A moist and brisk northwest flow aloft produced significant snowfall in many mountain areas of western Colorado.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 GJT wrote it up.
A moist and brisk northwest flow aloft produced significant snowfall in many mountain areas of western Colorado.
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 Apr 6, 11:23 AM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1223 PM MDT SUN APR 6 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1218 PM MDT SUN APR 6 2014 ADDITIONAL SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED AHEAD OF THE NEXT DISTURBANCE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE SCATTERED IN WESTERN COLORADO AND EXTREME EASTERN UTAH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON. UPDATE ISSUED AT 1011 AM MDT SUN APR 6 2014 UPDATED FORECAST GRIDS FOR LINE OF SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH THE GRAND VALLEY. SKIES ARE CLEARING WEST OF MACK AND WILL PROGRESS EAST TO PALISADE BY NOON. BEHIND THIS CLEARING...DIURNAL HEATING WILL ALLOW SOME ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWERS TO DEVELOP BY THE LATE AFTERNOON. NO SUBSTANTIAL PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TODAY IN THE VALLEYS OF WESTERN CO AND EASTERN UT. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 346 AM MDT SUN APR 6 2014 NORTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES THROUGH THESE PERIODS WITH GENERALLY LIGHT SNOW FAVORING THE NORTH SLOPES OF THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS. COLD ADVECTION CONTINUES INTO THIS EVENING STEEPENING LAPSE RATES SOMEWHAT. AFTERNOON INSTABILITY LOOKS MINIMAL THOUGH WITH CAPE VALUES AROUND 100 J/KG...SO HAVE LEFT THUNDERSTORMS OUT OF THE FORECAST. AN ISOLATED STRIKE OR TWO MAY OCCUR NEAR THE DIVIDE. OTHERWISE OROGRAPHICS WILL FAVOR THE NW-FACING SLOPES WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS TODAY INCREASING THIS EVENING AS THE FINAL DISTURBANCE DIGS THE BACKSIDE OF THE TROUGH. THE NW COLORADO MTNS WILL BE FAVORED FOR OVERNIGHT SNOWFALL. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THERE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 1-4 INCH RANGE. THE BACKSIDE JET PASSES EARLY MONDAY SUPPORT SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY NEAR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. MTN SHOWERS DIMINISH INTO THE AFTERNOON AS MOISTURE ERODES. TEMPERATURES GENERALLY STAY JUST BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGE TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH A WARMING TREND STARTING MONDAY. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 346 AM MDT SUN APR 6 2014 FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLE NEAR THE DIVIDE EARLY MONDAY EVENING...OTHERWISE TRENDING TOWARD DRY AND WARMER CONDITIONS THROUGH MIDWEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN. MODELS HAVE BACKED OF ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RIDGING AND SUGGESTING MORE TRANSITORY NATURE AS PACIFIC ENERGY ROLLS ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. FLOW FLATTENS BY THURSDAY WITH A FEW RIPPLES ROLLING ACROSS THE REGION. MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED...BUT SHOULD SEE AT LEAST ISOLATED MOUNTAINS SHOWERS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND INTO THE WEEKEND. HAVE LET OFF THE PEDAL A BIT WITH THE VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ADVERTISED FOR MIDWEEK...ALTHOUGH READINGS WILL STILL BE RUNNING WELL ON THE PLUS SIDE OF NORMAL TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...BEFORE SUBTLE COOLING ARRIVES WITH THE FALLING HEIGHTS AND WEAK WAVES PASSING TO OUR NORTH. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1145 AM MDT SUN APR 6 2014 A LINE OF SHOWERS FROM BAGGS WYOMING SOUTHWEST TO MONTICELLO WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON. VISIBLE SATELLITE INDICATES SHOWERS POPPING UP DUE TO DAYTIME HEATING BEHIND THIS LINE AND AHEAD OF THE NEXT DISTURBANCE WHICH WILL SWING BY TONIGHT FROM THE NORTHWEST. ERRATIC WINDS AND OCCASIONAL MTN OBSCURATIONS WILL BE ENCOUNTERED WITH SHOWERS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. AS THIS AREA OF SHOWERS MOVES THROUGH...MTN TAF SITES MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY AT TIMES. NW COLORADO TAF SITES AS FAR SOUTH AS KASE WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SHOWERS BETWEEN 03Z AND 15Z TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING...REDUCING VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && UPDATE...JAM SHORT TERM...JOE LONG TERM...JDC AVIATION...JAM
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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
106 PM MDT SUN APR 06 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1048 AM SNOW MONUMENT (HIGHWAY 550) 37.97N 107.66W
04/06/2014 M3.5 INCH OURAY CO CAIC
24 HOUR SNOWFALL WITH WATER EQUIVALENT 0.35
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1400958
BKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
107 PM MDT SUN APR 06 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1048 AM SNOW RED MOUNTAIN PASS 37.90N 107.70W
04/06/2014 M3.0 INCH OURAY CO CAIC
24 HOUR SNOWFALL WITH WATER EQUIVALENT 0.20
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1400959
BKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts of 4 to 12 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced a few areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 4 to 12 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow. Even higher wind gusts were measured on ridgetops, including a gust to 63 mph on Mount Abrahms.
Snowfall amounts of 6 to 9 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced a few areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 6 to 9 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced a few areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 4 to 9 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 12 inches on Schofield Pass. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2014
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: 513971, 513974, 513969, 513967, 513973.