Another storm system brought heavy snow to the North Central Mountains of Colorado. Storm totals included: 29 inches at Tower SNOTEL, 26 at Columbine SNOTEL, 22 inches at Joe Wright, 21 inches at Copper Mountain, 17 inches at Lake Irene, 16 inches at Buffalo Park SNOTEL, 13 inches at Loveland SNOTEL, 12 inches at Grand Lake and Never Summer, and 11 inches at Arapahoe Ridge SNOTEL.
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.
Another storm system brought heavy snow to the North Central Mountains of Colorado. Storm totals included: 29 inches at Tower SNOTEL, 26 at Columbine SNOTEL, 22 inches at Joe Wright, 21 inches at Copper Mountain, 17 inches at Lake Irene, 16 inches at Buffalo Park SNOTEL, 13 inches at Loveland SNOTEL, 12 inches at Grand Lake and Never Summer, and 11 inches at Arapahoe Ridge SNOTEL.
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 Nov 22, 11:07 AM MST, 5 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1107 AM MST SAT NOV 22 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1105 AM MST SAT NOV 22 2014 THE FORECAST IS ON TRACK WITH SNOW BEGINNING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY BY MID AFTERNOON...WITH HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE TONIGHT. HAVE ADDED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IN NORTH PARK AND MIDDLE PARK FROM TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. LOOKS LIKE THE SNOW WILL COME IN TWO PULSES...TONIGHT THEN AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY. THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS MAY PICK UP 6 TO 12 INCHES THROUGH THE 48 HOUR PERIOD. WINDS WILL ALSO BE AN ISSUE THROUGH THE STORMY PERIOD. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ) ISSUED AT 252 AM MST SAT NOV 22 2014 ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN SETTING UP FOR THE SHORT TERM PERIOD AND CONTINUING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. CURRENT OBSERVATIONS SHOW FLOW ALOFT INCREASING IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS IN ADVANCE OF POWERFUL 150-160 KNOT UPPER LEVEL JET COMING ASHORE THE CALIFORNIA/OREGON COAST. THIS SPEED MAX WILL THEN DRIVE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE COMBINED WITH AT LEAST WEAK BUT SUSTAINED Q-G LIFT AND PACIFIC MOISTURE PLUME IS STILL ON TRACK TO REACH THE FORECAST AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL DEVELOP FIRST OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN JACKSON AND GRAND COUNTIES AROUND MID AFTERNOON AND THEN SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING HOURS. INITIALLY...WEST/SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP HEAVY SNOW LIKELY CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN JACKSON/GRAND COUNTIES IN VICINITY OF RABBIT EARS PASS AND MOUNT ZIRKEL WILDERNESS...BUT AS FLOW TURNS MORE WEST/NORTHWEST AND STRONGER COLD ADVECTION ARRIVES LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS THE HEAVIER SNOW BAND WILL SHIFT INTO THE I-70 CORRIDOR OF THE MOUNTAINS INCLUDING SUMMIT COUNTY. THIS FIRST SHOT OF HEAVIER SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE BETWEEN 4 AND 8 INCHES OVER MOST OF THE MOUNTAINS BY LATE TONIGHT...WITH UP TO A FOOT FROM RABBIT EARS PASS AREA NORTHWARD WHERE THE EARLY PORTIONS OF THIS STORM COULD REALLY POUND THAT AREA WITH STRONG WESTERLY FLOW. GIVEN THE STRONG FLOW...WE DO EXPECT SOME SPILLOVER SNOW TO AFFECT THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS MAINLY ALONG THE PEAK TO PEAK HIGHWAY WHERE A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW SHOULD ACCUMULATE. THIS TOO ALREADY HANDLED WELL IN GOING FORECAST. STRONG WINDS WILL PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITIES SO EARLIER ISSUED WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9000 FEET ARE ON TRACK. HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS INCLUDING WALDEN AND KREMMLING WILL SEE LIGHTER SNOW BUT GUSTY WINDS FOR SOME BLOWING SNOW. AT THIS TIME...THE PERIOD OF MORE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IN VALLEY LOCATIONS IS SEEN TO BE TOO SHORT AND AMOUNTS SHY OF ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT WILL BE MONITORED. ON THE PLAINS...THERE ARE MORE INDICATIONS FOR A POTENTIAL WEAK ANTICYCLONE TO DEVELOP TONIGHT JUST BEHIND FRONTAL PASSAGE. THAT WOULD BRING A BETTER CHANCE OF SNOW TO THE PLAINS SO HAVE INCREASED POPS JUST A BIT FROM THE DENVER METRO AREA EAST/SOUTHEAST TOWARD AKRON AND LIMON. WARM ENOUGH INITIALLY IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS