A storm system near the Four Corners region produced heavy upslope snowfall in and near the Front Range with blizzard conditions further east as it made its way across southern Colorado. 5 miles west-southwest of Livermore; with 8 inches near Gross Reservoir, Idaho Springs and Nederland.
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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 storm system near the Four Corners region produced heavy upslope snowfall in and near the Front Range with blizzard conditions further east as it made its way across southern Colorado. In the Front Range Mountains and Foothills storm totals included: 27 inches near Pinecliffe; 24 inches, 13 miles northwest of Golden; 20 inches near Genesee; 17 inches near Conifer; 15 inches, 3 miles west of Jamestown; 14 inches, 4 miles southwest of Eldorado Springs; 12.5 inches near Aspen Springs; 12 inches near Evergreen, 11 miles west of Livermore, Strontia Springs Dam and near Ward; 10 inches at Eldora Ski Area; 9 inches, 8.5 miles west-southwest of Livermore; with 8 inches near Gross Reservoir, Idaho Springs and Nederland.
Across the Urban Corridor, storm totals included: 12 inches in Aurora; 11.5 inches near Highlands Ranch; 11 inches in Lakewood; 10.5 inches just north of Longmont and Westminster; 10 inches in Lone Tree and Thornton; 9 inches at Denver International Airport, Ft. Collins and Milliken; 8.5 inches in Aurora, 6 miles southwest of Denver and near Loveland; 8 inches at Boulder, Broomfield, and Ralston Reservoir; 7.5 inches near Frederick, with 7 inches at Commerce City. The storm prompted the cancellation of 200 flights in and out of Denver International Airport.
Along and south of the I-70 corridor, east of Denver to around Cedar Point, the combination of heavy snow and strong wind produced blizzard conditions. Storm totals included: 14 inches, 10 miles south-southeast of Buckley AFB, 10.5 inches, 8 miles southeast of Watkins; 8 inches at Elizabeth and Sedalia; 7 inches at Agate and 6 inches near Byers. Northerly winds of 25 to 30 mph were common with gusts to 40 mph. Interstate 70 was especially hazardous from around Byers to Limon where snow and blowing snow reportedly produced zero visibilities at times and drifts up to 3 feet deep.
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 23, 9:44 PM MST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 944 PM MST SAT FEB 23 2013 .UPDATE... && .SHORT TERM...SNOW STARTING TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT RANGE AS LIFT MOVES IN AND PRESSURE FALLS MOVE INTO SOUTHERN COLORADO. INTENSITY WILL BE LOW INITIALLY...PARTLY DUE TO DRY LOW LEVEL AIR THAT WILL TAKE SEVERAL HOURS TO SATURATE. BUMPED UP THE TIMING OF SNOW BEGINNING TO REFLECT WHAT IS HAPPENING...BUT NOT MUCH CHANGE TO THE EXPECTED INTENSIFICATION LATER TONIGHT. MODEL TRENDS CONTINUE TO BE A LITTLE STRONGER/SLOWER WITH A BIT MORE SNOW...MAINLY DUE TO THE SNOW ENDING LATER. LATEST RUNS SUGGEST ANOTHER INCH OR TWO IN THE DENVER AREA SUNDAY EVENING...WITH SREF ENSEMBLES SUGGESTING 7-14 INCHES ACROSS DENVER AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OVER 20 INCHES AT KAPA. THE SLOWER SPEED WOULD ESPECIALLY IMPACT AREAS SOUTH OF DENVER WHERE THE SNOW RATES WOULD STILL BE GOOD WITH THE UPSLOPE WIND. WE MAY NEED TO MOVE THE FORECAST IN THAT DIRECTION...BUT WILL WAIT FOR MORE CONFIDENCE ON THAT...LITTLE IMPACT ON THE CURRENT WARNINGS ANYWAY. && .AVIATION...LITTLE CHANGE. SNOW BECOMING WIDESPREAD BY 08Z WITH MVFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING...THEN LIFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING BY 12Z. 06Z TAFS WILL HAVE STRONGER WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON...EXPECTING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS AT KDEN AND POSSIBLY KAPA...KBJC WILL LIKELY STAY LIFR BUT WILL LIKELY HAVE LESS WIND AND VISIBILITY IMPACT. SOME SNOW ACCUMULATION AND BLOWING/DRIFTING CONTINUING INTO SUNDAY EVENING THEN MUCH BETTER BY 06Z MONDAY AT KBJC/KDEN AND 08Z AT KAPA. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 330 PM MST SAT FEB 23 2013/ SHORT TERM....CURRENT WATER VAPOR AND Q-G ANALYSIS SHOWS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM CARVING OUT ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN. LATEST MODEL TRENDS FROM THE 12Z NAM...GFS...GEM AND EVEN WRF HAVE SHOWN A SLIGHT NORTHWARD SHIFT IN AREAS OF BEST LIFT AND HEAVIER SNOWFALL. HOWEVER...12Z ECMWF STILL MAINTAINED A PERSISTENT AND PREFERRED SOLUTION BUT AT THE SAME TIME HAS INCREASED SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AN INCH OR TWO MORE THAN THE 00Z RUN. NCEP FORECASTERS WITH ACCESS TO 00Z EC ENSEMBLE MEMBERS NOTED THAT SOME UNCERTAINTY EVEN REGARDED THE SLIGHTLY FARTHER SOUTH ECMWF SOLUTION...BUT Q-G HEIGHT FALL ANALYSIS FROM THE RUC INDICATES THE OPERATION ECMWF SEEMS QUITE REASONABLE. THE ONLY ARGUMENT WOULD BE IF A MID LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER PERHAPS RELATED TO LARGER LATENT HEAT RELEASE WOULD RESULT IN A MORE NORTHERLY SOLUTION. AT THIS TIME...HAVE STILL LEANED HEAVILY TOWARD THE ECMWF...BUT ALSO INCORPORATED A BIT OF THE MESOSCALE/SREF MODEL SOLUTIONS. ALL OF THESE FACTORS ADD UP TO A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR A HEAVY SNOW EVENT. THEY INCLUDE...NEUTRAL STABILITY PROFILES...AVERAGE OF 25-30 KTS OF NNE UPSLOPE FLOW...DEEP UPSLOPE COMPONENT WELL