Colorado, 2020

Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 12 to 13, 2020

December 12 to 13, 2020 · NWS PUB · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

An upper level system moved through the region, providing a favorable setup for widespread snow across southern Colorado. Highest snowfall totals were across the higher terrain, and parts of the far eastern plains.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
9

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 PUB wrote it up.

An upper level system moved through the region, providing a favorable setup for widespread snow across southern Colorado. Highest snowfall totals were across the higher terrain, and parts of the far eastern plains.

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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 12, 2:53 PM MST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 2:53 PM MST, 2 hours 7 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 12, 11:14 AM MST, 5 hours 46 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 12, 1:21 PM MST, 3 hours 39 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

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 5:56 AM MST
Where
Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 11.0 inches. 1 southeast Wolf Creek Pass.

Heavy Snow, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 5:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 8.9 inches. 5 north northeast Spanish Peaks.

Heavy Snow, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 8.8 inches. 6 south southwest La Veta Pass.

Heavy Snow, Springfield Vicinity / Baca County

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Springfield Vicinity / Baca County forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
37.319, -102.560 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 7.0 inches. Springfield.

Heavy Snow, Springfield Vicinity / Baca County

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 10:32 AM MST
Where
Springfield Vicinity / Baca County forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
37.319, -102.560 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 7.0 inches. Springfield.

Heavy Snow, Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 10:02 AM MST
Where
Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.685, -104.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 6.7 inches. 5 southeast Red Wing.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Las Animas County

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Eastern Las Animas County forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
37.316, -104.039 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 6.0 inches. 9 south southeast Kim.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Las Animas County

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Eastern Las Animas County forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
37.316, -104.039 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 6.0 inches. 9 south southeast Kim.

Heavy Snow, Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft

When
December 12, 5:00 PM MST to December 13, 6:15 AM MST
Where
Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 5.8 inches. 5 west Westcliffe.

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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2020

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: 935689, 935690, 935691, 935692, 935693, 935694, 935695, 935696, 935697.