A winter storm brought light to moderate snowfall to much of the Urban Corridor and Northeast Plains. Storm totals ranged from 3 to 6 inches in most areas.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 BOU wrote it up.
A winter storm brought light to moderate snowfall to much of the Urban Corridor and Northeast Plains. Storm totals ranged from 3 to 6 inches in most areas.
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 Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 20, 3:10 PM MST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 310 PM MST WED FEB 20 2013 .SHORT TERM...AN UPPER LOW IS CURRENTLY MOVING OVER ARIZONA AND WILL BE SWINGING EAST INTO KANSAS TOMORROW. MOISTURE CONVERGENCE HAS ALREADY PRODUCED AN AREA OF SNOW SHOWERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY MOVING NORTH THROUGH THE PLAINS OF COLORADO. THERE ARE EVEN A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES IN SOUTHERN COLORADO...WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ROTATE UP INTO THE FORECAST AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON. PROFILER SHOWING FLOW TURNING UPSLOPE TO HELP BRING THESE SHOWERS TOWARD THE FOOTHILLS. IR SATELLITE SHOWING CLOUD TOPS COOLING OVER SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO. MODELS...EVEN THIS LATE IN THE GAME...STILL HAVE DIFFERENCES IN THE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AND DISPERSEMENT. BUT WITH THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OCCURRING...WILL GO AHEAD AND KEEP THE WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES GOING THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOME OF THE HOURLY HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN SHOWING A SHARP TREND DOWN AFTER MIDNIGHT...SO THE LENGTH OF THE HIGHLIGHTS MAY NEED TO BE REVISITED. FORECASTED UPWARD QG VERTICAL VELOCITIES ARE STILL QUITE IMPRESSIVE THROUGH THE NIGHT WHICH SHOULD HELP THE SNOW KEEP GOING AS THE SYSTEM MOVES EAST. MOUNTAIN TOP WINDS WILL BE SWITCHING FROM NORTHEAST THIS EVENING TO NORTHWEST TOWARDS MORNING...WHICH SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST OVER THE PLAINS AS IT BECOMES A DOWNSLOPE DIRECTION. MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO WRAP-AROUND THE LOW TOMORROW MORNING TO KEEP SNOW FALLING OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS WITH ANOTHER COUPLE INCHES EXPECTED. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL KEEP COLDER TEMPERATURES OVER THE AREA WITH HIGHS IN THE TEENS TO 20S FORECAST AREA WIDE. SNOW SHOULD BE PRACTICALLY DONE OVER THE PLAINS IN THE AFTERNOON WITH ONLY A FEW FLURRIES LEFT OVER THE URBAN CORRIDOR AND MAYBE ANOTHER HALF INCH OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS. THE MOUNTAINS WILL STILL HAVE SCATTERED AREAS OF SNOW AS NORTHWEST FLOW REMAINS. .LONG TERM...BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...BEST ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER TROUGH IS WELL OUT OF COLO WITH NEUTRAL TO VERY WEAK QG SUBSIDENCE OVER THE CWA THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. WILL LIKELY SEE A FEW LINGER SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS ENSUING WEAK CAA KEEPS RHS HIGH. CROSS SECTIONS INDICATE MOISTURE HOLDING OVER THE MOUNTAINS AGAINST WEST SIDE OF CONT DIVIDE AHEAD OF THE NEXT FAST MOVING TROUGH EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND. LATEST MODELS RUNS HAVE KEPT FAIRLY GOOD TIMING WITH NEXT SERIES OF WEATHER FEATURES. TROUGH NUMBER 2 IN A SERIES OF 4 ENTERS THE STATE LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THIS TROUGH ENTERS WITH A MORE NORTH TO NORTHWESTERLY TRACK WHICH WILL LIKELY BRING BETTER SNOW AMOUNTS TO THE HIGH COUNTRY ESPECIALLY LOCATIONS WEST OF THE CONT DIVIDE INCLUDING ZNS 31-33-34. THE LATEST RUNS OF THE GFS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR ALOFT ON THE BACK EDGE OF TROUGH WHICH WILL KEEP A GOOD PERIOD OF SNOW GOING FOR THE HIGH COUNTRY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. THE CMC IS A BIT SLOWER AND NOT AS COLD WITH A MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK. AS FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...NOT REAL IMPRESSED WITH SURFACE PRESSURE PATTERNS WITH ANY OF THE RUNS WHICH INDICATE AN INVERTED TROUGH OR EXTENSIVE LEE TROUGH FROM CANADA SOUTHWARD TO NEW MEX WITH ALL LACKING A COLD AIR PUSH FROM THE NORTH. AS TROUGH KICKS OUT ACROSS CONT DIVIDE...A BORA TYPE SITUATION ENSUES WITH NORTHWEST SFC FLOW WITH THE EXIT EARLY MONDAY. THE 00Z ECM HAD INDICATED A BETTER SOUTHERLY TRACK BUT COMES ACROSS THE STATE WITH 2 AREAS OF ENERGY WITH THE MOST POTENT SECTION RIDING OVER NRN NEW MEXICO. WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR THE POTENTIAL OF THE NORTHERN AREA OF ENERGY WITH THE ECM POSSIBLY PROVIDING A STRONGER WINTER WEATHER TYPE SETUP ESPECIALLY FOR THE NORTHEAST PLAINS ON LATE SUNDAY. AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME...GOOD BET THAT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS INCLUDING URBAN CORRIDOR AND EASTERN PLAINS EXPERIENCE SHOWERY...BREEZY BUT COLD AND GENERALLY UNSETTLED WEATHER. WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF POTENTIAL INSTABILITY IN THE SOUNDINGS WHICH COULD BRING