A moist northwest flow resulted in significant snowfall in the mountains of northwest Colorado.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 northwest flow resulted in significant snowfall in the mountains 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 Feb 10, 10:06 AM MST, 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1006 AM MST FRI FEB 10 2012 .SHORT TERM /REST OF TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WAS ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING KEEPING PERIODS LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN CO MTNS DOWN TO ABOUT VAIL PASS. 12Z NAM AND GFS SHOW A 70-80 KT UPPER JET SEGMENT SLIDING ACROSS THE NORTH LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT...WHICH SHOULD BRING AN UPTICK IN SNOW TOWARDS EVENING AS WEAK JET DYNAMICS COMBINE WITH THE NW OROGRAPHIC FLOW. CURRENT WINTER ADVISORY FOR THE ELKHEAD/PARK MOUNTAINS LOOKS ON TRACK. NO CHANGES TO TODAY/S FORECAST AT THIS TIME. WILL BE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WEEKEND STORM FOR POSSIBLE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE MOUNTAINS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ISSUED AT 412 AM MST THIS MORNING FOLLOWS... WITH MOISTURE INCREASING THROUGH THE DAY TO NEAR THE 3G/KG MARK AND FAVORABLE DENDRITIC TEMPERATURES NEAR MOUNTAIN TOP...FEEL THE OROGRAPHIC LIFT TODAY WILL BE ENOUGH FOR EFFICIENT SNOWFALL PRODUCTION. OVERALL LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS FAIRLY WEAK BUT A SLIGHT INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY THIS EVENING AND A PASSING JET MAXIMA OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS SHOULD INCREASE SNOW RATES FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THEREFORE CONFIDENCE WAS HIGH ENOUGH TO ADD A LOW END ADVISORY FOR THE PARK AND NORTHERN GORE RANGE WHERE SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE IS GENERALLY EXPECTED BY SUNRISE ON SATURDAY. OTHERWISE EXPECT 3 TO 7 INCH AMOUNTS FROM VAIL PASS OVER TO THE FLAT TOPS WITH 3 OR LESS OVER REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL PEAKS AS THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS MISS THIS EVENT. TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE COOLER UP NORTH DUE TO THICKENING CLOUD COVER/PRECIPITATION...SO WENT NEAR OR COOLER THAN GUIDANCE THERE WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA WARMING NICELY THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SEVERAL SPOTS IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO AND SOUTHEAST UTAH SHOULD TOP OUT OVER THE 50 DEGREE MARK. THE ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL SHOULD TAPER OFF IN THE NORTH SATURDAY MORNING WITH A LULL IN THE ACTION THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING AS A TRANSITORY RIDGE MOVES OVERHEAD. LARGE SCALE ASCENT WILL THEN INCREASE DRAMATICALLY THROUGH SUNRISE ON SUNDAY AS THE NEXT WESTERN TROUGH CARVES OUT OVER THE GREAT BASIN AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. MOISTENING UPGLIDE WILL SPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION OVER MUCH OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN THROUGH THE NIGHT BUT THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA WILL BE FAVORED FOR HEAVIER PRECIPITATION WHERE ASCENT IS THE STRONGEST. THE SOUTHERLY WARM AIR ADVECTION LOOKS TO BE SOMEWHAT PROBLEMATIC FOR PRECIPITATION TYPE IN THE LOWER VALLEYS. TEMPERATURES MAY REMAIN WARM ENOUGH IN THE LOWER PROFILES TO KEEP RAIN IN THE FORECAST MUCH OF THE NIGHT. THE CAVEAT TO THIS WILL BE STRONG LIFT WHICH COULD TURN THIS TO SNOW. OF NOTE IS THE NAM SOLUTION WHICH HAS BEEN HINTING AT A STRONGER AND MORE NORTHERLY H7 LOW TRACK WHICH BRINGS A FRONTO BAND TO THE EASTERN GRAND VALLEY...AND HIGHER PRECIP AMOUNTS. BOTH MODELS PUSH A DECENT VORTICITY LOBE INTO THE 4 CORNERS REGION BY SUNDAY MORNING AS WELL. THE INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE COULD ALSO BRING BANDING PRECIPITATION TO THE LOWER VALLEYS IN THE SOUTHWEST. .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... ACTIVE START TO THE NEW WEEK EXPECTED AS A SERIES OF MOIST PACIFIC STORMS PUSH THROUGH THE WESTERN U.S. AND INTO WESTERN COLORADO. LATEST MEDIUM RANGE MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH BRINGING THE DEEP MOISTURE INTO THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN TIMING NOTED INITIALLY...ALTHOUGH ALL SIGNS POINT TO A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL EVENT FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. LIGHT WAA PRECIP EXPECTED EARLY ON AS THE TROUGH DIGS INTO THE GREAT BASIN...BUT COLDER AIR ARRIVES EARLY SUNDAY WITH SYSTEM EXPECTED TO PASS AS AN OPEN WAVE. THIS NORMALLY FAVORS OUR CENTRAL MOUNTAINS BETTER AND HAVE WORKED POPS AROUND THIS IDEA...WITH PEAK VALUES CENTERED NEAR THE GRAND MESA EAST OF GRAND JUNCTION. WITH SOME TIMING CONCERNS...CONFIDENCE FOR A 5TH PERIOD WATCH IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH...SO NO WINTER HIGHLIGHTS JUST YET FOR THIS SYSTEM. BY MONDAY...THE FIRST STORM WILL BE EXITING TO THE EAST...WITH BRIEF SHORTWAVE RIDGING SLIDING IN AHEAD OF THE NEXT PACIFIC WAVE. AGAIN...PLENTY OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE WITH THIS SYSTEM AS A LOW ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE OFF OVER SOUTHERN UTAH. