A vigorous Pacific trough brought heavy snowfall to the mountains of western Colorado and significant snowfall to some lower elevation areas during the big game hunting season.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 vigorous Pacific trough brought heavy snowfall to the mountains of western Colorado and significant snowfall to some lower elevation areas during the big game hunting season.
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 Oct 25, 10:38 AM MST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
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</html>HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 550 AM MDT TUE OCT 25 2011 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-261200- 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- 550 AM MDT TUE OCT 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. ...A NUMBER OF WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES GO INTO EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY AND THE EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAIN OF NORTHEAST UTAH THIS AFTERNOON AS A STRONG EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM MOVES INTO THE AREA. SNOW LEVELS WILL BEGIN ABOVE 9000 FEET IN THE RELATIVELY MILD AIRMASS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM. HOWEVER...AS THE COLD FRONT SWEEPS SOUTHWARD TONIGHT SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL TO MOUNTAIN BASES...EVEN REACHING VALLEY FLOORS IN NORTHWEST COLORADO. PERIODS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY BRINGING SIGNIFICANT SNOW AMOUNTS TO THE HIGH COUNTRY. THIS HAS PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF A NUMBER OF WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES FOR THE AREA. FOR MORE DETAILED AND UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON THIS EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/GJT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AS MENTIONED ABOVE...PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF COLORADO WEDNESDAY AS THE STORM SLOWLY WORKS ITS WAY ACROSS THE REGION. SHOWERS WILL DISSIPATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEFORE AS HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS BUILD OVERHEAD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY MEASURABLE SNOW ACCUMULATION. TGJT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 winter storm, 4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall ranged from 6 to 14 inches. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall ranged from 8 to 16 inches, including 9 to 12 inches within the town of Vail. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall generally ranged from 4 to 12 inches. Locally higher amounts included 15 inches at the Bear Town SNOTEL site. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall ranged from 4 to 10 inches.
Snowfall ranged from 6 to 11 inches. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall ranged from 4 to 12 inches. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall ranged from 6 to 12 inches. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall ranged from 2 to 6 inches above the 7500 foot level. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall ranged from 2 to 4 inches above the 8000 foot level. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall ranged from 2 to 4 inches above the 6000 foot level.
Snowfall generally ranged from 2 to 5 inches. Locally higher amounts included 7 inches near Yampa.
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, October 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 352882, 352884, 352887, 352881, 352883, 352886, 352885, 352889, 352888, 352890, 352891.