Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Colorado, December 13 to 15, 2023

Name: Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Colorado, December 13 to 15, 2023
Start: 2023-12-13T10:00
End: 2023-12-15T17:00
Location: Colorado

December 13 to 15, 2023 · NWS PUB · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

A closed low pressure system propagated from the Pacific Northwest down through northern New Mexico providing an efficient flow regime for snowfall over the eastern mountains and over the plains. The propagation speed and the location of the cyclone wasn't the most ideal location for snowfall, but I-25 corridor performed well.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 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: 23

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.

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, 3:39 PM MST, 18 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 3:39 PM MST, 18 hours 21 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, 9 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

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

When: December 13, 10:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM 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)

There was 7 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Southern San Luis Valley

When: December 13, 10:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Southern San Luis Valley forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.240, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3.8 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3.6 inches of snow that fell.

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

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 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)

There was 4.8 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 37.685, -104.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 4.5 inches of snow that fell.

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

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 8 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.173, -104.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 7 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 4.9 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 39.202, -106.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 2.5 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, Lamar Vicinity / Prowers County

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Lamar Vicinity / Prowers County forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.955, -102.393 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 1 inch of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wolf Creek Ski area reported 10 inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Eastern Las Animas County

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 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)

There was 3.4 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, Del Norte Vicinity / Northern San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Del Norte Vicinity / Northern San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3.2 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 4.9 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 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)

There was 5 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.488, -105.323 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 2.2 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft

When: December 13, 11:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 4 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When: December 13, 3:00 PM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, Western Kiowa County

When: December 14, 12:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Western Kiowa County forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.433, -102.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 1.9 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, Crowley County

When: December 14, 12:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Crowley County forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 38.327, -103.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 1.6 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Springfield Vicinity / Baca County

When: December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Springfield Vicinity / Baca County forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.319, -102.560 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 5 inches of snow that fell.

Heavy Snow, Trinidad Vicinity / Lower Huerfano River Basin & Western Las Animas County Below 7500 Ft

When: December 14, 7:00 AM MST to December 15, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Trinidad Vicinity / Lower Huerfano River Basin & Western Las Animas County Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.316, -104.039 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 9.8 inches of snow that fell.

Winter Weather, La Junta Vicinity / Otero County

When: December 14, 7:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: La Junta Vicinity / Otero County forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 37.903, -103.716 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3 inches of snow that fell.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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

Every storm in Colorado in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, December 2023

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1153933, 1153934, 1153923, 1153924, 1153926, 1153927, 1153935, 1153937, 1153938, 1153939, 1153941, 1153943, 1153944, 1153946, 1153947, 1153950, 1153951, 1153930, 1153925, 1153945, 1153932, 1153929, 1153940.