A winter storm brought a relatively rare Christmas snow to areas in and near the Front Range Foothills, west of Interstate 25. 5 inches in Niwot; 7 inches in Longmont; with 6 inches in Broomfield and Frederick.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 BOU wrote it up.
A winter storm brought a relatively rare Christmas snow to areas in and near the Front Range Foothills, west of Interstate 25. Storm totals included: 12.5 inches, 4 miles west of Boulder; 12 inches, 4 miles southwest of Eldorado Springs and 4 miles south of Golden; 11 inches at Genesee; 10 inches near Allenspark, 5 miles west of Chatfield Reservoir, 5 miles southwest of Golden and near Tiny Town; 8 inches near Fort Collins, Lakewood and Louisville; 7.5 inches in Niwot; 7 inches in Longmont; with 6 inches in Broomfield and Frederick. Storm totals elsewhere range from 2 to 5 inches. Areas of blowing snow produced drifts from 1 to 2 feet deep in Logan County.
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 25, 9:29 AM MST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 929 AM MST THU DEC 25 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 929 AM MST THU DEC 25 2014 HAVE REINITIALIZED THE FORECAST GRIDS WITH THE LATEST OBSERVATIONS. FRONTAL PUSH HAS BEGUN TO DROP INTO NORTHERN COLORADO WITH SNOW ALREADY BEING REPORTED IN CHEYENNE. SOME DRYING IS MOVING IN WITH THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WHICH IS CLEARING SKIES OVER MOST OF THE AREA EXCEPT FAR NORTHERN COLORADO. HOWEVER WITH THE FRONT PUSHING DOWN AND UPSLOPE FLOW INCREASING...EXPECT THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE TO INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER OVER THE COUPLE HOURS. A SECONDARY PUSH IS STILL SHOWN IN THE MODELS AROUND 5 PM TONIGHT WITH STRONGER WINDS AND BETTER MOISTURE...WHICH WILL LIKELY BRING THE HEAVIER SNOWFALL. THIS STILL LINES UP WELL WITH THE CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS...SO WILL NOT ADJUST ANYTHING AT THIS TIME. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ) ISSUED AT 346 AM MST THU DEC 25 2014 AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL CLOSE OFF OVER UTAH TODAY AND THEN MOVE INTO THE FOUR CORNERS AREA BY LATE TONIGHT. AT THE SFC LOW PRES WILL INTENSIFY JUST SOUTH OF DENVER THRU THE AFTN AND THEN MOVE SE INTO SERN CO BY EARLY THIS EVENING. MEANWHILE A SURGE OF COOLER AIR WILL GRADUALLY MOVE INTO NERN CO THRU THE DAY WITH INCREASING UPSLOPE FLOW NORTH OF THE BNDRY LATER THIS AFTN INTO THE EVENING HOURS. MEANWHILE WILL SEE SOME MID LVL ASCENT ACROSS THE AREA LATER THIS AFTN INTO TONIGHT WITH DIFFLUENT FLOW ALOFT. SNOW WILL INCREASE IN THE MTNS THIS AFTN AND AT LOWER ELEVATIONS NR THE WY BORDER BY 21Z WITH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT SPREADING SOUTH ACROSS THE NRN FOOTHILLS AND IN AREAS FROM FORT COLLINS TOWARDS BOULDER. AM SOMEWHAT CONCERNED WITH INCREASING ENE FLOW AND POTENTIAL FOR HEAVIER SNOWFALL IN ZNS 38 AND 39 FOR THIS EVENING ALONG AND WEST OF I-25. LATEST RAP IS SHOWING INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR 6 TO 8 INCHES OVER A 3 TO 4 HOUR PERIOD FROM 23Z TO 03Z. THUS WILL UPGRADE ADVISORY TO A WARNING FOR THESE AREAS. FURTHER SOUTH OVER DENVER HEAVIER SNOW MAY ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE WRN SUBURBS AT SOME POINT WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR WARNING CRITERIA LATER THIS EVENING HOWEVER OVERALL CONFIDENCE IS NOT AS HIGH SO WILL KEEP CURRENT ADVISORY IN PLACE. OVER THE PLAINS WILL SEE SNOW GRADUALLY DEVELOP THIS EVENING WITH ADVISORY AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS. WINDS WILL NOT BE REAL STRONG HOWEVER WILL PROBABLY SEE SOME REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. IN THE MTNS AND FOOTHILLS WILL KEEP PREVIOUS HIGHLIGHTS INTACT ALTHOUGH SRN FOOTHILLS AND PALMER DIVIDE MAY NOT SEE HEAVIER SNOWFALL UNTIL AFTER 03Z. FOR LATER TONIGHT AROUND MIDNIGHT SNOW INTENSITIES MAY BEGIN TO DECREASE HOWEVER WILL LIKELY SEE AREAS OF STEADIER LIGHT SNOW THROUGH SUNRISE IN MOST AREAS. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 346 AM MST THU DEC 25 2014 ON FRIDAY...THE UPPER TROUGH WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE FOUR CORNERS AT 12Z...IT WILL GRADUALLY OPEN UP AND SHIFT EASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY. THE TROUGH AXIS ITSELF IN PROGGED TO SHIFT TO THE EAST OF COLORADO BY FRIDAY EVENING. WEAK QG ASCENT WILL BE PRESENT FRIDAY MORNING...THEN DECREASE THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS ON FRIDAY WILL BE LIGHT...MAYBE ANOTHER 1 TO 4 INCHES IN THE HIGH COUNTRY...AND ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OVER THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. A DRIER NORTHWEST TO WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL DEVELOP LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. LINGERING MOISTURE AROUND FRIDAY NIGHT SO WL KEEP CHC POPS IN THE MOUNTAINS. MAIN ADJUSTMENT TO THE GRIDS ON FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT WAS TO SLOW THE TIMING A BIT. SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...A SHORT WAVE RIDGE WILL BE OVER THE REGION WITH THE FLOW ALOFT INCREASING AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE OVER THE MOUNTAINS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING MID AND UPPER LEVEL QG ASCENT DEVELOPING AS THE TROUGH MOVES INTO SRN ID/SWRN WY. THE MDLS KEEP THE TROF AXIS TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF COLORADO SUNDAY NIGHT WITH A 100 KT WEST TO EAST UPPER JET TRANSLATING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE STATE. COULD SEE SOME ENHANCED CSI BANDS DEVELOP AS WE SLIP TO THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE JET MAX. WL GO WITH LIKELY POPS IN THE MOUNTAINS...AND AGAIN SOME HIGHLIGHTS MAY NEED TO BE POSTED AT SOME POINT. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE FRONT RANGE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY WL ONLY REACH THE UPPER TEENS. WL GO WITH CHC POPS AS WELL. ALTHOUGH TIMING WL AGAIN BE AN ISSUE...WL GO WITH THE TREND OF DRIER BUT CONTINUED COLD FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 929 AM MST THU DEC 25 2014 STILL LOOKS AT THIS TIME THAT EVEN THOUGH LIGHT SNOW MAY BEGIN MID AFTERNOON AT KDEN AND KBJC...IT APPEARS BEST CHANCE FOR HEAVIER SNOW WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 5 PM WITH A SECONDARY COLD PUSH. THEN EXPECT AN INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THRU THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AS IT PUSHES DOWN TO KAPA. SNOW INTENSITY WILL DECREASE BY MIDNIGHT...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO SEE LIGHT SNOW THRU SUNRISE. RIGHT NOW WILL GO WITH ACCUMULATIONS IN THE 3 TO 5 INCH RANGE FOR DIA...5 TO 8 INCH RANGE FOR KBJC AND KAPA FROM 5 PM THRU 5 AM. AS FOR WINDS...OVERALL CONFIDENCE IS NOT THAT HIGH FOR LATER THIS MORNING THRU THE AFTN. THE FIRST INITIAL PUSH HAS COME THROUGH THE AIRPORTS TO SWITCH THEM TO THE NORTHWEST. LATEST HRRR AND RAP HAVE HAD VERY DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE WIND FIELDS AROUND THE AIRPORT AS THE LOW PUSHES SOUTH. WITH NORTHWEST WINDS SHOWING UP...IT SEEMS AS THE RAP HAS THE BETTER HANDLE ON THE SITUATION. WILL SWITCH THE WINDS TO THE NNW THEN WILL HAVE THEM SLOWLY BACK TO THE NE OR E BEFORE THE SECOND NORTHERLY PUSH IS EXPECTED AROUND 01Z. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON MST FRIDAY FOR COZ035-036-039. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON MST FRIDAY FOR COZ031-033-034. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ038. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ042-043. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON MST FRIDAY FOR COZ040-045-046. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON MST FRIDAY FOR COZ041. && UPDATE...KRIEDERMAN SHORT TERM...RPK LONG TERM...COOPER AVIATION...KRIEDERMAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1051 AM MST THU DEC 25 2014 COZ030>051-260600- 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- 1051 AM MST THU DEC 25 2014 ...WINTER STORM IMPACTING THE MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS OF NORTHEAST COLORADO THROUGH FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL BE INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGH THE DAY IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND IN THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT PLAINS NEAR THE WYOMING BORDER THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON THEN SPREAD SOUTH MID AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING TO COVER MUCH OF THE AREA. HEAVY SNOW MAY OCCUR AT TIMES IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS FROM THE WYOMING BORDER SOUTHWARD TO FORT COLLINS AND INTO BOULDER AND THE WESTERN SUBURBS OF DENVER THIS EVENING. NORTHERLY WINDS MAY CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW OVER THE PLAINS THIS EVENING...CAUSING HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES HAVE JUST ABOUT REACHED THEIR MAX FOR TODAY...WITH READINGS DROPPING THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY AND INTO THE TEENS TO SINGLE DIGITS TONIGHT WITH WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES NEAR ZERO OR BELOW TOWARDS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY MORNING THEN GRADUALLY DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 14 INCHES IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS...6 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND PALMER DIVIDE...4 TO 10 INCHES OVER THE URBAN CORRIDOR...WITH 2 TO 6 INCHES IN THE HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND OVER THE REST OF THE PLAINS. ON SATURDAY SNOWFALL WILL END IN ALL FOR ALL BUT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS BUT TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ON THE COLD SIDE AS THIS STORM SYSTEM WEAKENS AND MOVES AWAY FROM COLORADO. AFTER A SHORT LULL IN THIS WINTRY WEATHER LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING ...EXPECT ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT TO BRING MORE SNOW AND BITTER COLD ARCTIC AIR TO THE OUTLOOK AREA LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND LIGHT SNOW COULD LINGER THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. DRIER AND WARMER CONDITIONS MAY THEN RETURN FOR WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT BUT SNOWFALL REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED. KRIEDERMAN/BAKER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter weather, 3 winter storm. 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: 551043, 551040, 551041, 551042, 551044, 551045, 551123, 552592.