Colorado, 2020Heavy 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.
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
- 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.
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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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 12, 11:14 AM MST, 5 hours 46 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 12, 1:21 PM MST, 3 hours 39 minutes before
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</html>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.
- 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.
- Freezing Fog in Oregon, December 12, 20201 death · 2 injured · 1 event
- Winter Storm in Michigan, December 12, 2020$150,000 · 2 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kansas, December 12 to 13, 202023 events
- Winter Storm in Michigan, December 12, 202016 events
- Dense Fog in Maryland, December 12, 202011 events
- High Wind in California, December 12, 202081 kt wind · 8 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 12 to 13, 20205 events
- Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, December 12 to 13, 20203 events
- Dense Fog in Virginia, December 12, 20202 events
- Dense Fog in Arizona, December 12, 20202 events
- Winter Weather in Utah, December 12, 20202 events
- High Wind in Arizona, December 12 to 13, 202063 kt wind · 2 events
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.