As a broad and deep trough of low pressure moved onto the eastern plains, moisture wrapping around the system spread another round of mountain snow across the northern and central mountains of western Colorado.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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.
As a broad and deep trough of low pressure moved onto the eastern plains, moisture wrapping around the system spread another round of mountain snow across the northern and central mountains 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 Apr 22, 2:37 AM MST, 10 hours 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 337 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT... A LARGE CLOSED LOW OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA WILL REMAIN ALMOST STATIONARY TODAY...AS STRONG VORT MAXES ROTATE AROUND ITS CENTER. ONE SUCH VORT MAX WAS TRAVELING FROM S TO N OVER EASTERN UT THIS MORNING AND WILL HELP PUSH THE SURFACE COLD FRONT THROUGH WESTERN CO. THE VORT MAX IS PROVIDING WIDESPREAD UPLIFT AND PUMPING PLENTY OF MOISTURE INTO THE AREA. HAVE INCREASED POPS ACROSS MOST OF WESTERN CO AND EASTERN UT TODAY. PRECIPITABLE WATER AMOUNTS ARE RELATIVELY HIGH...BUT TEMPS REMAIN WARM...EVEN AT HIGHER MOUNTAIN SITES. SO WILL NOT ADD ANY WINTER HIGHLIGHTS. THE BACK EDGE OF THE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL ROTATE FROM SE UT THIS MORNING TO THE NORTHERN CO AND UT BORDERS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUDS AND PRECIP WILL DECREASE AS THIS LINE PASSES. THEN THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE CAUGHT BENEATH A RATHER INACTIVE PORTION OF THE STORM TONIGHT AS THE LOW CENTER TRACKS OVER THE FOUR CORNERS THEN TO SE CO. ON FRIDAY...THE UPPER LOW CENTER TRACKS SLOWLY NE AND A HUGE BANK OF WRAP-AROUND TROWAL PRECIPITATION ADVECTS INTO THE AREA FROM THE NW. FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT SHOULD SEE A RETURN OF WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE AREA UNDER MOISTURE NORTH TO NORTHEAST FLOW ALOFT. THE SNOW LEVEL SHOULD LOWER...BUT THE COLDEST TEMPS MISS THE AREA...PASSING TO THE SOUTH. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING WRAP AROUND MOISTURE TO THE WESTERN SLOPE AS IT EJECTS OUT OF THE EASTERN PLAINS OF CO SATURDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL DECREASE THROUGH THE DAY AS THE LOW LIFTS AWAY WITH LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE DIVIDE SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A WEAK EMBEDDED DISTURBANCE IN THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT FORECAST TO TRACK OVER THE CENTRAL PART OF WESTERN CO. ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL REMAIN TO HAVE PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES BUT ONLY A STRAY SHOWER OR TWO OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN CO THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. ALSO A LOW STALLED OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES MAY ALSO HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE FORECAST AREA. POSITION OF THIS FEATURE IS PORTRAYED SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY BETWEEN MODELS AND A SLIGHT SHIFT NORTH OR SOUTH WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE THEREFORE WILL KEEP CURRENT FORECAST LIGHT POPS AND SEE HOW THE NEXT COUPLE MODEL RUNS HANDLE THE LOW. THE LOW REMAINS POSITIONED OVER NORTHERN ROCKIES AS A RIDGE PUSHES EAST. THE RIDGE IS FLATTENED AND GOES UNDER THE LOW ACCORDING TO THE GFS. THE ECMWF EJECTS THE LOW EAST AS THE RIDGE AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD. EITHER WAY WILL KEEP THE POPS LOW THROUGH MID WEEK. THE NEXT SYNOPTIC SCALE PAC TROUGH MOVES INLAND WEDNESDAY AND BRINGS SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER EASTERN UT AND WESTERN CO. STARTED TO INCREASE POPS SLIGHTLY MID WEEK AS THE MOISTURE INCREASES. CONFIDENCE NOT VERY HIGH WITH POSITION AND TRACK OF THIS NEXT SYSTEM WITH THE GFS SHOWING TWO LOW CENTERS ONE NORTH THE OTHER SOUTH AND THE EC HAS TWO LOWS BUT ORIENTED WEST AND EAST OF EACH OTHER BY THURSDAY MORNING. BROAD BRUSH INCREASE FOR CLOUD COVER AND POPS IN THE EXTENDED TO REFLECT THE SYSTEM...ALTHOUGH DETAILS WILL MOST LIKELY CHANGE. && .AVIATION... WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION AND LOW CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING... WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS FROM S TO N LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD MVFR AND AREAS OF IFR CONDITION WILL DOMINATE... ESPECIALLY OVER ALL THE MOUNTAINS AND PASSES. THE SNOW LEVEL SHOULD HOVER BETWEEN 6500 AND 7500 FEET. