A very strong, moist, and unseasonably cold winter storm struck the central intermountain region. Heavy snowfall occurred in most areas across eastern Utah and western Colorado.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 very strong, moist, and unseasonably cold winter storm struck the central intermountain region. Heavy snowfall occurred in most areas across eastern Utah and western Colorado. Additionally, strong winds in the southern portions of eastern Utah and western Colorado produced blizzard conditions.
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 Dec 6, 9:27 PM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 927 PM MST SUN DEC 6 2009 .UPDATE...UPGRADED ALL WINTER STORM WATCHES ALONG I-70 CORRIDOR AND SOUTHWARD TO WARNINGS. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES BROAD AREA OF DIVERGENCE ALOFT DUE TO ENTRANCE/EXIT REGION OF 2 DIFFERENT AREAS OF JET STREAM. H7 OMEGA REMAINS OVR WRN COL/ERN UT AS IT HAS FOR SEVERAL DAYS NOW. SUFFICE TO SAY...THOUGHTS IN EARLIER DISCUSSION BELOW CONTINUES TO HOLD TRUE. SWLY FLOW WILL WARM TEMPS UP SOME...ESPECIALLY FOR VALLEYS...SO DO ANTICIPATE SOME RAIN OR RAIN/SNOW MIX TOMORROW FOR VALLEY AREAS. HOWEVER...AS ANOTHER SHOT OF ENERGY MOVES OVR CWA MONDAY EVENING INTO TUESDAY...TEMPS WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOWFALL OVER ALL AREAS. STATISTICAL GUIDANCE ALSO HIGHLIGHTING TEMPS WAVERING AROUND THE FREEZING MARK. CONTINUED WATCH FOR NRN VALLEY ZONES AND ADVISORIES FOR STEAMBOAT SPRINGS AND MANILA AS LAST FEW MODEL RUNS HAVE CLIPPED MOISTURE IN THOSE AREAS. HAVING SAID THAT...IF LOW PRESSURE TRACKS MORE NORTHWARD THESE AREAS COULD CERTAINLY SEE WARNING CRITERIA SNOW. ONE MORE MODEL RUN SHOULD CLINCH IT FOR NIGHT SHIFT. ASIDE FROM UPGRADES... CURRENT FORECAST LOOKING GOOD AS DESCRIBED BELOW. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 341 PM MST SUN DEC 6 2009/ ..A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY... THE TAIL END OF THE SHORTWAVE WHICH BROUGHT SNOW TO THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CWFA WILL PASS EAST OF THE DIVIDE LATE THIS EVENING. AS A RESULT...EXPECT SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH MIDNIGHT AND WW.A WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE NIGHT...WINDS BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST RESULTING IN A WEAK OVERRUNNING REGIME. THIS WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW THROUGH MORNING...THOUGH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT. A MAJOR WINTER STORM BEGINS MONDAY AS SOUTHWEST 7H FLOW INCREASES WITH SPEEDS OF UP TO 45 KNOTS NOSING INTO THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. RESULTANT OVERRUNNING OF COLD AIR TRAPPED IN THE SOUTHERN VALLEYS POINTING TO SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. 7H TEMPS COLDER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS SO CONFIDENT PRECIPITATION WILL BE OF THE FROZEN VARIETY FOR ALL BUT THE LOWEST ELEVATIONS. MOUNTAIN SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST UTAH AND THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO WITH OROGRAPHIC LIFT AIDING SNOW PRODUCTION. WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THOSE ARES DURING THE DAY RESULTING IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS LATER IN THE DAY. THE BROAD ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE ENHANCED BY JET DIVERGENCE WILL GENERATE PRECIPITATION OVER THE ENTIRE CWFA...THOUGH ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHTER OVER THE REMAINING VALLEYS OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO AS WELL AS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. REMAINED ON THE FENCE WITH RESPECT TO THE GUNNISON VALLEY SO CONTINUED THE WATCH. THE STORM ACHIEVES ITS GREATEST STRENGTH MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING AS A 150 KT JET DRIVES THE MID-LEVEL TROF INTO THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN DURING THE NIGHT. AS THIS OCCURS...THE NORTHERN BRANCH OF THE JET EXITS TO THE EAST PLACING THE CENTER OF THE CWFA UNDER THE COMBINED DIVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEFT EXIT AND RIGHT ENTRANCE REGIONS OF THE APPROACHING SOUTHERN AND EXITING NORTHERN JET. THIS AIDS THE DEEPENING OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND SOUTHWEST FLOW INCREASES OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION. BY 12Z SYSTEM HAS SPUN UP INTO A CLASSIC CYCLONE WHICH IS FAIRLY RARE FOR THIS REGION. UPGLIDE BECOMES FURTHER ENHANCED WHILE LAPSE RATES SIMULTANEOUSLY STEEPEN AIDING IN SNOW PRODUCTION. 7H WINDS INCREASE DURING THIS PERIOD WHICH WILL RESULT IN WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES FOR THE SOUTHERN AND SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. LATEST GUIDANCE MOVES THE SURFACE CYCLONE ACROSS SOUTHEAST UTAH AND SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO. THIS THREATENS TO GENERATE A HEAVY SNOW BAND ACROSS AREAS ALONG THE I-70 CORRIDOR FROM EASTERN UTAH INTO THE GRAND VALLEY AND MAY RESULT IN ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO ONE FOOT. CONFIDENCE OF THE STORMS TRACK NOT SUFFICIENT TO HOIST WARNING BUT HAVE POSTED A WATCH FOR ALL OF THE VALLEYS OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO AS THE DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM ARE REMARKABLE. