Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, October 9 to 11, 2013

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, October 9 to 11, 2013
Start: 2013-10-09T20:00
End: 2013-10-11T16:00
Location: Colorado

October 9 to 11, 2013 · NWS GJT · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A strong and unseasonably cold Pacific trough produced significant to heavy snowfall in most mountain areas and in some higher elevation valleys.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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: 11

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 strong and unseasonably cold Pacific trough produced significant to heavy snowfall in most mountain areas and in some higher elevation valleys.

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 Oct 9, 7:28 PM MST, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 9, 7:28 PM MST, 32 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 9, 3:30 AM MST, 16 hours 30 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

6 winter storm, 5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When: October 9, 8:00 PM MST to October 10, 8:00 PM 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 8 to 20 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 23 inches at the Spud Mountain SNOTEL site and 21 inches at the Beartown SNOTEL site. Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing snow. Even stronger wind gusts of 50 to 75 mph were measured at ridgetops.

Winter Storm, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When: October 9, 10:00 PM MST to October 10, 9:00 PM 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 8 inches were measured between the 7500 and 9000 foot levels, with 9 to 16 inches above the 9000 foot level. Locally higher amounts included 21 inches on Red Mountain Pass. Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing snow. Even stronger wind gusts of 55 to 70 mph were measured at ridgetops.

Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When: October 10, 3:00 AM MST to October 11, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 10 to 16 inches were measured above the 8000 foot level. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing snow.

Winter Weather, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide

When: October 10, 5:00 AM MST to October 11, 2:00 AM MST
Where: Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 1 to 4 inches were measured above the 8000 foot level. A locally higher amount of 12 inches was measured on Columbine Pass. Wind gusts of 25 to 40 mph produced areas of blowing snow.

Winter Weather, Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus

When: October 10, 9:00 AM MST to October 11, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 39.532, -108.196 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 1 to 5 inches were measured above the 7500 foot level. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing snow.

Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When: October 10, 11:00 AM MST to October 11, 2:00 PM 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 5 to 10 inches were measured above the 8000 foot level. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing snow. Even stronger wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph were measured on ridgetops.

Winter Storm, Flattop Mountains

When: October 10, 11:00 AM MST to October 11, 3:00 PM 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 5 to 10 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 12 inches at the Bison Lake SNOTEL site. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing snow.

Winter Weather, Animas River Basin

When: October 10, 11:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Animas River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.287, -107.843 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

Winter Weather, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When: October 10, 12:00 PM MST to October 11, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 1 to 5 inches were measured across the area. A locally higher amount of 7 inches was measured at a location about 8 miles east-southeast of Glenwood Springs. Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing snow.

Winter Weather, San Juan River Basin

When: October 10, 12:00 PM MST to October 11, 1:00 AM MST
Where: San Juan River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.194, -107.048 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 1 to 4 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When: October 10, 10:00 PM MST to October 11, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 3 to 8 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 19 inches at the Tower SNOTEL site. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing snow.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Colorado in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, October 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: 499097, 499096, 499099, 499106, 499107, 499100, 499102, 499109, 499108, 499110, 499105.