FOR A MIX OF LIGHT RAIN/SNOW IF WE SEE PRECIP DEVELOP. WITH REGARD TO WIND...THE CROSS MOUNTAIN FLOW INCREASES TO AROUND 35 KTS AND A RATHER STRONG MOUNTAIN TOP STABLE LAYER THIS MORNING SHOULD RESULT IN FAVORABLE MOUNTAIN WAVE PROFILE. CHINOOK PATTERN IN PLACE SO STRONGER AND OCCASIONAL GUSTS MAINLY IN THE 45 TO 55 MPH RANGE SHOULD STAY CONFINED TO LOCATIONS IN/RIGHT NEXT TO THE FOOTHILLS. WINDS INCREASE FURTHER LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING BUT MOUNTAIN WAVE STRUCTURE IS EXPECTED TO BREAK DOWN AS MOUNTAIN TOP STABILITY DECREASES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE QUITE MILD FROM THE FOOTHILLS DOWN ONTO THE PLAINS WITH WARM ADVECTION AND INCREASING DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT. DENVER METRO SHOULD SEE 60F AS LONG AS MOUNTAIN WAVE CLOUDS DONT THICKEN TOO QUICKLY. MOST GUIDANCE SHOWS GENERALLY THIN BAND OF MOUNTAIN WAVE CLOUDS TIL AFTERNOON WHEN MORE WIDESPREAD CLOUDINESS WILL DEVELOP. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 252 AM MST SAT NOV 22 2014 NWLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE ON SUN AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DEEPENS OVER THE CNTRL AND NRN US. CROSS-SECTIONS SHOW MOISTURE DEPTH WILL DECREASE SOME IN THE MTNS HOWEVER LAPSE RATES WILL BE IN THE 7-8 C/KM RANGE SO OROGRAPHIC SNOW WILL CONTINUE THRU THE DAY WITH AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW OVER THE HIGHER PASSES. AT LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE A BORA TYPE FNT MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS EARLY WITH GUSTY NWLY WINDS THRU THE AFTN. HIGHS WILL DROP BACK INTO THE LOWER TO MID 40S OVER NERN CO. FOR SUN NIGHT INTO MON NWLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE AS A FEW DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED IN THE FLOW MOVE ACROSS. CROSS-SECTIONS SHOW MOISTURE DEPTH INCREASING IN THE MTNS BY 12Z MON WHICH WILL CONTINUE THRU THE AFTN. LAPSE RATES WILL REMAIN IN THE 7-8 C/KM RANGE WITH FAVORABLE OROGRAPHIC COMPONENT SO WILL SEE PERIODS OF MDT TO HEAVY SNOW. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY AS WELL WITH BLOWING SNOW ESPECIALLY ABV 10000 FT. AT LOWER ELEVATIONS A WK MTN WAVE MAY SET UP LATE SUN NIGHT INTO EARLY MON MORNING AS COMPONENT ALONG WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 50 KTS. THUS THERE MAY BE SOME POTENTIAL FOR A MARGINAL HIGH WIND EVENT IN THE FOOTHILLS BETWEEN 06Z AND 15Z. OTHERWISE IT WILL REMAIN WINDY OVER THE PLAINS THRU THE AFTN HOURS WITH GUSTY NNW WINDS. AS FAR AS PCPN THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR A CHC OF -SHSN MON AFTN OVER NERN CO AS A DISTURBANCE TRACKS ACROSS. LAPSE RATES OVER NERN CO ARE FCST TO BE IN THE 8-9 C/KM RANGE. BEST CHC WILL PROBABLY BE EAST OF I-25 AND OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE AS AREAS NR THE FOOTHILLS WILL BE FIGHTING STRONG DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT. AS FOR HIGHS 850-700 MB COOL A FEW MORE DEGREES SO WILL KEEP READINGS IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S. BY MON NIGHT MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE IN THE MTNS WITH STABILITY INCREASING SO SNOW SHOULD DECREASE IN BOTH COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. MEANWHILE WITH MTN TOP STABILITY INCREASING INTO TUE MORNING MAY SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONGER WINDS IN THE MTNS AND FOOTHILLS. ON TUE THE FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN NWLY WITH MOISTURE INCREASING IN THE MTNS. LAPSE RATES ARE ONLY FCST TO BE IN THE 4-5 C/KM RANGE SO ADDITIONAL SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE. OVER NERN CO GUSTY NWLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE PLAINS. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S ACROSS NERN CO. FOR TUE NIGHT AXIS OF STRONGER UPPER LEVEL WINDS IN NWLY FLOW ALOFT WILL BE OVER NERN CO WITH SOME MID LVL MOISTURE EMBEDDED IN THE FLOW. THUS COULD SEE A SLIGHT CHC OF -SHSN MAINLY NR THE WY-NE BORDER. IN THE MTNS EXPECT SOME LINGERING LIGHT SNOW TUE NIGHT DUE TO FAVORABLE OROGRAPHICS. ONCE AGAIN THERE WILL BE SOME POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS IN THE MTNS AND FOOTHILLS TUE NIGHT INTO WED MORNING AS MTN WAVE INTENSIFIES AND COMPONENT ALONG WINDS INCREASE TO 50-55 KTS. ON WED WILL KEEP IN A CHC OF -SHSN IN THE MTNS WHILE OVER NERN CO WILL HAVE A DRY FCST WITH HIGHS IN THE IN THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY AT