The third and strongest in a series of winter storms brought widespread snowfall across the mountains of eastern Utah and western Colorado, as well as rain and snow to the lower valleys. Strong south to southwest winds generated blizzard conditions over the southwest Colorado mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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.
The third and strongest in a series of winter storms brought widespread snowfall across the mountains of eastern Utah and western Colorado, as well as rain and snow to the lower valleys. Strong south to southwest winds generated blizzard conditions over the southwest Colorado mountains.
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 20, 9:47 PM MST, 3 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
947 PM MST WED JAN 20 2010
.940 PM UPDATE...THE MAJOR STORM IS ON TRACK TO START ON THURSDAY
WITH FEW CHANGES IN THE LATEST MODEL RUN. BAROCLINIC LEAF HIGH
CLOUDS WILL SPREAD OVER THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT AND LOWER INTO
THURSDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE TRICKY. THE 6000FT RAIN-SNOW LINE 800-
700 THICKNESS SEEMS TO BE 1550 METERS...AND THIS IS PROGGED FOR
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. A STRONG WARM FRONT WORKS FROM SE UTAH IN THE
AFTERNOON NORTHWARD THURSDAY NIGHT. EXPECT WIDESPREAD PRECIP
ALONG THIS FRONT IN THE AFTERNOON SOUTH AND EVENING CENTRAL ZONES.
8-7 THICKNESS RISES TO 1568 WITH THE FRONT PROBABLY PUSHING THE SNOW
LINE UP TO 7000 FT. 700MB WINDS THURSDAY NIGHT REMAIN AT 55KTS ACROSS
THE SOUTH...SO BLIZZARD CONDITIONS STILL IN STORE THERE. CENTRAL MTN
RIDGETOP WINDS ALSO PROGGED TO 40-45KTS...DIMINISHING TO 15-20KTS
NORTH. A LULL IN PRECIP WILL LIKELY OCCUR LATER THURSDAY NIGHT
BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. THEN COLD ADVECTION KICKS IN EARLY FRIDAY
FOR SNOW INCREASE. SNOW LEVEL LOWERS AGAIN TO 1550/~6000FT. FORECAST
SOUNDINGS SHOW A SLIVER OF AFTERNOON CAPE SO WILL MENTION A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY SOUTH. OF COURSE THIS WOULD BE
ASSOCIATED WITH VERY HEAVY SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL DROPS TO THE VALLEY
FLOORS FRIDAY NIGHT. SATURDAY...FLOW VEERS TO COLD NW WITH A -30C
COLD CORE OVER THE REGION. 700MB TEMPS DROP TO -14C FOR VERY
EFFICIENT LOW DENSITY SNOW PRODUCTION. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN THE
NEW MODEL RUN IS STILL 3-4 FEET IN THE SOUTHERN MTNS...1-2 FEET
CENTRAL BY SUNDAY MORNING. AND THAT IS NOT THE END.
&&
...SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...
.PREVIOUS SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...
A DIRTY RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE REGION TONIGHT AS
THE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT STRENGTHENS AHEAD OF THE NEXT MAJOR
WINTER STORM.
PRECIP WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP THURSDAY MORNING OVER EASTERN UTAH AND
SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO...SPREADING EASTWARD DURING THE DAY AND
INCREASING IN INTENSITY. EXPECT LOWER VALLEYS TO START AS SNOW AND
THEN CHANGE TO OR MIX WITH RAIN. OVERALL A VERY MESSY PATTERN AND
PROBLEMATIC AS MIXED PHASE PCPN EXPECTED BELOW 7000 FEET. BUFKIT EVEN
INDICATED RAIN THUR NIGHT AT CAG AND HDN AS H7 TEMPS WARM TO -3C IN
STRONG WAA PATTERN.
THURSDAY NIGHT APPEARS TO BE THE BEST COMBINATION OF FORCING AND
MOISTURE AS 140KT JET APPROACHES 4 CORNERS WITH H7 WINDS 50-60KTS.
A COMBINATION OF OROGRAPHICS...ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE...COUPLET OF LOW
LVL CONVERGENCE AND UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE AND STRONG SFC TROF WILL
PRODUCE WIDESPREAD HVY SNOW ABOVE 7000 FEET ESPECIALLY OVER THE SRN
MTNS WHERE WE HAVE UPGRADED THE WATCH TO A WARNING. HAVE DECIDED TO
AGAINST A BLIZZARD WARNING IN THE DURANGO/PAGOSA AREA AS TEMPS AT OR
ABOVE FREEZING SHOULD LIMIT BLOWING SNOW POTENTIAL. AS FOR THE 4
CORNERS/SE UTAH AND THE UINTA BASIN...UNCERTAINTY IN PCPN TYPE AND
AMOUNT QUESTIONABLE AT BEST.