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT AND HAVE START NUDGING POPS UPWARD MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. CURRENT TRACK WOULD FOCUS BEST ENERGY...FORCING AND MOISTURE OVER THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS. BUT LOOKS LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL AGAIN BE IMPACTED. IMPACT FROM THIS STORM LIKELY TO BE FELT THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK WITH COOL POOL ALOFT KEEPING CONDITIONS UNSTABLE FOR A CONTINUED CHANCE OF SNOW FOR THE HIGH COUNTRY THROUGH THURSDAY. TEMPS LOOK TO REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL NORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /FOR 18Z TAF ISSUANCE/... VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT THE VALLEY TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE OF MVFR CONDITIONS AT KASE IN -SHSN. SNOW WILL INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS FROM I-70 NORTH LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. EXPECT MVFR TO LOCAL IFR CIGS/VIS IN -SN OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS ALONG THE DIVIDE. KASE AS WELL AS KHDN AND KSBS WILL LIKELY BE IMPACTED TO MOST TONIGHT...WITH A CHANCE OF MVFR CIGS IN -SHSN AT KRIL AND KEGE TONIGHT. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM MST SATURDAY FOR ZONE 004. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JAD LONG TERM....JDC AVIATION.....JAD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 518 AM MST FRI FEB 10 2012 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-111300- LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN- ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS- UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-GRAND VALLEY-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR- CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS- GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS- CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN- WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-FLATTOPS- UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY-UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE- NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS- PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER- FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-ANIMAS RIVER BASIN- SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS- EASTERN UINTA BASIN-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT- LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES- 518 AM MST FRI FEB 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A MOISTENING NORTHERLY FLOW INTO COLORADO WILL INCREASE THE COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OF SNOWFALL ACROSS THE PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TODAY. SNOW...AND A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE LOWER VALLEYS IN THE NORTH TODAY...PERSISTING INTO THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THE PARK AND NORTHERN GORE RANGES LOOK TO RECEIVE NEW SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN THE 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE...WITH 3 TO 7 INCHES EXPECTED FROM NEAR VAIL PASS TO THE FLAT TOPS. MOUNTAINOUS AREAS IN THE SOUTH SHOULD MISS OUT ON THE BULK OF THIS SNOWFALL WITH ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED AT BEST. THE LOWER ELEVATIONS IN THE NORTH SHOULD SEE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE BY SUNRISE ON SATURDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY STARTING LATE SATURDAY EVENING A SERIES OF STORMS WILL MOVE OVER COLORADO AND UTAH BRINGING SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE MOUNTAINS AND A MIXTURE OF RAIN OR SNOW THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. THE FIRST STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT FOLLOWED BY A SECOND STORM ON MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY. BOTH OF THESE STORMS LOOK CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SNOW AMOUNTS NEAR OR EXCEEDING A FOOT IN MANY MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS. STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THE TIMING AND TRACKS OF THESE WINTER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall accumulations of 4 to 11 inches were measured across the area.
Snowfall accumulations of 4 to 6 inches were measured across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 2012
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: 370308, 370309.