TIMES ESPECIALLY NR THE WY-NE BORDER AREA. FOR WED NIGHT INTO THANKSGIVING THE DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE ECMWF AND GFS CONTINUES. THE ECMWF HAS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE AREA WITH MUCH WARMER TEMPS IN THE 60S OVER NERN CO AND DRY CONDITIONS. MEANWHILE THE GFS HAS NRN CO IN NWLY FLOW ALOFT AS A COLD FNT MOVES INTO NERN CO BY THU MORNING WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE 30S. THERE IS SOME MOISTURE BEHIND THE FNT WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SLIGHT CHC OF SNOW IF IT DOES MOVE INTO NERN CO AS THE GFS SHOWS. AT THIS POINT NOT SURE WHAT TO BELIEVE SO WILL KEEP READINGS IN THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S FOR NOW AND KEEP A DRY FCST TO REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES. ON FRI THE GFS KEEPS A SHALLOW LYR OF COLD AIR OVER NERN CO WHICH WOULD KEEP HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 30S OVER THE PLAINS WHILE THE ECMWF HAS READINGS IN THE 60S. AS FOR PCPN NEITHER MODEL HAS MUCH MOISTURE SO WILL KEEP DRY FCST IN PLACE. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 1105 AM MST SAT NOV 22 2014 EXPECT WINDS TO CONTINUE TO TURN MORE WESTERLY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH CONTINUED GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 KT AT KBJC... AND GUSTS TO 25KT AT THE OTHER AIRPORTS. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS METRO DENVER AND WINDS WILL BECOME MORE NORTHWESTERLY AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A PASSING LIGHT RAIN/SNOW SHOWER AFTER FRONT TONIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL, && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 PM MST MONDAY FOR COZ031-033-034. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 PM MST MONDAY FOR COZ030-032. && UPDATE...RTG SHORT TERM...BARJENBRUCH LONG TERM...RPK AVIATION...BARJENBRUCH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1125 AM MST SAT NOV 22 2014 COZ030>051-231830- 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- 1125 AM MST SAT NOV 22 2014 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS...SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY IN THE HIGH VALLEYS... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL SPREAD FROM UTAH AT MIDDAY TODAY THROUGH THE COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILL FIRST DEVELOP IN THE MOUNTAINS AROUND THE RABBIT EARS PASS AREA BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...AND THEN SPREAD TO THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS AND SUMMIT COUNTY THROUGH EARLY EVENING. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL LIKELY REACH THE I-70 CORRIDOR FROM NEAR VAIL PASS THROUGH THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL AREA DURING THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY LATE TONIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN 3 AND 8 INCHES ACROSS MOST OF THE MOUNTAINS...WITH AROUND A FOOT IN THE RABBIT EARS PASS AREA. ON THE PLAINS...MILD TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL GIVE WAY TO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS AND COLDER TEMPERATURES TONIGHT. GUSTY WINDS TO BETWEEN 35 AND 55 MPH WILL OCCUR IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. A STRONG AND MOIST PACIFIC JET STREAM WILL BRING THE MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. VERY POOR VISIBILITIES WILL OCCUR OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES WITH HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 14 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. AT LOWER ELEVATIONS IT WILL BE WINDY FROM THE FOOTHILLS ACROSS THE PLAINS BOTH DAYS. FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS BOTH DAYS. FOR THANKSGIVING DAY THERE IS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHETHER A COLD FRONT WILL AFFECT NORTHEAST COLORADO OR NOT. IF THE COLD FRONT DOES MOVE INTO NORTHEAST COLORADO THEN THERE WOULD BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW. STRONG WINDS MAY OCCUR IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER...ANY REPORTS OF MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL OR GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH WOULD BE APPRECIATED. GLANCY/GIMMESTAD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm, 1 winter weather. 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, November 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: 550512, 550513, 550514, 550515.