A climber was killed and his partner seriously injured when they were caught in an avalanche while descending Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. The victim and his partner were caught in the slide on the north side of Blitzen Ridge on the 13,514 foot Ypsilon Mountain.
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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 climber was killed and his partner seriously injured when they were caught in an avalanche while descending Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. The victim and his partner were caught in the slide on the north side of Blitzen Ridge on the 13,514 foot Ypsilon Mountain.
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 Mar 17, 2:20 PM MST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 320 PM MDT SUN MAR 17 2013 .SHORT TERM...GUSTY WINDS HAVE SPREAD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH WIDESPREAD SPEEDS OF 25 TO 45 MPH AND ISOLATED AREAS OF UP TO 55 MPH. THE UPPER TROUGH IS CURRENTLY PASSING OVERHEAD WHICH IS LIKELY HELPING SPARK OFF THE FEW THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE PLAINS WITH COLDER AIR MOVING IN ALOFT. LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO FALL OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS WITH INDICATIONS OF THE MAIN COLD FRONT UP IN NORTHERN WYOMING. SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS HAS BECOME CONVECTIVE IN NATURE GIVING BREAKS OF SUN IN BETWEEN REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. THIS IS EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING WHEN LOSS OF THE SUNS HEAT WILL ALLOW THE SNOW SHOWERS TO DECREASE. HOWEVER...NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND SOME AVAILABLE MOISTURE WILL ALLOW FOR A CHANCE OF SNOW TO CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLING TONIGHT...BUT NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM CLIMATOLOGY. EXPECT MID 20S OVER THE PLAINS AND IN THE LOW TEENS IN THE MOUNTAINS. A 120 KT JET IS MOVING TOWARD THE STATE FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND WILL BE OVERHEAD THROUGH TONIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW. THIS WILL KEEP GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY AND FOOTHILLS THROUGH MONDAY. THE WINDS OVER THE PLAINS WILL DIMINISH LATER TONIGHT...BUT PICK RIGHT BACK UP BY TOMORROW MID-MORNING. EXPECT GUSTS IN THE 25 TO 40 MPH RANGE. HUMIDITIES SHOULD NOT DRY MUCH MORE THAN THE UPPER TEENS OR LOW 20S...SO NO FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS ARE BEING ISSUED...THOUGH THE WIND WILL KEEP THE FIRE DANGER INCREASED. THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND SLIGHT SURGES OF MOISTURE WILL KEEP SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS...MAINLY WEST OF THE DIVIDE. EXPECT AN INCH OR TWO OF ACCUMULATION. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER TOMORROW BY ABOUT 10 DEGREES OVER TODAYS READINGS. .LONG TERM...GUSTY WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE ACROSS THE PLAINS MONDAY EVENING AS DAYTIME HEATING CEASES. HOWEVER...THE GUSTY WINDS IN/NEAR THE FRONT RANGE MAY ACTUALLY INCREASE AS A SLIGHT AMPLIFICATION OF THE MOUNTAIN WAVE OCCURS AS THERE ARE HINTS OF AT LEAST A WEAK MOUNTAIN TOP STABLE LAYER DEVELOPING. THERE IS 40-50 KNOTS OF CROSS MOUNTAIN FLOW...SO WE COULD SEE A COUPLE WIND PRONE SPOTS IN THE FOOTHILLS APPROACHING 60-70 MPH GUSTS. MOST AREAS WILL SEE LIGHTER WINDS. SHOULD ALSO SEE A FEW SNOW SHOWERS LINGER IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH FAVORED OROGRAPHIC FLOW. BY TUESDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WITH NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT GRADUALLY RELAXING. THIS WILL ALLOW WINDS TO EASE OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS BY AFTERNOON. FOR WEDNESDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL SHIFT EASTWARD ACCORDING TO THE GFS BUT THE ECMWF HAS A WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE RIDGE. THIS IS WHERE FORECAST CONFIDENCE BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN...DUE TO THE VARIOUS MODELS HANDLING OF THE UPPER LOW NOW IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC MERGING WITH THE NORTHERN STREAM ENERGY. THERE IS STILL REASONABLE AGREEMENT WITH THE MAIN SHOT OF Q-G VERTICAL MOTION REACHING THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY...SO WILL MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST POPS THEN. THERE HAS BEEN SOME TREND OF MOVING THIS SYSTEM TO OUR EAST BY FRIDAY...BUT STILL CANT RULE OUT SOME LINGERING SHOWERS. BY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS VERY LOW AS WE COULD BE EITHER RIDGING AFTER THURSDAYS SYSTEM...OR ANOTHER SHORT WAVE DROPPING IN DURING THE WEEKEND IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. WE WILL KEEP A MAINLY DRY BUT COOLER FORECAST FOR NOW GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY AND LOW PREDICTABILITY OF THIS PATTERN...WITH CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS MENTIONED ONLY IN THE HIGH COUNTRY AT THIS TIME. && .AVIATION...STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL LIKELY HAVE A SLIGHT INCREASE NEAR 00Z AS A FRONT MOVES THROUGH. GUSTS SHOULD CONTINUE AROUND 40 KNOTS AT KAPA AND KDEN AND UP TO 50 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE A KBJC. COULD SEE A BRIEF SHOWER THROUGH 00Z WHICH WILL MAINLY HAVE LIGHT RAIN AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. CEILINGS WILL REMAIN ABOVE 10000 FEET EXCEPT UNDER THE SHORT LIVED SHOWERS WHERE THEY COULD FALL TO AROUND 6000 FEET. WINDS EXPECT TO BECOME DRAINAGE LATE TONIGHT ONLY TO INCREASE AND BECOME GUSTY AGAIN MONDAY OUT OF THE WEST-NORTHWEST. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ031- 033-034. && SHORT TERM...KRIEDERMAN LONG TERM....BARJENBRUCH AVIATION...KRIEDERMAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1025 AM MDT SUN MAR 17 2013 COZ030>051-181630- 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- 1025 AM MDT SUN MAR 17 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS UNTIL 6 PM MDT TODAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH...MAINLY THROUGH THE HIGH PASSES...WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES...CAUSE SLICK ROADS AND PRODUCE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY OVER THE PASSES. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES IN THE HIGH COUNTRY CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS EXPECTED NORTH OF I70. SNOW WILL DECREASE IN INTENSITY OVER THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT WITH ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO WILL SPREAD OVER THE PLAINS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS ARE BEGINNING TO INCREASE RAPIDLY ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND OUT ONTO THE PLAINS. STRONGER WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT. GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE PLAINS AND FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL ELEVATE THE FIRE DANGER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT...WITH A FEW MORE SNOW SHOWERS BUT LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS. WIND GUSTS FROM 50 TO 60 MPH WILL OCCUR IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS WITH GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH OVER THE PLAINS. FIRE DANGER WILL REMAIN ELEVATED IN THE FOOTHILLS AND ACROSS THE PLAINS. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY NIGHT BRINGING A CHANCE OF SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS AND A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER...ANY REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. KRIEDERMAN/BARJENBRUCH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet | 2013-03-17 | 43 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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, March 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: 441422.