Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 24 to 26, 2015

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 24 to 26, 2015
Start: 2015-12-24T05:00
End: 2015-12-26T15:00
Location: Colorado

December 24 to 26, 2015 · NWS GJT · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

An upper level trough over the western states was reinforced by a moist Pacific weather system which produced significant to heavy snow across western Colorado.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 20 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 20

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

An upper level trough over the western states was reinforced by a moist Pacific weather system which produced significant to heavy snow across western Colorado.

What forecasters said that day

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 Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 3:52 AM MST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 24, 3:52 AM MST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
352 AM MST THU DEC 24 2015

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 352 AM MST THU DEC 24 2015

ANOTHER PACIFIC SHORTWAVE WILL DROP INTO THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN
TODAY AND WILL CARVE OUT A LONG WAVE TROUGH ACROSS THE WESTERN
CONUS. MOISTURE AND ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH WILL BRING
AN ACTIVE CHRISTMAS PERIOD TO THE AREA AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE
GREAT BASIN CHRISTMAS EVE AND THEN BEGINS TO SPLIT AS IT STRETCHES
SOUTHWARD ON CHRISTMAS DAY. AS THIS STRETCHING OCCURS...MODELS
INDICATE THAT THE TROUGH AXIS WILL GENERALLY BE POSITIONED ALONG
OUR WESTERN BORDER. THE UPPER JET WILL WRAP AROUND THE BASE OF THE
TROUGH AND ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN EDGE TODAY. THEN AS THE JET
STRENGTHENS IT WILL STRETCH FROM OUR SOUTHWEST CORNER TO AROUND
THE ELK OR WEST ELK MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. THE JET AND TIGHT GRADIENT
THEN SAG SOUTHWARD ON FRI AS THE TROUGH BEGINS TO SPLIT
SOUTHWARD...AND THE TROUGH AXIS LINES UP ALONG OUR WESTERN EDGE.

THE PREVIOUS FORECAST PACKAGE HAS A GOOD HANDLE ON THE DETAILS OF
THIS STORM...AND HAVE GENERALLY ONLY TWEAKED THE FORECAST. AFTER
A LULL IN THE ACTION EXTENDING FROM LATE LAST EVENING THROUGH
THIS MORNING...MOISTURE WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTH THROUGH
THE DAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A NOTCH COLDER THAN WE SAW WITH THE
PREVIOUS STORM SO...EXCEPT FOR THE LOWEST VALLEYS OF SOUTHEAST
UTAH...PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AS SNOW. SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL
INCREASE OVER THE SOUTH...SO OROGRAPHIC SHOWERS WILL BEGIN OVER
THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON AND INTENSIFY IN THE
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ELSEWHERE...THE NAM SHOWED A BROAD BAND OF
SNOW SETTING UP FROM ROUGHLY THE MOAB AREA EAST-NORTHEAST ACROSS
EAGLE COUNTY. THIS AREA CONTINUES TO BE UNDER THE GUN THROUGH
CHRISTMAS DAY AS CONVERGENCE UNDER THE TROUGH SHIFTS EAST OVER
THIS AREA. THE ZONES ALREADY COVERED BY WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES
HAVE SLOPES THAT ARE FAVORED IN SOUTHWEST FLOW. HOWEVER...WILL
KEEP THE WATCHES FOR THE CENTRAL VALLEYS AND NORTH-NORTHWEST
FAVORED MOUNTAIN ZONES FOR NOW. MODELS OFTEN HIGHLIGHT THESE
VALLEYS WITHOUT VERIFYING BUT IF THE CONVERGENCE ZONE SETS UP
DIFFERENTLY THAN ADVERTISED...OR IF THE LOW SPLITS OFF SOONER OR
FARTHER WEST...THESE DIFFERENCES COULD HAVE BIG RAMIFICATIONS ON
OUR WEATHER.

.LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 352 AM MST THU DEC 24 2015

AS IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS...SNOW WILL DECREASE BENEATH A COL
FORMING BETWEEN AN INCIPIENT CLOSED LOW OVER ARIZONA AND THE
NORTHERN STREAM ON FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW SHOULD DIMINISH ON SATURDAY
AS THE SOUTHERN LOW DRIFTS SOUTHEASTWARD TO THE ARIZONA/NEW/OLD
MEXICO TRIPLE POINT...THOUGH ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS MAY LINGER
OVER THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE SAN JUANS.

MODELS SHOW A REX BLOCK FORMING OVER THE REGION SUNDAY AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS TO THE NORTH WHILE THE CLOSED LOW MAKES LITTLE
PROGRESS EASTWARD. QUIET CONDITIONS PERSIST SUNDAY AS A DRY...
COLD AIRMASS SETTLES OVER THE AREA. ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM MOVES
OVER THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN MONDAY CAUSING THE LOW TO THE SOUTH
TO EJECT OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. GFS INDICATED THE POTENTIAL
FOR SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG THE DIVIDE WHILE THE ECMWF
MAINTAINED DRY CONDITIONS. MODELS WERE SIMILAR IN SHIFTING THE
TROUGH EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY THAN OVER THE PLAINS
WEDNESDAY. MUCH OF THE ENERGY PASSES SOUTH OF THE AREA SO AT THIS
POINT IT DOESN/T APPEAR THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE MUCH IMPACT ON THE
AREA. IN FACT...THE ECMWF MAINTAINED DRY CONDITIONS AS THE TROUGH
AXIS PASSES OVER THE REGION WHILE THE GFS GENERATED SOME LIGHT
QPF OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS.

AS ALLUDED TO ABOVE...A COLDER AIR ARRIVES SATURDAY WITH 7H
READINGS OF -14 TO -16 DEG C INDICATED. CONSEQUENTLY...HIGHS WILL
BE MIRED IN THE 20S FOR THE VALLEYS WITH TEENS IN THE MOUNTAINS
SATURDAY. CLEARING SATURDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO LOWS WELL
BELOW ZERO ACROSS NORTHWEST COLORADO WITH SINGLE DIGIT HIGHS FOR
THIS AREA SUNDAY. IT WILL BE COLDER ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE REGION
SUNDAY BUT NOT AS MARKEDLY AS IN THE NORTH. THE LOW SUN ANGLE AND
AN EXTENSIVE BLANKET OF SNOW WILL SLOW WARMING EARLY NEXT WEEK
DESPITE RISING TEMPERATURES AT THE 7H LEVEL. VALLEY INVERSIONS
WILL BE PROMINENT ACROSS THE REGION WHILE THE SLOPES WILL SEE
SOME RELIEF FROM THE COLDER CONDITIONS.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING)
ISSUED AT 352 AM MST THU DEC 24 2015

AFTER A BREAK IN THE ACTION...EXPECT SNOWFALL TO REDEVELOP ACROSS
THE ABAJO AND LA SAL MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST UTAH AND THE SAN JUAN
MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO AROUND MIDDAY. MODELS INDICATED
THAT SNOW WILL SPREAD PROGRESSIVELY NORTHWARD INTO THE CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON. SNOW BECOMES WIDESPREAD BY 00Z/FRI
WITH MOUNTAINS COMPLETELY OBSCURED DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE
NIGHT. STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL RESULT IN STRONG
TURBULENCE TO THE LEE OF MOUNTAIN PEAKS AND RIDGES.

THE CHANCES OF SNOW IMPACTING AIRPORT OPERATIONS IS LESS THAN 30
PERCENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND MAINLY SOUTH OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR.
THAT CHANGES AFTER SUNSET WHEN SNOW BECOMES NEARLY CERTAIN FOR THE
SOUTHERN AIRPORTS WITH A HIGH LIKELIHOOD FOR SNOWFALL IN THE
CENTRAL VALLEYS. THE NORTHERN AIRPORTS...KVEL...KCAG...KHDN AND
KSBS ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

&&

.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

CO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MST
     SATURDAY FOR COZ003.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 AM MST
     SATURDAY FOR COZ017>019.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
     FOR COZ004-006>008-010-023.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MST SATURDAY
     FOR COZ009-012-013.

