A moist Pacific trough produced significant snowfall in the mountains of western Colorado and most lower elevation areas of northwest Colorado.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 moist Pacific trough produced significant snowfall in the mountains of western Colorado and most lower elevation areas of northwest 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 Mar 27, 3:33 AM MST, 8 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
433 AM MDT SUN MAR 27 2011
.SHORT TERM DISCUSSION...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...
SHRTWV ENERGY WORKING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY WILL CONTINUE
TO BRING WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW
OVER THE MOUNTAINS. BEST FORCING TODAY WILL BE SHIFTING INTO THE
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WITH SNOW SLOWLY WINDING DOWN
ACROSS THE SAN JUANS. CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE CONTINUED...
ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NEED TO BE DROPPED EARLY AS SECONDARY WAVE COMING
IN A BIT FASTER.
SNOWFALL LETS UP TONIGHT OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY...ALTHOUGH NEVER
SHUTS DOWN COMPLETELY OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AS WEAK
OROGRAPHICS COME INTO PLAY. CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ZONES WILL BE
SHUTTING DOWN WITH PARTIAL CLEARING...BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM
ARRIVES EARLY MONDAY MORNING. THIS SYSTEM ROLLS ACROSS MONDAY AND
MONDAY NIGHT WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF ADVISORY LEVEL SNOWFALL EXPECTED
OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...GENERALLY IN THE 4 TO 8
INCH RANGE AGAIN.
HAVE OPTED TO TRY AND SEPARATE THE SYSTEM COMING THROUGH TODAY FROM
THE WAVE ON MONDAY WITH TWO ADVISORIES VERSUS UPGRADING TO A WARNING
FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AS SNOWFALL INTENSITY
TAPERS OFF SIGNIFICANTLY TONIGHT...DIMINISHING IMPACT FOR SEVERAL
HOURS. TO AVOID COMPLICATING THE SITUATION...WILL LET LATER SHIFTS
MAKE THE FINAL ADJUSTMENTS AS THE CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS MAY NEED TO BE
PULLED DOWN EARLY. HOWEVER...WILL RAMP POPS UP ON MONDAY AND
INCREASE QPF NUMBERS SLIGHTLY.
NO MAJOR SWING IN TEMPS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT.
.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...
ACTIVE SPRING PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDWEEK ACCORDING TO
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS WHICH REMAINED IN GOOD AGREEMENT THIS MORNING.
SUBSIDENCE AND DRYING INDICATED FOR TUESDAY IN THE WAKE OF MONDAY
NIGHT'S FAST MOVING OPEN-WAVE TROUGH. RESIDUAL MOISTURE MAY BE
SUFFICIENT TO FUEL A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE DURING THE AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND
NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED BENEATH A FLAT RIDGE.
THE BREAK IN THE ACTION WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS YET ANOTHER SHORTWAVE
WITH ORIGINS OVER THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC SWEEPS ACROSS THE REGION
FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE DEEPENING TROUGH MOVES OVER THE FORECAST AREA
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH SNOW LIKELY DURING THIS
PERIOD OVER THE NORTHERN...CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS
OF COLORADO. OROGRAPHIC LIFT WILL SUPPLANT DYNAMIC FORCING WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON IN NORTHWEST FLOW KEEPING SNOW GOING ALONG THE DIVIDE.
THOUGH DECREASING...SNOWFALL WILL LINGER ACROSS THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS THURSDAY NIGHT FINALLY DIMINISHING FRIDAY MORNING. A
BUILDING RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WEST WILL BRING MILDER AND
DRY WEATHER FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND.
&&
.AVIATION...
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS...MAINLY OVER THE DIVIDE MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO...
WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF
DISTURBANCES PASSES OVER THE REGION. CONSEQUENTLY...EXPECT FREQUENT
MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS AND MVFR CIGS AND VSBY WITH AREAS OF IFR AND
EVEN LOW IFR CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SNOWFALL MAY DECREASE
FOR A TIME THIS EVENING BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN LATER TONIGHT.
&&
.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR ZONES
018-019.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR ZONES
004-009-010-012-013.
UT...NONE.
SHORT TERM.....JDC
LONG TERM......NL
AVIATION.......NLHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 545 AM MDT SUN MAR 27 2011 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-281200- 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 MDT SUN MAR 27 2011 ...A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN COLORADO... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FAST MOVING PACIFIC STORM WILL BRING WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO THROUGH THIS EVENING. MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES WILL OCCUR TODAY...MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. PLEASE VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION WEBSITE AT WEATHR.GOV/GJT FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A SERIES OF PACIFIC STORMS WILL PASS THROUGH THE REGION THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE LIKELY OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN COLORADO AND EASTERN UTAH MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT. JC/NL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
815 AM MDT SUN MAR 27 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0730 AM SNOW TELLURIDE 37.94N 107.81W
03/27/2011 M7.0 INCH SAN MIGUEL CO TRAINED SPOTTER
SWE 0.45
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1100308
TGJTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter weather, 4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall of 12 to 24 inches was measured across the area. Locally heavier amounts included 26 inches at Snowmass Ski Area. Winds gusted 20 to 35 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 12 to 22 inches was measured across the area. Winds gusted 20 to 35 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 12 to 21 inches was measured across the area. Winds gusted 20 to 35 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 5 to 10 inches was measured across the area. Winds gusted 20 to 35 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 10 to 24 inches was measured across the area. Locally heavier snowfall amounts included 26 inches at Gothic. Winds gusted 20 to 30 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 3 to 8 inches was measured across the area. Winds gusted 25 to 50 mph and produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 3 to 5 inches was measured across the area. Locally heavier amounts included 10 inches at Hayden. Winds gusted 20 to 35 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 3 to 5 inches was measured across the area. Locally heavier amounts included 6 to 10 inches in Eagle, Gypsum, and Wolcott. Winds gusted 20 to 30 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall of 5 to 10 inches was measured across the area. Winds gusted 20 to 30 mph and produced local blowing and drifting snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 2011
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: 314297, 314296, 314299, 314295, 314298, 314302, 314300, 314303, 314301.