A winter storm produced heavy snow and very strong winds in the mountains of northern Colorado. Peak wind gusts to nearly 100 mph were recorded above timberline atop Loveland Pass.
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The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.
A winter storm produced heavy snow and very strong winds in the mountains of northern Colorado. Peak wind gusts to nearly 100 mph were recorded above timberline atop Loveland Pass. In addition, storm totals exceeded 2 feet in some locations. In the mountains, storm totals included: 30 inches, 9 miles east-northeast of Steamboat Springs; 22 inches near Breckenridge and 11 miles south of Rabbit Ears Pass; 20 inches near Copper Mountain; 16 inches near Cameron and Loveland Passes; 15 inches, 4 miles west-southwest of Trail Ridge; 14 inches, 5 miles south-southwest of Blue River; 13 inches near Berthoud Pass; 12 inches near Guanella Pass and Long Draw Pass. Lesser amounts of 6 to 11 inches were recorded. Peak wind gusts included: 98 mph atop Loveland Pass; 84 mph atop Berthoud Pass and 79 mph at Breckenridge Ski Area.
Strong winds were also observed across parts of the east central plains of Colorado as the system exited the state. Peak wind gusts included 67 mph at Limon Airport and 61 mph at Hugo.
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 Dec 21, 9:25 AM MST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 925 AM MST SUN DEC 21 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 925 AM MST SUN DEC 21 2014 SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING SNOW MAKING ITS WAY INTO WESTERN COLORADO AS THE POOL OF MOISTURE AND JET MOVES SOUTHEAST. WILL NOT MAKE ANY UPDATES TO THE ON-GOING WARNING PRODUCTS AS TIMING AND SNOW FALL AMOUNTS ARE STILL ON TRACK...HOWEVER HAVE DECIDED TO HOLD OFF ON ANY POSSIBLE BLIZZARD WARNINGS AS THE VALLEYS WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE HIT WITH THE HIGHEST WIND GUSTS. MODEL CROSS SECTIONS ARE STILL INDICATING MOST OF THE HIGHER WINDS WILL BE REGULATED TO THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES AND ABOVE TIMBERLINE WITH GUSTS TO 60 TO 70 MPH BETWEEN 4 AND 8 PM THIS EVENING. THIS WILL CREATE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR TRAVELERS ON I-70 THIS EVENING WITH GREATLY REDUCEDED VISIBILITIES. PUSHING THE EFFECTS OF THE HEAVY SNOW AT THIS TIME IN ADDITION TO THE INCREASED WINDS OVER WELL TRAVELED PASSES THROUGH CONFERENCE CALLS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WILL RE-ASSESS THE BLIZZARD WARNING THIS AFTERNOON BASED ON UPSTREAM OBS OVER NW COLORADO. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ) ISSUED AT 523 AM MST SUN DEC 21 2014 MOISTURE PLUME MOVING INTO COLORADO THIS MORNING ON THE NOSE OF A VERY STRONG JET. FOR THIS MORNING THERE IS WEAK WARM ADVECTION AND INCREASING WINDS...WITH DEEPENING MOISTURE BUT WITH SOME MID LEVEL STABILITY. THIS SHOULD GENERATE STEADY SNOW OVER AND WEST OF THE FRONT RANGE...BUT NOT HEAVY YET. THIS AFTERNOON THE LIFT WILL INCREASE A BIT AND COLD ADVECTION WILL SET IN MAKING FOR A MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT THIS EVENING. IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST LIFT...STRONGEST WINDS...AND BEST INSTABILITY WILL BE OVER THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BAD TIMING FOR TRAFFIC...SO THE IMPACT COULD BE SUBSTANTIAL. WE WILL BE HITTING THIS MESSAGE HARD TODAY. WINDS GO MORE NORTHERLY LATER TONIGHT WITH THE BEST LIFT SINKING SOUTH...BUT STILL REASONABLY GOOD CONDITIONS FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW THE REST OF THE NIGHT. CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS LOOK ALRIGHT...TWEAKED THE TIMING OF THE SNOW A BIT TO HIT THIS EVENING THE HARDEST. THIS MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR A BLIZZARD WARNING LATER TODAY IF IT PANS OUT. FOR AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE...DOWNSLOPE WINDS BUT PLENTY OF SNOW SPILLING OVER INTO THE FOOTHILLS. IN ADDITION SOME FORCING WITH THE JET SO WE WILL NEED SOME ACCUMULATIONS IN THE HIGHER FOOTHILLS AND SOUTH PARK AT THE HEIGHT OF THE EVENT. SOME THREAT OF HIGH WINDS...THOUGH NOT ENOUGH FOR A WARNING. HIGH WINDS APPEAR LIKELY FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN AREAS THAT ARE IN THE WINTER STORM WARNING...SUCH AS BERTHOUD PASS...NIWOT RIDGE AND OTHER ABOVE TIMBERLINE AREAS STICKING UP INTO THE JET. FOR THE MORE POPULATED FOOTHILL AREAS GUSTS IN THE 50-70 MPH RANGE LOOK LIKELY TONIGHT. JET RELATED BANDING MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE DOWNSLOPE AT SOME POINT...ESPECIALLY LATER TONIGHT AS THE DEEP WIND COMPONENT BECOMES MORE NORTHERLY AND THERE COULD BE SOME LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE SOMEWHERE ON THE EAST SIDE. PROBABLY A BETTER CHANCE FURTHER AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS...BUT SOME THREAT IN DENVER AS WELL. THIS STUFF WILL PROBABLY BE LIGHT BUT WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE JET AND SOME INSTABILITY THERE COULD BE SOME PLACES THAT GET A COUPLE OF INCHES AS A SHOWER BAND COMES OVER. BOOSTED HIGH TEMPERATURES A COUPLE OF DEGREES TODAY...WARM AIRMASS AND WINDY. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 523 AM MST SUN DEC 21 2014 THERE IS NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT FOR THE FORECAST AREA ON MONDAY. THE FLOW ALOFT BECOMES ALMOST DUE NORTHERLY BY 12Z TUESDAY MORNING WITH JET LEVEL SPEEDS ON THE INCREASE. THE FLOW ALOFT IS NORTHERLY AROUND 100 KNOTS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. DOWNWARD SYNOPTIC SCALE ENERGY IS PROGGED OVER THE CWA ALL FOUR PERIODS...MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW IS ALL NORTHWESTERLY FOR THE CWA MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. CONCERNING MOISTURE...IT STAYS FAIRLY DEEP OVER THE MOUNTAINS MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. BY TUESDAY ...MOISTURE IS DECREASING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY. BUT NOT TOTALLY GONE UNTIL TUESDAY EVENING. FOR THE PLAINS...IT IS PRETTY DRY MONDAY MORNING...THEN MOISTURE INCREASES IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS...LOWERING...