UT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MST
     SATURDAY FOR UTZ025.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 AM MST
     SATURDAY FOR UTZ028.

&&

SHORT TERM...EH
LONG TERM...NL
AVIATION...NL

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 winter storm, 6 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When: December 24, 5:00 AM MST to December 26, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 16 to 26 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced widespread blowing and drifting snow with localized blizzard conditions. Even stronger winds were measured on ridgetops. A peak gust of 89 mph was measured at the top of Senator Beck Basin.

Winter Storm, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When: December 24, 5:00 AM MST to December 26, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Southwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 37.594, -107.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 18 to 36 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 25 to 50 mph produced widespread blowing and drifting snow with localized blizzard conditions. Even stronger winds were measured on ridgetops. A peak gust of 103 mph was measured on Eagle Mountain.

Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When: December 24, 9:00 AM MST to December 26, 2:00 PM MST
Where: Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 12 to 24 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 30 inches at the Park Reservoir SNOTEL site. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow. A peak gust to 50 mph was measured at one of the monitoring sites.

Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When: December 24, 10:00 AM MST to December 25, 8:00 PM MST
Where: West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 10 to 20 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 30 inches at Schofield Pass. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin

When: December 24, 11:00 AM MST to December 25, 11:30 PM MST
Where: Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.698, -108.507 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 14 inches at a location about 12 miles south-southwest of Dove Creek. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, Animas River Basin

When: December 24, 11:00 AM MST to December 25, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Animas River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.287, -107.843 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 3 to 10 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 14 inches at Breen. Wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin

When: December 24, 11:00 AM MST to December 25, 9:00 PM MST
Where: Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.294, -108.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 10 inches near Norwood. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, San Juan River Basin

When: December 24, 11:30 AM MST to December 25, 10:00 PM MST
Where: San Juan River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.194, -107.048 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 9 to 18 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide

When: December 24, 12:00 PM MST to December 26, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 10 to 24 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, Upper Gunnison River Valley

When: December 24, 1:30 PM MST to December 25, 3:30 PM MST
Where: Upper Gunnison River Valley forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.535, -107.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 8 to 16 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin

When: December 24, 4:30 PM MST to December 26, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.737, -107.907 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 4 to 12 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 14 inches on the east side of Montrose. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus

When: December 24, 6:00 PM MST to December 26, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 39.532, -108.196 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Storm, Flattop Mountains

When: December 24, 9:00 PM MST to December 26, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Flattop Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 40.062, -107.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 8 to 16 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Heavy Snow, Grand Valley

When: December 24, 9:00 PM MST to December 25, 9:00 PM MST
Where: Grand Valley forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches were measured across the area which had significant negative impacts on travel within the Grand Valley.

Winter Weather, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When: December 24, 9:00 PM MST to December 25, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 4 to 10 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Heavy Snow, Debeque to Silt Corridor

When: December 25, 1:00 AM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where: Debeque to Silt Corridor forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Lower Yampa River Basin

When: December 25, 3:00 AM MST to December 26, 2:00 AM MST
Where: Lower Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.066, -108.109 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 3 to 4 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Central Yampa River Basin

When: December 25, 3:00 AM MST to December 26, 2:00 AM MST
Where: Central Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.361, -107.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 7 to 8 inches at Meeker. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph produced some areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Upper Yampa River Basin

When: December 25, 3:30 AM MST to December 26, 3:30 AM MST
Where: Upper Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.485, -106.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were measured across the area.

Winter Weather, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When: December 25, 9:00 AM MST to December 26, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 4 to 12 inches were measured across the area. Wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph produced areas of blowing and drifting snow.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Colorado in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, December 2015

Sources

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: 613131, 613132, 613133, 613134, 613157, 613159, 613166, 613143, 613140, 613146, 613164, 613141, 613138, 613144, 613150, 613145, 613151, 613155, 613161, 613148.