Blizzard conditions developed over Washington and Lincoln counties. Wind gusts during the event peaked around 50 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Blizzard conditions developed over Washington and Lincoln counties. Wind gusts during the event peaked around 50 mph. Storm totals ranged from 2 to 4 inches. The combination of snow and blowing snow produced reduced the visibility to near zero.
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 Mar 27, 4:34 PM MST, 3 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 534 PM MDT Fri Mar 27 2020 .UPDATE... Issued at 526 PM MDT Fri Mar 27 2020 Some thunderstormns developing over eastern Elbert and northern Lincoln counties late this afternoon, so updated to include thunderstorms there until 8 pm. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Saturday) Issued at 300 PM MDT Fri Mar 27 2020 Water vapor imagery shows a strong trough moving across the Four Corners region with convective showers developing over the mountains. This trough will strengthen tonight as it moves onto the Central Plains and becomes a closed low. At the surface, a lee cyclone is developing over the Arkansas River Valley in southeastern Colorado. On the north side of the cyclone, upslope flow has kept cool and relatively moist air in place today. Instability over the mountains along with convergent flow is beginning to produce showers across our CWA. These showers will increase in coverage and intensity throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. Initially, rain will be falling across the plains but a cold front will push southeastward out of Wyoming this evening changing the precipitation over to snow from west to east. The urban corridor will be the first to see snow this evening but it should end rather quickly as northwest, downslope flow dissipates precipitation by the late evening. This is why the urban corridor was left without any advisories since snow amounts and impacts will be much lower than other areas. As the surface cyclone deepens tonight, it will greatly strengthen northwest winds across the eastern plains as moderate to heavy snowfall develops. Models have come into better agreement that areas from the Palmer Divide to northern Washington County will be the focus for heavy snowfall as 4 to 10 inches are possible there. The heavy snow combined with wind gusts up to 55 mph will create blizzard conditions and extremely hazardous travel conditions. A Blizzard Warning was issued from 9pm through noon tomorrow for Washington, Lincoln, and NE Elbert Counties. One of the bigger forecast changes was to increase PoPs and QPF tomorrow morning since the system will be much slower to move out of the region than originally expected. In the mountains, there will be generally light snowfall with the highest amounts north of I-70 were a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect. Strong northwest winds will persist throughout the day tomorrow with clouds decreasing from west to east. A few light snow showers will be possible in the mountains but other areas will remain dry besides the morning snow on the far eastern plains. .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Friday) Issued at 300 PM MDT Fri Mar 27 2020 Short and medium range models each have the upper level low well east of Colorado by tomorrow evening with weak west to northwest flow aloft over the state. Mountain areas will have a little moisture trapped west of the Continental Divide which will produce some weak snow showers overnight. By Sunday morning, flow aloft will be switching to west and southwesterly, ahead of the next developing upper trough over the southwestern United States. This will bring warmer temperatures back to the area. The next upper trough is expected to be moving over the region Monday with another round of mountain snow showers and plains rain showers Monday afternoon and evening. Warm air will move up over eastern Colorado ahead of the trough, which will keep the showers on the plains in the liquid form. After Monday's system moves through, moderate to strong westerly flow aloft will dominate through the first half of the week. Some Pacific moisture will be embedded in the flow, causing some orographic snow showers over the mountains. Snowfall amounts in the mountains will be light through the next several days as the trough moves through quickly, and the subsequent westerly flow aloft will not have that much moisture. The plains will be dry for the majority of the week. At the end of next week, the medium range models show the next upper trough arriving. Models have different ideas concerning the magnitude and timing of the arrival of this trough. For the time being, Monday's trough will be the last significant weather for the week. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Saturday afternoon) Issued at 533 PM MDT Fri Mar 27 2020 MVFR ceilings will continue through the late afternoon. Rain showers will change to snow between 00-02Z. Heavy, wet snow may decrease visibilities below a mile mainly between 02-06Z. Snowfall at the Denver airports is expected to be between 1 to 4 inches. Strong gusty winds will also affect the airports with gusts up to 35 knots possible late tonight. Saturday, skies clear out as strong northwest winds persist. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to noon MDT Saturday for COZ048-050-051. Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM MDT Saturday for COZ033-035. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT Saturday for COZ041-042- 044-045. Blizzard Warning from 9 PM this evening to noon MDT Saturday for COZ046-049. && UPDATE...Cooper SHORT TERM...Danielson LONG TERM...Dankers AVIATION...Danielson
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 421 PM MDT Fri Mar 27 2020 COZ030>051-282230- 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- 421 PM MDT Fri Mar 27 2020 ...Blizzard Warning from 9 pm mdt this evening until noon mdt Saturday for Northeast Elbert, Northern Lincoln and Washington Counties... This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A vigorous weather system will bring snow to the mountains. Across the lower elevations, rain will change to snow this evening as colder air enters Colorado. Periods of moderate to heavy snow coupled with strong winds will occur over the east central plains by late this evening. The combination of snow and strong winds will cause blizzard conditions across Washington, northern Lincoln, and northeast Elbert counties. Storm totals over the northern mountains and foothills will range from 4 to 8 inches by Saturday morning. Over the Palmer Divide and parts of the eastern plains, 3 to 10 inches of are expected through midday Saturday. Strong wind gusts 45 to 55 mph will be possible over those areas late tonight through Saturday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday On the eastern plains, moderate to heavy snow along with gusty north winds will continue through midday and then begin to diminish. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 MPH will cause blowing and drifting snow with poor visibilities. Conditions will gradually improve by the afternoon. Over the I-25 corridor and near the foothills, lingering light snow in the morning will dissipate by noon. Weather systems moving across the state are expected to bring a chance of snow to the mountains Saturday evening, then again Sunday afternoon through Monday. Snow amounts from these weather systems is expected to be light. Another weather system is expected next Thursday. A slight chance of rain showers over the plains is expected Monday afternoon and then again Thursday afternoon. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed this afternoon or tonight, but snowfall or wind reports would be appreciated.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
324 PM MDT FRI MAR 27 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0310 PM SNOW 2 E ESTES PARK 40.38N 105.48W
03/27/2020 E1.5 INCH LARIMER CO PUBLIC
0235 PM SNOW 3 W JAMESTOWN 40.11N 105.44W
03/27/2020 M1.5 INCH BOULDER CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
822 PM MDT FRI MAR 27 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0819 PM SNOW 3 SSW BOULDER 39.99N 105.26W
03/27/2020 M1.2 INCH BOULDER CO NWS EMPLOYEE
NWS OFFICE.
0610 PM SNOW 3 W JAMESTOWN 40.11N 105.44W
03/27/2020 M5.4 INCH BOULDER CO TRAINED SPOTTER
0413 PM SNOW 4 NE NEDERLAND 39.99N 105.45W
03/27/2020 M1.5 INCH BOULDER CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak wind gust to 54 mph was measured at Limon Municipal Airport. Storm totals ranged from 2 to 4 inches, and combined with the strong wind to produce near zero visibility.
A peak wind gust to 47 mph was measured at Colorado Plains Regional Airport in Akron. Storm totals ranged from 2 to 4 inches, and combined with the strong wind to produce near zero visibility.
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, March 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: 882330, 882331.