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...CJC LONG TERM....AS AVIATION.....CJC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 402 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-231030- 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- 402 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIDESPREAD RAIN SHOWERS...WITH SNOW OVER THE HIGH ELEVATIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY...THEN DECREASE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH TONIGHT. THE SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE AREAS OF HAZARDOUS DRIVING OVER THE HIGH MOUNTAINS PASSES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS WILL INCREASE FRIDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. CUOCO
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
832 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM TSTM WND GST 4 ESE WHITEWATER 38.96N 108.35W
04/21/2010 M64 MPH MESA CO TRAINED SPOTTER
PEAK WIND GUST OF 64 MPH AT 415 PM ON WEDNESDAY APRIL
21.
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000471
MALEKSAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1011 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 AM SNOW RED MOUNTAIN PASS 37.90N 107.70W
04/22/2010 M8.3 INCH OURAY CO AVALANCHE FCSTR
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AT SENATOR BECK
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000472
DLCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1016 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 AM SNOW RED MOUNTAIN PASS 37.90N 107.70W
04/22/2010 M7.5 INCH OURAY CO AVALANCHE FCSTR
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AT SWAMP ANGEL... WATER EQUIV 0.67
INCHES
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000473
DLCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1044 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1027 AM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 SW IGNACIO 37.01N 107.76W
04/22/2010 LA PLATA CO EMERGENCY MNGR
FUNNEL CLOUD FIRST SEEN AT 1020 AND DISSIPATED AT 1027.
OBSERVED BY A NUMBER OF EYEWITNESSES.
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000474
PRINGLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1048 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM SNOW 1 N BAYFIELD 37.25N 107.59W
04/22/2010 M3.0 INCH LA PLATA CO EMERGENCY MNGR
OVERNIGHT SNOWFALL.
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000475
PRINGLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1107 AM MDT THU APR 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0834 AM SNOW 6 S MESA 39.08N 108.13W
04/22/2010 M4.0 INCH MESA CO NWS EMPLOYEE
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000476
DLCThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snowfall of 10 to 18 inches occurred across the area. Wind gusts up to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing snow.
Heavy snowfall produced accumulations ranging from 8 to 20 inches across the area. Wind gusts up to 30 mph generated areas of blowing snow.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 16 inches occurred. Wind gusts up to 35 mph generated areas of blowing snow.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 16 inches occurred across the area. Wind gusts up to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing snow.
Heavy snowfall of 10 to 15 inches occurred across the area while wind gusts up to 50 mph generated areas of blowing snow. Some locally higher wind gusts of up to 58 mph were reported at Mt. Putney. The adverse weather conditions lead to slick roadways and caused a six-car crash along Highway 145 near Telluride. Two individuals were injured in the crash and taken to local hospitals.
Snowfall of 2 to 4 inches occurred across most of the area. Wind gusts of 30 mph produced some areas of blowing snow.
Heavy snowfall of 8 to 13 inches occurred across the area. Wind gusts up to 40 mph produced some areas of blowing snow.
Snowfall of 5 to 6 inches occurred. Wind gusts of 30 mph produced areas of blowing snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2010
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: 224307, 224308, 224309, 224305, 224310, 224312, 224306, 224311.