A storm system moved across northern Colorado and produced a period of light to moderate snowfall over much of the region. The heaviest snowfall occurred in and near the Front Range mountains and foothills.
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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 BOU wrote it up.
A storm system moved across northern Colorado and produced a period of light to moderate snowfall over much of the region. The heaviest snowfall occurred in and near the Front Range mountains and foothills. Storm totals in these areas generally ranged from 4 to 7 inches.
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 Feb 5, 3:28 PM MST, 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 328 PM MST Tue Feb 5 2019 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 325 PM MST Tue Feb 5 2019 A trough is visible on water vapor imagery digging into the California coast today. Mid to upper level southwesterly flow will continue over Colorado as this system approaches the area. This flow will create snow showers throughout the night in the mountains with the Park Range seeing the heaviest totals of around 6-12 inches. Tomorrow, the shortwave associated with this trough will rotate northeastward toward Colorado. Meanwhile, at the surface, a strong cold front will move southward through the urban corridor and eastern plains during the late morning on Wednesday. The combination of PVA associated with the trough, the left exit region, surface frontogenesis and upslope flow will provide QG ascent for this storm and create snow showers around midday across the aforementioned area. I have kept storm total snowfall amounts consistent with previous forecasts as 2-5 inches are expected across the Denver metro. The message is also consistent that the evening rush hour will see hazardous travel conditions and evening commuters looking to travel during this time should use caution or reconsider their travel. This event has the makings of a flash freeze because road temperatures will be above freezing before the cold front moves through the urban corridor. Snow will initially melt on contact and then, due to the much colder temperatures moving in behind the front, the wet pavement will freeze making roads slick and icy. The greatest impacts will be over bridges and overpasses. During the onset of the front, there may be a brief period of freezing drizzle as relatively warm air will be overrunning the colder air at the surface. Light to moderate snow showers will begin accumulating by the early afternoon which will only make the road conditions worse. A Winter Weather Advisory was issued for the urban corridor, eastern plains and foothills from noon through early Thursday morning to account for the impact on the commute and others who may be traveling. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday) Issued at 325 PM MST Tue Feb 5 2019 Snow will continue into the evening hours across much of the area. Expect snow to end from west to east overnight as the system shifts east across the Colorado. The arctic airmass moving into the state will drop temperatures below zero over most of northeast Colorado late Wednesday night. By 12Z Thursday, the trough axis will be east of the area taking most of the snow with it. However, there will be enough moisture embedded in the northwest flow aloft to keep light snow going over the mountains Thursday. Additional snowfall of up to 4 inches will be possible. In the meantime, an arctic airmass over eastern Colorado combined with fresh snow will result in cold temperatures Thursday and Thursday night. Highs are expected to be in the teens Thursday. Clear skies, light winds, and fresh snow will lead to good radiational cooling Thursday night. Low lying areas over northeast Colorado are expected to fall below zero again. Mountain valleys will get very cold with temperatures around 20 below zero in places. On Friday, flow aloft turns west-southwest as a trough digs south along the Pacific west coast. Weak ridging over the Central Rockies will bring dry conditions and mostly sunny skies. A stagnant airmass over northeast Colorado will modify some, but remain cool due to the snow cover. Flow aloft will remain west-southwest through the weekend as a upper level low spins over the Pacific northwest. A weak wave embedded in the flow aloft is expected to bring light snow to the mountains Saturday night. Otherwise, dry conditions are expected. Surface high pressure will be parked over the Northern Rockies and Northern Plains this weekend. An easterly flow around this will keep cooler air over northeast Colorado. A cold front may drop south across northeast Colorado Saturday night with the passing wave. If this occurs, highs will be colder on Sunday. A Pacific system is expected to sweep across the area sometime Monday or Tuesday. Models are still in disagreement on the timing. This system should mainly impact the mountains with downslope flow keeping areas east of the mountains dry. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 325 PM MST Tue Feb 5 2019 VFR conditions will continue through mid morning tomorrow. The strong southwesterly winds are pushing slowly northward off the Palmer Divide and a boundary is visible on radar. This front will likely stall very close to KDEN and there is low confidence in wind speed and direction over the next couple of hours. Winds will stay east-northeasterly until shortly after sunset if the boundary stalls south of KDEN. A cold front will move through the airports midday tomorrow with northeast winds behind it and snow showers. There is low confidence in the timing of this front at the moment. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from noon Wednesday to 5 AM MST Thursday for COZ035-036-038>045-048. Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM Wednesday to 5 AM MST Thursday for COZ034. Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Thursday for COZ031-033. && SHORT TERM...Danielson LONG TERM...Meier AVIATION...Danielson
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1040 AM MST Tue Feb 5 2019 COZ030>051-061745- 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- 1040 AM MST Tue Feb 5 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Expect occasional snow showers over the northern mountains today, especially north of the I-70 corridor. Amounts will be on the lighter side, generally in the 1 to 4 inch range. Snow will increase over the mountains tonight with 2 to 6 inches of snow, heaviest around Rabbit Ears Pass. Across lower elevations, clouds and areas of fog will linger through the early afternoon with sunshine afterward. Cooler temperatures are expected today, especially north and east of Denver with readings only in the 30s to middle 40s. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday A strong system will continue impacting Colorado through Thursday morning. This system will bring moderate snowfall and gusty winds to the mountains. Additional snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches will be possible. Across the urban corridor and eastern plains, a cold front will move through Wednesday morning with temperatures turning colder and light to moderate snow beginning to fall. Snow amounts of 2 to 4 inches from the foothills eastward to the I-25 corridor during the afternoon will cause poor travel conditions for Wednesday evening's rush hour. Lighter snow amounts are expected over the plains east of a line between Greeley and Denver International Airport. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm totals included: 7.5 inches in Boulder, 7 inches in Broomfield and Lakewood, 6.5 inches in Lafayette, 6 inches at Lyons and Ralston Reservoir with 5 inches in Arvada. At the National Weather Service in Boulder, 5.9 inches of snowfall was observed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 2019
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: 806061, 806062, 806063, 806064, 806066, 806067, 806068.