A storm system produced period of moderate to heavy snowfall in and near the Front Range mountains and foothills. A trained spotter near Eldorado Springs measured over 21 inches of snow, with 12 inches observed in Sunshine Canyon.
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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 produced period of moderate to heavy snowfall in and near the Front Range mountains and foothills. A trained spotter near Eldorado Springs measured over 21 inches of snow, with 12 inches observed in Sunshine Canyon. Elsewhere, storm totals ranged from 6 to 11 inches. Along the urban corridor, storm totals west of I-25 ranged from 5 to 8 inches, with 2 to 4 inches east of the interstate.
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 2, 3:41 PM MST, 14 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 341 PM MST Sun Feb 2 2020 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday) Issued at 200 PM MST Sun Feb 2 2020 Temperatures have climbed into the 70s this afternoon along the Urban Corridor and eastern plains. Surface low pressure over northeast Colorado will move off to the southeast tonight. A cold front, currently moving south through Wyoming, will sweep across the area tonight bringing much colder temperatures for Monday. By sunrise, temperatures will be in the 20s over most of northeast Colorado. With cold air advection taking place through the day Monday, expect temperatures to remain steady or slowly fall through the day. Low clouds will move in behind the front late tonight. The low levels saturate enough that freezing drizzle is expected. By mid to late morning, airmass gets colder than -10C in the saturated layer and should result in ice activation in the clouds and cause precipitation change to snow. Best snowfall late Monday morning is expected over the foothills of Larimer and Boulder counties where east-southeast upslope flow will prevail. Low level flow turns more easterly and eventually northeast through Monday afternoon and evening. This will spread snow southward Monday afternoon. Snow will move into the mountains Monday afternoon as the upper level trough nears Colorado. Lift from the trough will continue eastward Monday afternoon bringing snow to areas mainly west of I-70. Roads are expected to become snow covered and slick late Monday afternoon and snow increases and temperatures fall. .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Sunday) Issued at 300 PM MST Sun Feb 2 2020 The main shortwave aloft along with a low to mid level front will move across our CWA Monday evening. This period from the late afternoon through the evening should produce the best snowfall rates of the storm as the dendritic growth zone is deepest. Snowfall rates will be between 1 to 2 inches per hour in the foothills and across the urban corridor mainly south of Boulder. The Monday evening commute could be very slow due to difficult travel conditions especially on the west and south side of the Denver metro. The low to mid level front will push southeastward of our CWA later Monday night which will lead to a decrease in snowfall rates. Upper level QG ascent persists over our CWA through much of the day Tuesday with light snow showers more numerous in the morning hours. The morning commute may see light travel impacts with minimal to no travel impacts during the evening commute. The winter weather highlights end at 6am Tuesday due to the expected improvement in travel conditions. Clouds begin to clear Tuesday evening leading to mostly clear skies Tuesday night. With the fresh snow cover on the ground and light winds, temperatures will plummet well below normal. Denver will likely reach below zero while the mountains reach the negative teens. Wind chills will reach the -30s in the mountains. An upper level ridge will dry things out on Wednesday with temperatures getting closer to normal. A strong northwesterly jet stream will persist over Colorado Wednesday night through Friday. This system will likely bring significant snow amounts to the northwest slopes and especially the Park Range. There is some model uncertainty in the strength and timing of shortwaves that pass through Colorado during this period. It does appear the urban corridor and plains will get a chance of precipitation on Friday but confidence is low. Ridging develops over Colorado next weekend with above normal temperatures and dry weather. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Monday evening) Issued at 200 PM MST Sun Feb 2 2020 VFR conditions and southwest winds will prevail through this evening. Gusts up to 30 knots will be possible. A strong cold front will bring north to northeast winds around 05Z. Low clouds will move in behind the front by 09Z, possibly a little sooner. Ceilings are expected to fall to 500 to 1000 feet. Freezing drizzle will be possible through 15Z, then the precipitation type will change to light snow/flurries. Heaviest snow is expected late Monday afternoon and Monday evening. Total snowfall of 3 to 6 inches is expected at KDEN by Tuesday afternoon when the snow ends. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 6 AM Monday to 6 AM MST Tuesday for COZ035-036-039. Winter Storm Warning from noon Monday to 6 AM MST Tuesday for COZ033-034. Winter Weather Advisory from noon Monday to 6 AM MST Tuesday for COZ031. Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM Monday to 6 AM MST Tuesday for COZ038-040-041-043>046-049. && SHORT TERM...Meier LONG TERM...Danielson AVIATION...Meier
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1038 AM MST Sun Feb 2 2020 COZ030>051-031745- 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- 1038 AM MST Sun Feb 2 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight It will be warm and dry today with temperatures well above seasonal normals. The fire danger will be elevated where breezy winds develop. A cold front will sweep south across Colorado tonight. Freezing drizzle will possible over the plains and lower foothills just before dawn on Monday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday The next storm will bring a much colder airmass to the forecast area Monday and Tuesday. Precipitation from this storm will begin as light freezing drizzle over the plains and urban corridor Monday morning. Snow will become widespread Monday afternoon through Tuesday. There may be a period of heavier snow in the late afternoon and evening Monday, especially along the Front Range foothills, then snow will be light into Tuesday with temperatures mainly in the teens. Some moderation in temperatures is expected for the rest of the week. Another weather system will bring snow to the northern mountains late Wednesday through Friday, and a chance of rain or snow to the plains Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 2020
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: 871239, 871240, 871241, 871242, 871243, 871244, 871245, 871246.