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN HALF BY MONDAY EVENING CONTINUING INTO TUESDAY. ALL AREAS ARE PRETTY DRY TUESDAY NIGHT. THE QPF FIELDS HAVE PRETTY DECENT AMOUNTS PROGGED IN THE MOUNTAINS MONDAY...DECREASING MONDAY NIGHT. THERE IS LITTLE TO NO MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION PROGGED FOR THE PLAINS MONDAY...BUT A TAD FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. SO FOR POPS...THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE OUT AND WE ARE EXPECTING A HEALTHY SNOWFALL FOR THE MOUNTAINS. WIDESPREAD SNOW AND SOME BLOWING SNOW TOO ARE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS MONDAY INTO MONDAY EVENING BEFORE DECREASING INTO TUESDAY. PLAINS POPS WILL BE 0-30%S MONDAY INTO MIDDAY TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY ARE PROGGED TO BE 6-10 C COLDER THAN TODAY'S HIGHS. TUESDAY IS ANOTHER 1-4 C COOLER THAN MONDAY FOR HIGHS. FOR THE LATER DAYS...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ...MODELS HAVE STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT ON WEDNESDAY WITH UPPER RIDGING TO MOVE OVER THE CWA THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THEN A BROAD UPPER TROUGH MOVES IN THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. THE FLOW ALOFT IS WEST-NORTHWESTERLY AND MODERATE IN SPEED. ON SATURDAY STRONG NORTH-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT IS PROGGED. THE ECMWF HAS BETTER PARAMETERS OVERALL FOR SNOW THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY... ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 925 AM MST SUN DEC 21 2014 VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON TIME PERIODS TODAY. WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH INCREASING AROUND 03Z MONDAY TO 30 MPH. AFTER 03Z CEILINGS MAY DROP BELOW 6000 FT WITH LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE. SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO REDUCE VISIBILITIES BELOW A MILE BUT SOME REDUCTION IN VIS WILL BE POSSIBE AROUND 09Z WHEN MODELS INDICATE THE HEAVIEST SNOW COULD BE. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MST MONDAY NIGHT FOR COZ031>034. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MST MONDAY NIGHT FOR COZ030. && UPDATE...BOWEN SHORT TERM...GIMMESTAD LONG TERM...RJK AVIATION...BOWEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1050 AM MST SUN DEC 21 2014 COZ030>051-221800- 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- 1050 AM MST SUN DEC 21 2014 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS TURNING HEAVY WITH STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY AS THE SNOWFALL AND WINDS INCREASE. VISIBILITIES DOWN TO QUARTER MILE OR LESS WITH OVER A FOOT OF NEW SNOWFALL AND WIND GUSTS IN THE 50 TO 75 MPH RANGE ARE POSSIBLE IN HIGHER AREAS OVERNIGHT. CONDITIONS WILL APPROVE GRADUALLY THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL IN THE NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO MOUNTAINS SHOULD CONSIDER CHANGING THEIR PLANS TO AVOID TRAVEL LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT AS THIS STORM COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TRAVEL. IN AREAS EAST OF THE FRONT RANGE...STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH IN THE FOOTHILLS AND 30 TO 40 MPH ON THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ON THE PLAINS OVERNIGHT. MOST AREAS WILL SEE LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION...BUT THERE WILL BE SOME LOCALIZED HEAVIER SHOWERS THAT COULD PRODUCE AN INCH OR TWO EARLY MONDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES ON MONDAY ABOVE TIMBERLINE AND ON NORTHWEST FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES WHERE SEVERAL INCHES OF ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 35 TO 50 MPH WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ON THE HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES AND AT BOTH PORTALS OF THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL MAKING TRAVEL QUITE DIFFICULT IN THESE AREAS. MEANWHILE ON THE PLAINS...THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT WITH ONLY SPOTTY LIGHT ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. DRIER CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN TO MOST AREAS BY LATE ON TUESDAY WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY BENEATH A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE. LOOKING AHEAD TO CHRISTMAS DAY...A STORM SYSTEM SWINGING OUT OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MAY BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE HIGH COUNTRY. FOR AREAS EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS...OTHER THAN A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT...DRY CONDITIONS AND NEAR SEASONAL TEMPERATURES WILL PREVAIL THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF SNOWFALL OR HIGH WINDS WILL BE APPRECIATED. BOWEN/BAKER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm, 1 winter weather, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
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, December 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: 551033, 551034, 551035, 552591, 551037, 551038.