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN MUCH COLDER THAN NORMAL...THOUGH OVERNIGHT LOWS NOT QUITE AS COLD AS RECENTLY DUE TO CLOUDS AND DIABATIC WARMING ASSOCIATED WITH PRECIPITATION PROCESSES. LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... A MOIST WEST-NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BE OVER THE REGION TUES NIGHT AND WED IN THE WAKE OUR BIG STORM. EMBEDDED WEAK VORT MAXES COMBINED WITH STEEP LAPSE RATES AND 15-20 KT WINDS AIDING OROGRAPHIC ASCENT WILL KEEP SNOW GOING MOST ELEVATED LOCATIONS...BUT RATE OF FALL WILL BE NOTICEABLY LIGHTER. THE FLOW BACKS A LITTLE MORE TOWARD THE WEST WEDNESDAY AND EMPHASIS TURNS TO THE W AND SW MTN SLOPES. ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT AND GENERALLY 1-3 INCHES OR LESS. MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EXCEPT FOR A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS FROM TIME TO TIME OVER THE MTNS AS JET ENERGY AND FORCING ARE EITHER NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE CWA. TEMPS WILL MODERATE SLOWLY GIVEN EXPECTED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM THIS WEEKS EARLIER STORM. NEXT SHORT WAVE WEAKENS AS IT PULLS AWAY FROM PARENT CLOSED LOW OFF THE PAC NW. HOWEVER BY SATURDAY NIGHT LEFT EXIT REGION OF JET NOSING INTO THE 4 CORNERS FAVORS SOME PCPN OVER THE SRN FOOTHILLS AND SAN JUANS. ALTHO MDLS SHOWING SOME DIFFERENCES SO CONFIDENCE NOT MORE INSPIRING THAN SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR THE TIME BEING. AVIATION... MOSTLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MIDNIGHT...THEN AS THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM APPROACHES CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TO MVFR BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. CLOUDS WILL LOWER AND THICKEN THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. EXPECT AREAS OF IFR/LIFR CIGS AND VSBYS AS SNOW SPREADS OVER THE REGION MONDAY AFTERNOON. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 6 PM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ003-004-006>008-010-011-013-014-020>023. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 6 AM MST MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR COZ001-002. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 6 PM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ005. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 6 PM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ009- 012-017>019. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR COZ004- 010-012-013. && UPDATE.......TGR SHORT TERM...NL LONG TERM....MC AVIATION.....MC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 938 PM MST SUN DEC 6 2009 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-070438- 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- 938 PM MST SUN DEC 6 2009 ...MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE REGION THROUGH TUESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIDESPREAD SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO THROUGH TONIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 8 INCHES WILL OCCUR OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES OF WESTERN COLORADO. NUMEROUS WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND BLIZZARD WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FORECAST AREA. PLEASE VISIT WEATHER.GOV/GJT FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE REGION MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN COLORADO. WINDS GUSTING OVER 50 MPH...ALONG WITH HEAVY SNOWFALL AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CREATE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. TRAVEL IS NOT ADVISED IN THE BLIZZARD WARNING AREAS. THE SNOW WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY... ALTHOUGH UNSETTLED CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THIS SERIES OF WINTER STORMS...PLEASE VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/GJT FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT THOUGH SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY STRONG WIND GUSTS OR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION. TGJT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm, 1 winter weather, 1 avalanche, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts across the area ranged from 5 to 7 inches.
Snowfall of 5 to 7 inches occurred across the area.
Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 12 inches across northern portions of the area with 4 or less inches in southern areas, and some locations only receiving rain.
Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 10 inches in northern portions of the area to much lesser amounts across southern portions. Locally higher amounts of up to 14 inches were reported in Blanding, while some areas received primarily rain with little to no snowfall.
Snowfall of 12 to 16 inches occurred across the area. Wind gusts up to 30 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy snowfall and strong winds caused widespread blizzard conditions across the area. Total snowfall amounts ranged from 12 to 24 inches with locally higher amounts, including 28 inches reported at the Camp Jackson SNOTEL site in the Abajo mountains. Wind gusts up to 50 mph produced extreme blowing and drifting snow with drifts in some areas of up to 6 feet. Dangerous travel conditions resulted in road closures at times.
Snowfall of 6 to 12 inches occurred across the area with wind gusts up to 25 mph producing blowing and drifting snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, December 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: 199687, 199682, 199686, 199683, 199680, 199681, 199685.