A strong westerly flow aloft coupled with abundant Pacific moisture brought heavy snow to the North Central Mountains. Some areas received in excess of 4 ft of snow during the 3-day period.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 strong westerly flow aloft coupled with abundant Pacific moisture brought heavy snow to the North Central Mountains. Some areas received in excess of 4 ft of snow during the 3-day period.
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 Feb 7, 3:16 PM MST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 316 PM MST FRI FEB 7 2014 .SHORT TERM...ANOTHER HIGH IMPACT MOUNTAIN SNOWSTORM IS GETTING UNDERWAY. FLOW IMPINGING ON THE MOUNTAINS INCREASES TO AROUND 40 KTS AND LAPSE RATES ARE RATHER UNSTABLE AS EVIDENCED BY A FEW SHOWERS ALREADY DRIFTING OFF THE NEARBY FOOTHILLS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE NEAR OR SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN MOIST ADIABATIC LAPSE RATES COMBINED WITH THE STRONG OROGRAPHICS SHOULD ALONE PRODUCE MODERATE MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL. HOWEVER...MOISTURE IMPROVES LATER TONIGHT AND DYNAMICS/UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE FROM APPROACHING PACIFIC JET SHOULD REALLY GET SNOW CRANKING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHEN SNOWFALL RATES ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE CLOSE TO 1 INCH PER HOUR IN FAVORED LOCALES. THERE IS ONLY ONE PARAMETER WHICH WILL LIKELY LIMIT SNOWFALL RATES A BIT...AND THAT IS A SLIGHT BUT TEMPORARY SHIFT TO SOUTHWEST LOW LEVEL WINDS AHEAD OF THE UPPER JET MAX. OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE HAD TO BOOST SNOW AMOUNTS EVEN MORE THAN WE ALREADY HAVE. WINDS WILL BE QUITE STRONG WITH 30-40 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS AND GUSTS TO 50-70 MPH OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PEAKS...PRODUCING CONSIDERABLE BLOWING/DRIFTING SNOW AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. THERE SHOULD BE A BRIEF DECREASE IN SNOWFALL INTENSITY SATURDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT...SEE LONG TERM BELOW. WITH SUCH STRONG MID LEVEL WINDS...SOME CONCERN OF HIGH WINDS BUT AT THIS TIME THE LOW LEVEL GRADIENTS AND LACK OF SUFFICIENT STABILITY NEAR MOUNTAIN TOP DO NOT SUPPORT ANY WIND HIGHLIGHTS. THE BULK OF THE WINDS SHOULD STAY UP HIGH WITH ONLY MODEST WESTERLY WINDS EXPECTED IN/NEAR THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS. ON THE PLAINS...FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL SURROUND LOW TEMPS AGAIN TONIGHT BUT MODERATION OF THE AIRMASS CONTINUES WITH DEVELOPING LEE TROUGH. COLDEST SPOTS CERTAINLY RESERVED FOR ONLY THE LOWEST COLD SPOTS TONIGHT AND ANY INCREASE IN MID/UPPER CLOUDS SHOULD KEEP THE BOTTOM FROM FALLING OUT. MUCH WARMER READINGS EXPECTED IN/NEAR THE FOOTHILLS AND ACROSS THE DENVER METRO AREA. TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY WILL CONTINUE TO MODERATE WITH DOWNSLOPE FLOW. CANT RULE OUT A FEW SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY WYOMING BORDER AREA WITH SPEED MAX CARVING ACROSS THE STATE. .LONG TERM...SNOW AND WIND WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A BUMP UP IN SNOWFALL RATES AS ANOTHER JET MAX MOVES INTO THE AREA WITH GOOD OROGRAPHIC FLOW. ACCUMULATIONS MAY REACH 3 TO 7 INCHES OVERNIGHT...WITH SOME SPOTS NEAR RABBIT EARS PASS AND OVER THE INDIAN PEAKS AND RMNP SEEING 7 TO 10 INCHES. THESE MAY BE A BIT ON THE HIGH END HOWEVER AS WARM ADVECTION WILL DECREASE SNOW TO LIQUID RATIOS. ANOTHER JET WILL MOVE IN OVER SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO SUNDAY TO CREATE A COUPLED JET PATTERN OVER THE STATE...SO WILL SEE A CONTINUATION OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL OVER THE MOUNTAINS INTO THE AFTERNOON. THIS MAY CONTINUE THE HEAVY SNOW INTO THE EVENING AND THEREFORE MAY NEED TO EXTEND THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ANOTHER PERIOD OR TWO. WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE PATTERN. AT THE SURFACE OVER THE PLAINS...A SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE SOUTH AS A COLD PUSH MOVES IN FROM NEBRASKA DUE TO HIGH PRESSURE OVER ALBERTA MOVING SOUTHEAST INTO THE GREAT PLAINS. THE MOISTURE WILL BE PRETTY SHALLOW...BUT WITH A GOOD PUSH AND UPSLOPE WINDS FOLLOWING BEHIND...HAVE KEPT IN A CHANCE OF SNOW FOR THE PLAINS. ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED TO BE QUITE LIGHT HOWEVER WITH THE SHALLOW MOISTURE...LIKELY LESS THAN AN INCH. TEMPERATURES SHOULD GET INTO THE MID TO UPPER 30S NEAR THE FOOTHILLS WITH HELP OF DOWNSLOPING PATTERN AND WARM ADVECTION ALOFT...HOWEVER MODELS DISAGREE WITH THE STRENGTH OF THIS SHALLOW COLD PUSH. SOME SHOW HIGHS ONLY IN THE LOW 20. FOR NOW WILL KEEP THE WARMER TEMPS AGAINST THE FOOTHILLS AND IN THE LOW 20S OVER THE TEENS. AN UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE DOWN OVER THE STATE MONDAY TO HELP SHUT OFF THE STEADY PACIFIC MOISTURE. LOOK FOR SNOW TO DISSIPATE NORTH TO SOUTH OVER THE DAY. UPPER FLOW WILL THEN MOVE INTO RIDGING AGAIN TUESDAY FOR MOSTLY DRY AND WARMER WEATHER EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS IN THE FAVORED WESTERLY FLOW. YET ANOTHER JET DRIVEN DISTURBANCE IS SHOWN BY THE EC AND THE GFS TO MOVE IN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY FOR MORE OROGRAPHIC SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH SATURDAY. VARIABLE WINDS THIS EVENING ARE EXPECTED TO TRANSITION TO A FAIRLY NORMAL SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS BY 02Z-05Z AND REMAIN THERE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THEN MAY BECOME VARIABLE AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON...WITH A CHANCE OF WEST/NORTHWEST WINDS UP TO 15 KTS. KBJC SHOULD SEE MORE WESTERLY COMPONENT WITH 10-20 KT WINDS DEVELOPING THIS EVENING AND LIKELY REMAINING IN PLACE THROUGH SATURDAY. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ031-033-034. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ030-032. && SHORT TERM...BARJENBRUCH LONG TERM....KRIEDERMAN AVIATION...BARJENBRUCH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1111 AM MST FRI FEB 7 2014 COZ030>051-081815- 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- 1111 AM MST FRI FEB 7 2014 ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO THROUGH THIS WEEKEND... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A MOIST WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS TODAY WITH NEW SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. HEAVIER SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT AS A PACIFIC JET STREAM REACHES THE STATE. ANOTHER 2 TO 5 INCHES WILL FALL TONIGHT WITH MORE SNOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WINDS WILL ALSO BE INCREASING WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING SNOW DEVELOPING IN EXPOSED AREAS AND OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MORE HAZARDOUS TONIGHT WITH SNOW COVERED ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES DUE TO FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SNOW AND WIND WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS WILL AN INCREASE IN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS LIKELY SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THE FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT...LIKELY REQUIRING ADEQUATE SNOW TIRES OR TIRE CHAINS. BY SUNDAY NIGHT...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE UP NEAR TWO FEET FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS AND AROUND A FOOT OR LESS FOR THE LOWER VALLEYS. SNOW AND WIND ARE THEN EXPECTED TO DECREASE MONDAY AND TUESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE BRINGS MORE SNOW FOR WEDNESDAY. FOR THE PLAINS...MOST AREAS SHOULD EXPECT DRY AND MILD CONDITIONS SATURDAY BEFORE A COLD FRONT PUSHES DOWN SATURDAY NIGHT. WITH UPSLOPE CONDITIONS BUT SHALLOW MOISTURE...EXPECT A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW SUNDAY INTO MONDAY BUT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE MINIMAL. A RETURN TO DRIER AND WARMER CONDITIONS WILL RETURN FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER...ANY REPORTS OF MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL WILL BE APPRECIATED. BARJENBRUCH/KRIEDERMAN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm totals included: 56.5 inches, 9 miles east-northeast of Steamboat Springs; 51.5 inches, 4 miles southeast of Mount Zirkel; and 37 inches, 1 mile northeast of Rabbit Ears Pass.
Storm totals included: 29 inches, 4 miles south of Longs Peak; 27.5 inches, 3 miles south of Brainard Lake; 26.5 inches, 4 miles west-southwest of Trail Ridge; 25 inches at Eldora Ski Area; 22 inches, 1 mile east of Trail Ridge; 19.5 inches, 3 miles southwest of Ward; 15 inches, 5 miles west-southwest of Winter Park.
Storm totals included: 36 inches at Arapahoe Basin; 31 inches at Loveland Ski Area; 30 inches at Arapaho Ridge; 25.5 inches, 1 mile south-southeast of Loveland Pass; with 20 inches at Copper Mountain Ski Area.
Storm totals included: 18.5 inches near Grand Lake, 11.5 inches, 6 miles north-northeast of Grandby and 8 miles south-southeast of Rand.
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, February 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: 498468, 498469, 498470, 498471.