Colorado, 2018

Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 21 to 22, 2018

February 21 to 22, 2018 · NWS GJT · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A disturbance in the southwesterly flow brought significant to heavy snowfall to the San Juan Mountains and the San Juan River Basin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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.

A disturbance in the southwesterly flow brought significant to heavy snowfall to the San Juan Mountains and the San Juan River Basin.

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 Feb 20, 4:44 PM MST, 21 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 4:44 PM MST, 21 hours 16 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, San Juan River Basin

When
February 21, 2:00 PM MST to February 22, 1:00 PM MST
Where
San Juan River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
37.194, -107.048 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals were around 6 inches across the area.

Heavy Snow, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When
February 21, 2:00 PM MST to February 22, 3:00 PM 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 9 to 17 inches were measured across the area, including 17 inches on Highway 550 over Molas and Coalbank Passes.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 2018

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: 741544, 741545.