JOE LONG TERM......AS AVIATION.......JOE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 545 AM MST WED JAN 21 2009 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-221245- 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 MST WED JAN 21 2009 .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF DENSE FOG...WITH VISIBILITY 1/4 MILE OR LESS...WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE UINTA BASIN THIS MORNING...AFFECTING TRAVEL AROUND AND ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF VERNAL. PATCHY FOG IS POSSIBLE IN SOME CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VALLEYS THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A CHANCE OF SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN WILL DEVELOP ON THURSDAY...AND THEN CONTINUE PERIODICALLY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS. COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. JAD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter storm, 4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Freezing rain occurred resulting in icy roads.
Freezing rain occurred resulting in icy roads.
Snowfall amounts of 20 inches up to 4 feet occurred across the area while wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall amounts of 14 to 37 inches occurred while wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 12 to 32 inches occurred while wind gusts of 30 to 70 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall amounts of 12 to 30 inches occurred while wind gusts of 20 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. Locally higher snow amounts of 37 inches occurred at Aspen Highlands Ski Area.
Snowfall amounts of 12 to 23 inches occurred while wind gusts of 25 to 50 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 5 to 12 inches occurred above 8000 feet while wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 12 to 28 inches occurred while wind gusts of 30 to 60 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts around 12 inches occurred above 8000 feet while wind gusts of 30 to 55 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 12 to 41 inches occurred while wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 12 to 18 inches occurred while wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches occurred while wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. Localized blizzard conditions were reported and Highway 64 was closed for a period of time due to the adverse weather.
Snowfall of 2 to 5 inches occurred while wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
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, January 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: 150438, 150439, 150427, 150429, 150434, 150428, 150431, 150440, 150433, 150435, 150430, 150432, 150436, 150437.