Colorado, 2022

Winter Weather in Colorado, December 6 to 8, 2022

December 6 to 8, 2022 · NWS GJT · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A cold front and associated frontal band continued to progress across west-central and southwest Colorado, resulting in moderate snowfall over the mountains. Additionally, winds gusted up to 50 mph at times.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 GJT wrote it up.

A cold front and associated frontal band continued to progress across west-central and southwest Colorado, resulting in moderate snowfall over the mountains. Additionally, winds gusted up to 50 mph at times.

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 Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 5, 10:33 PM MST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 5, 10:33 PM MST, 2 hours 27 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 5, 9:33 PM MST, 3 hours 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 5, 9:38 PM MST, 3 hours 22 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

6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When
December 6, 1:00 AM MST to December 8, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the area. Winds gusted up to 50 mph at times.

Winter Weather, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When
December 6, 1:00 AM MST to December 8, 12:00 PM MST
Where
West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 6 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area with locally higher amounts of up to 17 inches estimated the Schofield Pass SNOTEL site. Winds gusted up to 50 mph at times.

Winter Weather, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When
December 6, 3:00 AM MST to December 8, 3:00 AM MST
Where
Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 5 to 10 inches of snow fell across the area.

Winter Weather, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When
December 6, 7:00 AM MST to December 8, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Southwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
37.594, -107.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 7 to 14 inches of snow fell across the area with locally higher amounts of up to 18 inches estimated at the Spud Mountain SNOTEL site. Winds gusted up to 50 mph at times.

Winter Weather, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When
December 6, 12:00 PM MST to December 8, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the area with locally higher amounts of up to a foot measured. Winds gusted up to 50 mph at times.

Winter Weather, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide

When
December 7, 1:00 AM MST to December 8, 1:00 AM MST
Where
Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated 10 inches of snow fell at the Columbine Pass SNOTEL site with generally 3 to 6 inches measured at lower elevations.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2022

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1060376, 1060377, 1060375, 1060380, 1060379, 1060378.