A winter storm produced heavy snow in parts of the North Central Mountains, heaviest north of Interstate 70. 5 inches, 4 miles southeast of Gould.
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 winter storm produced heavy snow in parts of the North Central Mountains, heaviest north of Interstate 70. Eldora Ski Area measured 14 inches of snow, with 11.5 inches, 4 miles southeast of Gould. Heavy snow fell over parts of the Front Range Foothills as well. Trained spotters in Genesee and 4 miles west-southwest of Eldorado Springs measured 10 inches of snowfall. Elsewhere, storm totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches.
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 Jan 2, 8:58 PM MST, 5 hours 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 858 PM MST THU JAN 2 2014 .UPDATE... && .SHORT TERM...A RELATIVELY QUIET NIGHT ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO WITH MODERATE NORTHWEST FLOW IN PLACE. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWED A WEAK WAVE OVER NEBRASKA PANHANDLE WITH SOME ENHANCED SUBSIDENCE OVER THE FRONT RANGE. SOME GUSTY WINDS UP OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS BUT SO FAR ONLY IN THE 30-40 MPH RANGE. WINDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER EAST SLOPES LATER TNT AND FRIDAY AS MOUNTAIN WAVE CONDITIONS DEVELOP. AS USUAL...THIS WINDY PERIOD LOOKS MARGINAL FOR HIGH WINDS AS THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL LIKELY REMAIN OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE SHEAR PROFILE LOOKS GOOD FOR MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY BUT DOES NOT SHOW A STRONG MOUNTAIN TOP INVERSION FOR AN AMPLIFIED WAVE. COULD BE SOME GUSTS IN THE 50-70 MPH RANGE BUT DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE A WIDESPREAD WIND EVENT. AS FOR THE INCOMING STORM SYSTEM SNOW SHOULD START TO DEVELOP FRIDAY EVENING OVER NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT AFTER 06Z OVER THE PLAINS. THIS LOOKS A LITTLE QUICKER THAN EARLIER FORECAST. TO EARLY YET...BUT WINTER WX ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED OVER MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST PLAINS FOR THIS UPCOMING SYSTEM. .AVIATION...SURFACE WINDS RETURNING TO DRAINAGE THIS EVENING. MAIN ADDITION WITH NEXT UPCOMING 06Z TAF WILL BE TO PUT IN COLD FRONT ARRIVAL LATE FRIDAY NIGHT WITH SNOW DEVELOPING BEFORE 12Z SATURDAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 342 PM MST THU JAN 2 2014/ SHORT TERM...WEAKENING NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CURRENTLY ACROSS REGION AS UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE RIDGE CONTINUES TO BUILD OVER COLORADO. STILL SOME GUSTY WINDS TO 35 MPH OVER HIGHER MOUNTAINS AND ALONG FOOTHILLS. SATELLITE SHOWING BATCH OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE SPREADING OVER MOUNTAINS AND ALONG FOOTHILLS...WITH A BIT OF A WAVE CLOUD ALONG FOOTHILLS. FLOW ALOFT INCREASES OVERNIGHT AND BECOMES A BIT MORE WESTERLY AS AN UPPER TROUGH MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN. SPATIAL CROSS SECTIONS SHOW CROSS MOUNTAIN FLOW INCREASING TO AROUND 35 KTS AT MOUNTAIN TOP BY 12Z. WINDS TO INCREASE ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGHER FOOTHILLS WITH GUSTS APPROACHING 40 MPH. MID AND HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH A REDEVELOPMENT OF A WAVE CLOUD IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS TOWARDS MORNING. ON FRIDAY... FAIRLY STRONG WEST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BE OVER THE AREA AS UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE GREAT BASIN. MOUNTAIN WAVE TO DEVELOP BY THE AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING GRADIENT ACROSS THE STATE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOWING A WEAK MOUNTAIN TOP INVERSION. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THROUGH THE DAY AS CROSS MOUNTAIN FLOW INCREASES TO AROUND 55 KTS NEAR MOUNTAIN TOP. AT THIS TIME...THE THREAT FOR HIGH WINDS IS LOW...WITH THE STRONGEST ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. SOME GUSTS TO 70 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON IN THE FAVORED HIGH WIND AREAS. DOWNSLOPE WINDS ALONG FOOTHILLS AND ACROSS PLAINS WILL ALLOW FOR TEMPERATURES TO WARM INTO THE 50S. MIDDLE LEVEL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE... WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR AN EXTENSIVE WAVE CLOUD IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS. OROGRAPHICS IMPROVE BY 21Z AS MOISTURE DEPTH GRADUALLY DEEPENS. SOME LIGHT SNOW COULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS BY THE EVENING. BUT LAPSE RATES ACROSS MOUNTAINS ONLY AROUND 5 C/KM. SO ANY ACCUMULATION WILL BE MINIMAL. BEST CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOW TO BE ACROSS ZONE 31 CLOSER TO THE MAIN