A QUICK SHOT OF STREAKY NON-UNIFORM CONVECTIVE TYPE OF SNOWFALL TO THE URBAN CORRIDOR SUNDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY. WEAK RIDGING AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF CALM DEVELOPS OVER THE STATE LATE MONDAY THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY AHEAD OF DISTURBANCE NUMBER 3 WHICH ENTERS THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THE STATE TUESDAY AFTN AND HANGS AROUND THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY. THIS DISTURBANCE ENTERS THE AREA MUCH LIKE THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM HOWEVER AT THIS TIME IS FAR MORE BROAD AND DISORGANIZED. TEMPS ALOFT ARE JUST AS COLD AS PREVIOUS DISTURBANCE AND WILL KEEP THE SNOWFALL POPS GOING AS ITS A GOOD BET THAT THE HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS WEST OF DIVIDE SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT CONTINUOUS SNOW IN A WEAK BUT MOIST NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT ENVIRONMENT. CURRENT SKY AND POPS IN THE EXTENDED LOOK GOOD IN THE EXTENDED RANGE. && .AVIATION...SNOW SHOWERS WITH ILS CONDITIONS ALREADY OCCURRING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OFF AND ON AND THEN ENHANCE AFTER 00Z. SHOULD SEE THE LOWEST CONDITIONS BETWEEN 03Z AND 12Z...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF IT IMPROVING BY 09Z. TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 5-8 INCHES FOR KDEN AND KAPA AND 3-5 INCHES AT KBJC ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY. EASTERLY WINDS WILL BE SHIFTING TO THE NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH SPEEDS BELOW 15 KTS. STRONGER WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY TO THE EAST OF THE AREA AIRPORTS. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ041-044>051. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ034-037. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ036-039-040-042-043. && SHORT TERM...KRIEDERMAN LONG TERM....FREDIN AVIATION...KRIEDERMAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1100 AM MST WED FEB 20 2013 COZ030>051-211800- JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET- WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET- GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET- SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/ NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET- SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/ GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET- JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY- LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN COUNTY- SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY- LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY- 1100 AM MST WED FEB 20 2013 ...WINTER STORM TO MOVE ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THURSDAY... ...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ041-044>051... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ034-037... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ036-039-040-042-043... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTH THROUGH THE STATE TODAY WITH A FEW AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE OVER THE FAR NORTHEASTERN PLAINS DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE DAY. THEN THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO PUSH FURTHER WEST TOWARD THE URBAN CORRIDOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON...HEAVIEST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 AND IN SOUTH PARK. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL...WHICH WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY SNOW OVER A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVIEST EAST OF INTERSTATE 25 AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 76. AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL COME TO AN END DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS ALONG THE FRONT RANGE...BUT CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL APPROACH 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS. FOR THE DENVER METRO AREA...3 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED WITH THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS EAST OF INTERSTATE 25. STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH UP TO 10 INCHES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70. MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL REDEVELOP FRIDAY UNDER A MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. BEST CHANCE FOR SNOW WILL BE ALONG WEST AND NORTHWEST FACING SLOPES. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL SATURDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SNOW TO PARTS OF COLORADO AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE ROCKIES SOMETIME LATE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOWFALL AMOUNT AND INTENSITY REPORTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. KRIEDERMAN/KF/BARJENBRUCH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
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, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 433547, 433548, 433549, 433550, 433551, 433552, 433553, 433555, 433556, 433596.