A cold Pacific storm system produced significant to heavy snow across portions of western Colorado mostly within a 24-hour period from Saturday, January 20th to Sunday, January 21st. The snowfall persisted into Sunday night mainly over some northwest facing mountain slopes.
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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 GJT wrote it up.
A cold Pacific storm system produced significant to heavy snow across portions of western Colorado mostly within a 24-hour period from Saturday, January 20th to Sunday, January 21st. The snowfall persisted into Sunday night mainly over some northwest facing mountain slopes. Some lower elevation precipitation began as rain on Saturday and then changed over to snow with the passage of a strong cold front.
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 Jan 20, 4:36 AM MST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
17 winter weather, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals of 4 to 8 inches were measured across the area. Locally higher amounts included 10 inches at a location about 4 miles east-southeast of Steamboat Springs.
Snowfall totals generally ranged from 4 to 8 inches across the area with a locally higher amount of 14 inches measured at the Bison Lake SNOTEL site.
Snowfall totals generally ranged from 2 to 5 inches across the area.
Snowfall totals of 4 to 7 inches were measured across the area. Roads became snowpacked which made travel difficult. Colorado Highway 64 was closed for two hours about 22 miles east of Rangely during the storm due to a jackknifed truck.
Snowfall amounts of 10 to 18 inches were measured across the area, including 18 inches on Highway 139 over Douglas Pass.
Snowfall totals generally ranged from 7 to 17 inches across the area, including 12 to 17 inches on Colorado Highway 550 from just below Ouray to Red Mountain Pass.
Snowfall totals generally ranged from 6 to 12 inches across the area. A locally higher amount included 13 inches at the Sharks Tooth SNOTEL site.
Measured snowfall totals generally ranged from 6 to 10 inches, except for 12 inches at a location 7 miles west of Crested Butte.
Snowfall totals generally ranged from 7 to 12 inches across the area.
Snowfall totals of 6 to 9 inches were measured across the area.
Measured snowfall totals ranged from 3 to 6 inches across the area.
Snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches were measured across the area.
Measured snowfall totals ranged from 2 to 4 inches across the area.
Measured snowfall totals ranged from 6 to 8 inches across the area. Roads became snowpacked and Vail Pass on Interstate 70 was closed for about an hour during the storm due to a jackknifed truck.
Snowfall totals of 3 to 7 inches were measured across the area.
Snowfall totals of 3 to 8 inches were measured across the area.
A band of snowfall over the Grand Valley produced measured snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches. Locally higher amounts included 5.5 inches in the Pear Park area of Grand Junction.
Measured snowfall totals generally ranged from 2 to 5 inches across the area.
Measured snowfall totals generally ranged from 2 to 5 inches across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2018
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 728221, 728228, 728208, 728213, 728220, 728204, 728231, 728227, 728225, 728230, 728233, 728239, 728236, 728226, 728222, 728229, 728223, 728232, 728224.