A period on moderate to heavy snowfall occurred over parts of the north central mountains of Colorado. Storm totals included 12 inches at Rawah SNOTEL; with 10 inches at Arapahoe Ridge, Deadman Hill and Roach SNOTEL, with 8 inches at Never Summer.
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The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.
A period on moderate to heavy snowfall occurred over parts of the north central mountains of Colorado. Storm totals included 12 inches at Rawah SNOTEL; with 10 inches at Arapahoe Ridge, Deadman Hill and Roach SNOTEL, with 8 inches at Never Summer.
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 Mar 29, 9:29 AM MST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1029 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 949 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 SATELLITE SHOWING SURFACE LOW SPINNING SOUTH OF DENVER BRINGING INCREASED CLOUDS TO NNE COUNTIES THIS MORNING. WITH THE UPPER LEVEL JET AND LEFT EXIT REGION OVER THE NORTHERN COUNTIES COMBINED WITH SOME UPSLOPE CREATED BY WRAP AROUND FROM THE SURFACE LOW TO THE SOUTH INCREASED POPS THIS AFTERNOON OVER LARIMER AND WELD COUNTIES. THESE AREAS COULD SEE RAIN EARLIER WITH IS0LATED CONVECTION. STEERING FLOW COULD CARRY THESE CELLS TO THE NE SO HAVE INCREASED POPS THROUGH 23Z. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 417 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 A STRONG STORM SYSTEM OVER UTAH WILL MOVE INTO NW COLORADO THIS EVENING AND THEN MOVE EASTWARD TO NEAR DENVER BY 12Z WED. AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES CLOSER TO THE MTNS BY THIS AFTN WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN QG ASCENT WHICH WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN SHOWER ACTIVITY ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-70. WILL ALSO SEE A FEW TSTMS AS WELL DUE TO STEEP LAPSE RATES. OVER NERN CO LOW PRES WILL INTENSIFY NR DENVER BY EARLY AFTN WITH GUSTY SLY WINDS ACROSS THE PLAINS. WITH DECENT LAPSE RATES BY LATE AFTN MAY SEE A FEW SHOWERS AND HIGH BASED STORMS DVLP FM DENVER NORTH TO THE WY BORDER. AS FOR HIGHS READINGS WILL RISE INTO THE LOWER TO MID 60S ALONG THE FRONT RANGE WITH MID 60S TO LOWER 70S ACROSS THE PLAINS. FOR TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW BEGINS TO MOVE ACROSS NRN CO WILL SEE A DECENT SHOT OF QG ASCENT BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z WHICH WILL LEAD TO A BETTER CHC OF SHOWERS AND A FEW TSTMS ACROSS THE PLAINS WITH THE BEST FOCUS LIKELY NORTH OF A DENVER TO AKRON LINE. AFTER MIDNIGHT IF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW ENDS UP SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DENVER AND FORT COLLINS THEN BEST CHC OF PCPN WOULD LIKELY STAY CLOSER TO THE WY BORDER. TEMPS WILL BECOME COLD ENOUGH FOR PCPN TO FALL AS SNOW. IN THE MTNS AS THE FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE WNW AROUND MIDNIGHT SHOULD SEE SOME OROGRAPHIC SNOW ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-70. OVERALL AMOUNTS THROUGH TONIGHT STILL LOOK TO BE IN THE ADVISORY CATEGORY IN ZNS 31 AND 33. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 417 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY...THE SHEARING WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF COLORADO AND INTO NEBRASKA. RISING MOTIONS AND INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE PRECIPITATION ACROSS MOST OF NORTHEAST COLORADO...MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF SNOW. WINDS WILL BE INCREASING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST THROUGH THE DAY...IN THE WAKE OF A SURFACE COLD FRONT THAT MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BE KEY IN DETERMINING WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOW EVENTUALLY FALLS. THE GFS AND CANADIAN MODELS ARE A BIT MORE NORTHEAST THAN THE LATEST NAM AND ECMWF SOLUTIONS. WILL FAVOR THE NAM AND ECMWF SOLUTIONS WHICH WOULD PRODUCE MORE SNOW ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO THAN THE GFS AND CANADIAN MODELS. EVEN SO...DENVER SHOULD BE ON THE SOUTHERN FRINGES OF THE PASSING SYSTEM...SO WILL ONLY MENTION ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW IN THE DENVER AND BOULDER AREAS. NORTHERN TIER COUNTIES WILL HAVE HEAVIER SNOW AMOUNTS...GENERALLY 2 TO 4 INCHES FOR NOW. