Colorado, 2019

Winter Weather in Colorado, December 7 to 9, 2019

December 7 to 9, 2019 · NWS GJT · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

An abnormally moist upper level trough progressed across the Northern Rockies and produced moderate snow over the western Colorado mountains.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
7

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 abnormally moist upper level trough progressed across the Northern Rockies and produced moderate snow over the western Colorado mountains.

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 7, 4:40 PM MST, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 7, 4:40 PM MST, 5 hours 20 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 7, 1:29 PM MST, 8 hours 31 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

7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When
December 7, 10:00 PM MST to December 9, 3:00 PM MST
Where
Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 5 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area with locally higher amounts up to 18 inches estimated at the Tower SNOTEL site.

Winter Weather, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide

When
December 7, 10:00 PM MST to December 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the area in 12 hours.

Winter Weather, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When
December 7, 10:00 PM MST to December 9, 3:00 AM MST
Where
Southwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
37.594, -107.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the area in 12 hours with a storm total snowfall of 8 to 18 inches.

Winter Weather, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When
December 8, 1:00 AM MST to December 9, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the area with driving restrictions in place in the busy mountain town of Aspen.

Winter Weather, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When
December 8, 1:00 AM MST to December 9, 5:00 AM MST
Where
West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 5 to 10 inches of snow fell across the area with locally higher amounts up to 12 inches estimated at the Schofield Pass SNOTEL site.

Winter Weather, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When
December 8, 4:00 AM MST to December 9, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 5 to 10 inches of snow fell across the area with snowfall totals of 8 to 13 inches near the mountain passes along Colorado Highway 550.

Winter Weather, Flattop Mountains

When
December 8, 5:00 AM MST to December 9, 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)

Generally 5 to 7 inches of snow fell across the area.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2019

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: 861329, 861333, 861335, 861330, 861331, 861334, 861332.