Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 28 to 30, 2020

Name: Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 28 to 30, 2020
Start: 2020-12-28T09:00
End: 2020-12-30T00:01
Location: Colorado

December 28 to 30, 2020 · NWS PUB · 14 events in 7 counties and zones

As an upper level low was situated southwest of the region, southwesterly flow generated periods of moderate to heavy snow across the southern mountains and parts of the lower elevations.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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: 14

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.

As an upper level low was situated southwest of the region, southwesterly flow generated periods of moderate to heavy snow across the southern mountains and parts of the lower elevations.

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 27, 3:21 PM MST, 17 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 27, 3:21 PM MST, 17 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

14 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to 8:20 PM MST
Where: Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 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 9.0 inches. Creede.

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 5:28 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 25.0 inches. 1 southeast Wolf Creek Pass.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 12.6 inches. 4 west northwest Buena Vista.

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

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 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 12.0 inches. 7 northwest Cuchara.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 11.0 inches. 1 west northwest Buena Vista.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 8.0 inches. 2 south southwest Salida.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 7.8 inches. 2 east southeast Buena Vista.

Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 7.5 inches. 6 west Westcliffe.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 5:51 AM MST
Where: Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 7.0 inches. Salida.

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

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 6:41 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 7.0 inches. 5 west Westcliffe.

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

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 7.0 inches. 1 north northeast Westcliffe.

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

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 5:31 AM MST
Where: Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 6.0 inches. Silver Cliff.

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

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 29, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 6.0 inches. 5 south Hillside.

Heavy Snow, Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft

When: December 28, 9:00 AM MST to December 30, 12:01 AM MST
Where: Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.202, -106.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 8.1 inches. 2 northeast Leadville.

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

Every storm in Colorado in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 935753, 935754, 935755, 935756, 935757, 935758, 935759, 935760, 935761, 935762, 935763, 935764, 935765, 935766.