THE FLOW WILL VEER TO THE WEST FRIDAY AS A STANDUP COLD FRONT MOVES
FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE DAY. MSTR BEGINS TO
DECREASE BUT THIS SHOULD BE OFFSET BY FRONTOGENETIC FORCING TO KEEP
SNOW GOING OVER MOST LOCATIONS.
&&
.LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
SNOW WILL SLOWLY DECREASE FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER JET CONTINUES TO
SLIDE EAST. A FEW DISTURBANCES WILL TRACK OVERHEAD IN WESTERLY FLOW
AND KEEP SHOW SHOWERS WITH EMPHASIS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN
SATURDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING. BY EARLY SUNDAY THE FLOW TURNS
NORTHWESTERLY AND INCREASES FAVORING THE NORTHERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN CO...KEEPING PERIODS OF SNOW. WILL HAVE TO
WATCH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SCENARIO...AS SNOW MAY SLOW BUT NOT
STOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS. IF THE SNOW CONTINUES COULD START GETTING
AMOUNTS THAT WOULD TRIGGER HILITES.
UPPER RIDGE BUILDS AND TRACKS OVER THE REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE
RIDGE AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD MONDAY AND EXITS EAST OF THE DIVIDE MONDAY
EVENING. SHOWERS WILL DECREASE LATE SUNDAY WITH LITTLE CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION MONDAY. THE FLOW TURNS SOUTHWESTERLY AND A WEAK
DISTURBANCE IS INDICATED BY MODELS TUESDAY THEREFORE HAVE PUT
SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS...MAINLY NORTH...WITH THIS FEATURE.
THE NEXT PAC TROUGH ENTERS THE WESTERN COAST TUESDAY. THE TROUGH
DIGS SOUTH WITH THE LOW TRACKING SOUTH OVER AZ AND NM WHICH WOULD
FOCUS PRECIPITATION AGAIN OVER THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS FOR MID WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...
THIS EVENING WILL BRING SLOW IMPROVEMENT FROM SW TO NE AS A STORM
SYSTEM MOVES EAST OF THE AREA. SNOWFALL WILL SHIFT TO FAVOR NORTHWEST
FACING SLOPES TONIGHT. THE NEXT STORM WILL LOWER CEILINGS AND
VISIBILITIES FROM MVFR TO IFR OVER SW CO AND SE UT AND THEN SPREAD
ACROSS ALL THE MOUNTAINS THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN UTAH AND SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO BEAR
WATCHING FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR SMALL STREAM FLOODING THURSDAY NIGHT
INTO FRIDAY. IN THESE AREAS...SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE TO
NEAR 6500 FEET THURSDAY NIGHT AND...AS A RESULT...HEAVY RAIN COULD
FALL ON LOW TO MID ELEVATION AREAS WHICH HAVE ACCUMULATED A
CONSIDERABLE SNOWPACK. IN ADDITION...RUNOFF MAY BE
ENHANCED BY FROZEN GROUND. THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT FALLS AND HOW
WARM THE TEMPERATURES GET WILL AFFECT THE RATE OF SNOW MELT IN THESE
AREAS.
A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS...AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING IN THESE AREAS WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED. AN
UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED BY LATE THURSDAY MORNING.
&&
.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CO...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY
FOR COZ003-009-012-017.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON FOR COZ021.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY
FOR COZ018-019.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING
FOR COZ003-009-017-018.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY
FOR COZ004-010-013.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY
FOR COZ022-023.
UT...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY
FOR UTZ025.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON FOR UTZ022-024.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY
FOR UTZ028.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY
FOR UTZ023.