DYNAMICS. LONG TERM...THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL DROP OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AND MOVE ACROSS COLORADO LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THE MDLS INDICATE WEAK TO MODERATE QG ASCENT AT THE SFC AND ALOFT FM 06Z- 18Z SATURDAY. THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF UPSLOPE AS WELL SATURDAY MORNING. AFTER 18Z...DECREASE QG ASCENT WILL DEVELOP...WITH INCREASING QG DESCENT AFTER 00Z SUNDAY. STRONG WLY WINDS WILL OCCUR IN THE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY EVENING...JUST AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM. AS A RESULT...BEST CHC OF SNOW INITIALLY WL BE OVER WEST FACING SLOPE WITH WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH ABOVE TIMBERLINE AND EXPOSED EASTERN SLOPES. THE MOUNTAIN WAVE BREAKS DOWN OVERNIGHT AS THE AIRMASS MOISTENS UP AND DESTABILIZES. THE FRONT ITSELF IS PROGGED TO MOVE THROUGH DENVER AROUND 12Z SATURDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY WILL BE LOCKED IN THE 20S FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. THE FOCUS FOR SNOWFALL WILL SWITCH TO AREAS IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE AS THE UPSLOPE COMPONENT KICKS IN. DUE TO THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THIS SYSTEM...SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE ON THE LOW SIDE...WITH AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES. SNOWFALL WILL DECREASE BY SATURDAY EVENING. A STRONG NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WL REMAIN OVER COLORADO SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH A 130+ KT UPPER LEVEL JET MOVING ACROSS COLORADO SUNDAY AFTN AND EVENING. ANOTHER SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTHEAST COLORADO AT THAT TIME. WITH THE UPPER LEVEL JET ORIENTED NORTH TO SOUTH OVER DENVER...THE BEST AREA FOR CONDITIONAL SYMMETRIC INSTABILITY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF DENVER. THE FRIGID AMS WILL REMAIN LOCKED IN PLACE THROUGH MONDAY WITH A GRADUAL MODIFICATION IN TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE WEST TUESDAY WITH THE FLOW ALOFT WEAKENING AND BECOMING MORE WESTERLY. THE MDLS DO BRING A WEAK SYSTEM ACROSS COLORADO LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...BUT CONFIDENCE IN THE OVERALL MDLS SOLUTIONS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK IS FAIRLY LOW. SLGT CHC MTNS BUT WILL KEEP THE NORTHEAST PLAINS GENERALLY DRY FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. AVIATION...LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS TO BECOME SOUTHERLY DURING THE EVENING AS DRAINAGE FLOW DEVELOPS. WINDS TO BE MORE WESTERLY AT KBJC. SPEEDS OF AROUND 10 KTS TO PREVAIL. SOME INCREASE IN MID AND HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE AFTER 06Z WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A WAVE CLOUD IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS AFTER 15Z. CEILINGS WILL REMAIN ABOVE 12000 FEET AGL. SOUTHWEST WINDS TO PREVAIL AT KDEN AND KAPA THROUGH 20Z BECOMING MORE WESTERLY BY 00Z. WINDS TO REMAIN WESTERLY AT KBJC. VFR TO CONTINUE WITH CEILINGS AROUND 12000 FEET AGL BY 00Z. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...ENTREKIN LONG TERM....COOPER AVIATION...ENTREKIN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1033 AM MST THU JAN 2 2014 COZ030>051-031745- 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- 1033 AM MST THU JAN 2 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT WITH DRY CONDITIONS PREVAILING. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM TO THE UPPER 40S AND LOWER 50S ACROSS THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ON FRIDAY...DRIER AND WARMER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS. IT WILL BE WINDY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS AS WELL WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ALONG WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. AS A RESULT THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE FRONT RANGE... ESPECIALLY ON SATURDAY. IN THE MOUNTAINS...STORM TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE... WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES ALONG THE URBAN CORRIDOR. HIGH TEMPERATURES OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO WILL BE MUCH COLDER WITH READINGS IN THE 25 TO 30 DEGREE RANGE. SUNDAY AND MONDAY...IT WILL REMAIN COLD WITH JUST A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. HIGHS BOTH DAYS OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO WILL ONLY BE IN THE 20S. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS COLORADO ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather, 2 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, January 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: 494446, 494447, 494434, 494436.