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S...KEEPING THE SNOW TOO WET TO PRODUCE ANY BLOWING OR DRIFTING. THE STORM WILL MOVE OUT OF THE STATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...TAKING THE PRECIPITATION WITH IT. COOL AIR WILL REMAIN OVER THE STATE THROUGH THURSDAY AS NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ESTABLISHES ITSELF OVER THE STATE. THERE WILL ALSO BE A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS DEVELOPING THURSDAY AFTERNOON. MOUNTAIN AREAS COULD SEE LIGHT SNOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR GENERATING OROGRAPHIC SNOW SHOWERS. MOST ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIGHT. LATER ON AND INTO THE WEEKEND THE STATE SHOULD SEE A GRADUAL WARMING TREND AS AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN U.S. EXPANDS EASTWARD OVER THE GREAT BASIN AND ROCKY MOUNTAINS. SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE OVER BY FRIDAY WITH A DRY WEEKEND ANTICIPATED. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 949 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 SATELLITE SHOWS SURFACE LOW SPINNING TO THE SE OF THE AIRPORT KEEPING CURRENT WINDS OUT OF THE WEST. MODELS INDICATING AS THE LOW PROGRESSES NE WINDS WILL MOVE AROUND TO MORE NORTH BY 17Z. STILL SEEING SOME CONVERGENCE ON THE HRRR THAT WILL AID IN BRINGING SOME VCTS BY 23Z AND ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR A TEMPO OF LIGHT SHOWERS WITH SLIGHTLY LOWERED CEILINGS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 259 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 WILL SEE GUSTY SSW WINDS AND LOW RH ACROSS SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY THIS AFTN SO WILL KEEP RED FLAG WARNING IN PLACE. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ247. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ031-033. && UPDATE...BOWEN SHORT TERM...RPK LONG TERM...DANKERS AVIATION...BOWEN FIRE WEATHER...RPK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1038 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 COZ030>051-301645- 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- 1038 AM MDT TUE MAR 29 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS NORTH OF I-70 THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON... ...RED FLAG WARNING THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY DUE TO GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STORM SYSTEM OVER UTAH WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN COLORADO TONIGHT. AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS...SNOW WILL INCREASE IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. AMOUNTS FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BY LATE TONIGHT. OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO...THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AFTER MIDNIGHT...SNOW WILL DEVELOP NEAR THE COLORADO...WYOMING BORDER WITH AN INCH OR SO OF ACCUMULATION BY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL BE LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO WEDNESDAY MORNING...PRODUCING HEAVY SNOW IN WYOMING WITH SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE WYOMING BORDER. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO WEDNESDAY. AN AREA OF SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTH BEHIND THE FRONT. THE PLAINS MAY SEE UP TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW BY WEDNESDAY EVENING WITH LESSER AMOUNTS IN THE DENVER AREA AND ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. THE MOUNTAINS COULD PICK UP AN ADDITIONAL 6 INCHES OF SNOW BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. NORTHERLY WINDS TO 45 MPH WILL COMBINED WITH THE SNOW TO PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE FRONT RANGE THURSDAY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN 3 INCHES ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. THE MOUNTAINS MAY SEE UP TO 6 INCHES WITH THIS QUICK MOVING SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
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 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 2016
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: 625400.