Colorado, 2010

Winter Storm in Colorado, January 21 to 22, 2010

January 21 to 22, 2010 · NWS PUB · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A winter storm producing very heavy snow and gusty winds had the greatest impact on the eastern San Juan Mountains and adjacent valleys. Isolated snow amounts of around 8 inches occurred southwest of Buena Vista (Chaffee County), while around a foot of snow occurred in isolated areas southwest of Westcliffe (Custer County) and near Monte Vista (Rio Grande County).

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 PUB wrote it up.

A winter storm producing very heavy snow and gusty winds had the greatest impact on the eastern San Juan Mountains and adjacent valleys. Isolated snow amounts of around 8 inches occurred southwest of Buena Vista (Chaffee County), while around a foot of snow occurred in isolated areas southwest of Westcliffe (Custer County) and near Monte Vista (Rio Grande County). Two feet of snow fell at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass and 9 miles west-southwest of Creede, and 26 inches was observed southwest of South Fork (Mineral County).

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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 20, 3:09 PM MST, 18 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 20, 3:09 PM MST, 18 hours 51 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 20, 3:54 PM MST, 18 hours 6 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

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
January 21, 10:00 AM MST to January 22, 11:00 PM MST
Where
La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.778, -106.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft

When
January 21, 10:00 AM MST to January 22, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
January 21, 10:00 AM MST to January 22, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2010

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 210742, 210743, 210744.