Colorado, 2013

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Colorado, April 22 to 23, 2013

April 22 to 23, 2013 · NWS GLD · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

During the night a band of heavy snow developed roughly along I-70 over Kit Carson county, with some heavy snowfall extending up into southwest Yuma county. Snowfall reports ranged from 8 to 12 inches, with the highest snowfall amounts being reported at Stratton despite ground temperatures in the 40s.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 GLD wrote it up.

During the night a band of heavy snow developed roughly along I-70 over Kit Carson county, with some heavy snowfall extending up into southwest Yuma county. Snowfall reports ranged from 8 to 12 inches, with the highest snowfall amounts being reported at Stratton despite ground temperatures in the 40s. The snowfall amounts quickly dwindled to the north and south of the band, with reports of only 2 inches of snow across central Cheyenne and Yuma counties.

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 22, 1:23 PM MST, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 22, 1:23 PM MST, 37 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

1 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Kit Carson County

When
April 22, 2:00 PM MST to April 23, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Kit Carson County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.305, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotters reported 10-12 inches of snow along I-70. A CoCoRaHS observer reported 8 inches of snow in the northwest part of the county near Liberty.

Winter Weather, Yuma County

When
April 22, 2:00 PM MST to April 23, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Yuma County forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
40.003, -102.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snowfall amounts of 8 inches were reported across the southwest part of the county. The snowfall amounts quickly declined to the north and east, with amounts of 3 inches or less being reported.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2013

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: 439032, 439035.