A moist northwest flow with embedded disturbances produced significant to heavy snowfall in the higher elevations of northwest Colorado.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 with embedded disturbances produced significant to heavy snowfall in the higher elevations 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 Dec 21, 9:55 AM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
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</html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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals of 4 to 8 inches were measured across the area.
Snowfall totals of 12 to 32 inches were measured across the area. Locally heavier amounts included 40 inches at the Tower SNOTEL site.
Snowfall totals of 12 to 20 inches were measured across the area.
Snowfall totals of 4 to 7 inches were measured across the area.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 6 inches were measured across the area, with locally higher amounts up to 10 inches.
Snowfall totals of 4 to 10 inches were measured across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2013
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: 499203, 499201, 499202, 499204, 499206, 499205.