Colorado, 2013

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Colorado, November 4 to 6, 2013

November 4 to 6, 2013 · NWS GJT · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A somewhat moist Pacific trough moved across the area.

Where it happened

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.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 GJT wrote it up.

A somewhat moist Pacific trough moved across the area.

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 Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 3, 4:03 PM MST, 21 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 3, 4:03 PM MST, 21 hours 57 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

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

Winter Weather, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When
November 4, 2:00 PM MST to November 5, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 3 to 10 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Flattop Mountains

When
November 4, 3:00 PM MST to November 5, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Flattop Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
40.062, -107.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 3 to 7 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 12 inches at the Burro Mountain SNOTEL site.

Winter Weather, Central Yampa River Basin

When
November 4, 3:00 PM MST to November 5, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Central Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
40.361, -107.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Lower Yampa River Basin

When
November 4, 3:00 PM MST to November 5, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Lower Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
40.066, -108.109 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals around 3 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Upper Yampa River Basin

When
November 4, 4:00 PM MST to November 5, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Upper Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
40.485, -106.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 4 to 6 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When
November 4, 5:00 PM MST to November 5, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Southwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
37.594, -107.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 2 to 6 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 12 inches at the Beartown SNOTEL site.

Winter Weather, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When
November 4, 7:00 PM MST to November 5, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 4 to 7 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Debeque to Silt Corridor

When
November 4, 9:00 PM MST to November 5, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Debeque to Silt Corridor forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 1 to 2 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When
November 4, 10:00 PM MST to November 5, 10:00 AM MST
Where
West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 4 to 7 inches were measured across at least half of the area.

Heavy Snow, Central Colorado River Basin

When
November 5, 12:00 AM MST to November 6, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Central Colorado River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to 4 inches of snow was measured across the area, which was very significant this early in the snowfall season for this lower elevation zone.

What these are

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

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, November 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 499160, 499161, 499164, 499168, 499165, 499167, 499166, 499163, 499162, 499159.