ABOVE MOUNTAIN TOP...GOOD MICROPHYSICS WITH LARGE OMEGA THROUGH THE DENDRITIC GROWTH REGION...AND A 12-18 HOUR PERIOD OF MODERATE Q-G VERTICAL MOTION. THIS ALL SUPPORTS THE UPGRADE OF BLIZZARD WATCHES TO WARNING...WINTER STORM WATCHES TO WINTER STORM WARNINGS...AND MOST OTHER LOCATIONS TO WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. THE OVERALL BLENDING USING A MAJORITY OF THE ECMWF WITH A LITTLE BIT OF MESOSCALE/SREF MODELS SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS...6-10 INCHES FOR DENVER/BOULDER AREA...8-12 INCHES PALMER DIVIDE...7-14 INCHES FOOTHILLS...AND 4-8 INCHES THROUGH SOUTHERN WELD...MORGAN...TOWARD WASHINGTON/LINCOLN COUNTY. LONG TERM...THE BRUNT OF SUNDAY'S STORM SHOULD BE GETTING CLOSE TO ENDING BY THE BEGINNING OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD 25/00Z. THERE WILL PROBABLY STILL BE SOME SNOW OVER THE SOUTHEAST THIRD OR SO OF THE CWA DURING THE EVENING BUT THAT WILL FLUSH OUT TOWARDS MORNING. SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL REMAIN SUFFICIENT TO KEEP GUSTY WINDS OVER MANY LOWER ELEVATIONS IN THE EVENING BUT THESE TOO WILL SETTLE DOWN OVERNIGHT. ONLY A QUICK BREAK IN THINGS AS A SHORT WAVE RIDGE MOVES IN FOR MONDAY WITH THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM IMPACTING OUR WEATHER ON TUESDAY. THIS WILL BE MAINLY A MOUNTAIN EVENT BUT ENOUGH QG LIFT BLEEDS OVER THE HILLS TO BRING A THREAT OF PRECIPITATION TO THE PLAINS TUESDAY. ANOTHER WEAKER SYSTEM IS PROGGED TO PUSH OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES THURSDAY...AGAIN BEING MAINLY A PRECIPITATION PRODUCER FOR THE HIGH COUNTRY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH MOST OF THE WEEK BUT SHOULD APPROACH NORMAL TOWARD WEEK'S AS A STRONG RIDGE ALOFT BUILDS INTO THE GREAT BASIN. THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE SOME WINDY PERIODS AS THE FLOW ALOFT BECOMES NORTHWESTERLY. AVIATION...SIGNIFICANT AVIATION IMPACTS EXPECTED FROM THIS WINTER STORM. CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL TUMBLE TONIGHT AND REMAIN VERY LOW THROUGH MOST OF SUNDAY. ONSET TIMING OF THIS IS STILL RATHER DIFFICULT...BUT WE SHOULD SEE SNOW DEVELOPING IN THE FRONT RANGE AIRPORTS MOST LIKELY BETWEEN 05Z AND 08Z...WITH VLIFR CONDITIONS BY 09Z-11Z WHEN SNOWFALL RATES INCREASE TO AROUND 1 INCH PER. THE HEAVY SNOW WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT 20Z SUNDAY BEFORE CONDITIONS SLOWLY IMPROVE. GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS AT KDEN WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITIES CLOSE TO ONE QUARTER MILE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE HEAVIEST SNOW 11Z-20Z...THEN GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ048- 050-051. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ035-036-039- 040. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ031-033-034. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ038-042. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ043-044. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ041-045. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 5 AM TO 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ046-047-049. && SHORT TERM...BARJENBRUCH LONG TERM....ET AVIATION/UPDATE...GIMMESTAD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1118 AM MST SAT FEB 23 2013 COZ030>051-241830- 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- 1118 AM MST SAT FEB 23 2013 ...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM DENVER AND BOULDER NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH SOUTHERN WELD AND MORGAN COUNTIES LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY... ...BLIZZARD WATCH EAST AND SOUTH OF DENVER SUNDAY INCLUDING THE PALMER DIVIDE REGION THROUGH LIMON AND AKRON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A POTENT WINTER STORM DEVELOPING IN THE GREAT BASIN WILL TRACK EAST-SOUTHEAST TO NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS AREA BY LATE TONIGHT. AT THE SAME TIME...A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO LATE TONIGHT. DEEP AND RELATIVELY STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SNOW BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIER AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. SNOWFALL RATES AROUND 1 INCH PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH VISIBILITIES DROPPING TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS BY LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. ROADS WILL BECOME SNOWPACKED AND ICY AS WELL WITH HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING SNOW AND WIND TO THE OUTLOOK AREA SUNDAY. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED IN MOST AREAS OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL BY THE TIME THE STORM WINDS DOWN AND EXITS THE AREA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY MORNING. ANOTHER WEAKER STORM WILL IMPACT THE AREA TUESDAY WITH YET ANOTHER WEAK ONE EXPECTED THURSDAY. THESE LATTER TWO STORMS WILL HAVE MOST OF THEIR IMPACT IN THE MOUNTAINS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW NORMAL FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER RELAYING YOUR SNOW AMOUNT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 blizzard, 2 winter weather, 2 winter storm. 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: 436270, 436271, 436272, 436273, 436303, 436305, 436306.