UPDATE.......JOE
SHORT TERM...MC
LONG TERM....AS
AVIATION.....CJC/AS
HYDROLOGY....BALHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 338 PM MST WED JAN 20 2010 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-211300- 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- 338 PM MST WED JAN 20 2010 ...STORMY WEATHER PATTERN TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK... ...BLIZZARD...WINTER STORM WARNINGS...ADVISORIES AND WATCHES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL COLORADO PLATEAUS AND NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SNOW FALL WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST THIS EVENING. FOR THE LATEST STORM UPDATES...VISIT WEATHER.GOV/GJT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA... AND SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL IMPACT ALL ROADS...ESPECIALLY THE HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. EXPECT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO AND SOUTHEAST UTAH THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY. HEAVY SNOW WILL FALL OVER THE WEST CENTRAL COLORADO MOUNTAINS...SOUTHERN VALLEYS AND CENTRAL PLATEAUS OF EASTERN UTAH AND COLORADO. EXPECT LESS SNOWFALL OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. AREAS OF SNOWFALL WILL SLOWLY DECREASE SUNDAY AND MONDAY OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST COLORADO. ANOTHER STORM WILL BRING AN INCREASE IN WINTER WEATHER TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY NEW SNOWFALL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION. TGJT
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
726 PM MST WED JAN 20 2010
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0647 PM HEAVY SNOW PAGOSA SPRINGS 37.27N 107.02W
01/20/2010 E8.0 INCH ARCHULETA CO AVALANCHE FCSTR
24 HOUR SNOWFALL AMOUNT ESTIMATE BETWEEN 7 AND 8
INCHES.
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000048
MALEKSAThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 winter storm, 3 winter weather, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 25 inches occurred. Wind gusts up to 30 mph generated areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 36 inches occurred over the area. Winds gusts up to 50 mph produced localized blizzard conditions which resulted in the closure of highway 65.
Heavy snowfall of 8 to 14 inches occurred. Blowing and drifting snow was caused by wind gusts up to 50 mph with localized gusts up to 56 mph at Douglas Pass.
Heavy snowfall of 6 to 12 inches occurred across the area. Some locally higher amounts included 15 inches 8 miles west of Cortez and 16 inches about 6 miles west of Mancos. Wind gusts up to 45 mph produced significant blowing and drifting snow, with snow drifts up to 5 feet deep reported near Cahone. The adverse weather conditions caused the closure of several area schools, as well as the temporary closure of some roads.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 24 inches occurred across the area. Due to the weight of new snowfall on top the week's previous snowfall, many outbuilding roofs collapsed. Wind gusts up to 40 mph produced extensive blowing and drifting snow, which resulted in local road closures.
Snowfall of about 3 inches occurred across half of the area.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 29 inches occurred over the area. Blowing and drifting snow was caused by wind gusts up to 35 mph.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 21 inches occurred above the 8000 foot level. Wind gusts up to 40 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy snowfall of 8 to 20 inches occurred, with locally higher amounts up to 24 inches reported at Vail Ski Area. Wind gusts up to 35 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 32 inches occurred. Wind gusts up to 45 mph were reported with localized gusts up to 56 mph measured at Storm Peak Lab. These winds resulted in widespread blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 26 inches occurred, while wind gusts up to 45 mph produced blowing and drifting snow.
Widespread snowfall of 3 to 6 inches occurred. Locally higher amounts included 10 inches in Carbondale. Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon was closed for more than four hours due to two separate accidents on the slick roads which involved 20 vehicles about nine miles east of Glenwood Springs.
Wind speeds up to 45 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions. Locally higher wind gusts included 65 mph at Telluride Ski Area and 68 mph on Mt. Abrams. Snow drifts up to 10 feet deep were reported. The adverse weather conditions, along with several natural avalanches, caused the closure of highway 550 for 42 hours.
Widespread blizzard conditions occurred as winds commonly gusted up to 50 mph. Localized gusts of up to 77 mph were reported at Mt. Putney. Extensive blowing and drifting snow generated snow drifts up to 12 feet deep in some areas. The adverse weather conditions, as well as several natural avalanches, caused the closure of highway 550 for 42 hours.
Heavy snowfall of 12 to 32 inches occurred. Wind gusts up to 40 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. The heavy snowfall resulted in numerous avalanches along Highway 550 which was closed for a period of 42 hours. Strong winds generated widespread blizzard conditions through the beginning hours of this storm.
Heavy snowfall of 20 to 48 inches occurred with locally higher amounts of up to 56 inches measured at Silverton Ski Area. Wind gusts up to 40 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. The heavy snow resulted in numerous avalanches along highway 550 which was closed for a period of 42 hours. Strong winds generated widespread blizzard conditions through the beginning hours of this storm.
Snowfall of 5 to 11 inches occurred across the area.
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, January 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: 209972, 209974, 209973, 209977, 209971, 209981, 209976, 209975, 209979, 209978, 209980, 209982, 209990, 209989, 209991, 209992, 209983.