Colorado, 2023

Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 15 to 16, 2023

February 15 to 16, 2023 · NWS PUB · 23 events in 19 counties and zones

Remnants of an AR combined with a strong cold front delivered heavy snow across the majority of Pueblo's CWA.

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.

Remnants of an AR combined with a strong cold front delivered heavy snow across the majority of Pueblo's CWA.

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 Feb 15, 4:47 AM MST, 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 15, 4:47 AM MST, 3 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 14, 10:53 AM MST, 17 hours 57 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 15, 12:08 AM MST, 4 hours 42 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 15, 12:11 AM MST, 4 hours 39 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 15, 12:22 AM MST, 4 hours 28 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 15, 2:03 AM MST, 2 hours 47 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 15, 4:02 AM MST, 48 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 15, 4:38 AM MST, 12 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

23 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County

When
February 15, 4:50 AM MST
Where
Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.488, -105.323 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brough 8 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
February 15, 6:02 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 Resort reported 25 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 6:18 AM MST
Where
Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brough 6 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When
February 15, 6:51 AM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brough 8 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft

When
February 15, 6:58 AM MST
Where
Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.173, -104.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brought 6 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 7:00 AM 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)

Winter storm brough 6.2 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Chaffee County / Western Mosquito Range Above 9000 Ft

When
February 15, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Eastern Chaffee County / Western Mosquito Range Above 9000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brought 7.9 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 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)

Winter storm brought 8.5 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 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)

Winter storm brought 10.6 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft

When
February 15, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brought 14 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

ASOS station kals Alamosa airport. snow squall at KALS. observations site reports wind gusts to 59 mph with visibility down to 1/4sm. snow amount is estimated. COOP reported 3 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 7:00 AM 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)

Winter storm brough 4.7 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft

When
February 15, 7:33 AM MST
Where
Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.173, -104.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm brought 12 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft

When
February 15, 7:38 AM MST
Where
West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brought 8 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
February 15, 8:00 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)

Winter storm brough 6.3 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When
February 15, 8:00 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)

Winter storm brough 8 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
February 15, 8:25 AM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brought 16 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When
February 15, 8:39 AM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brough 16 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 4:19 PM 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)

Winter storm brough 8 inches of snow.

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

When
February 15, 8:22 PM 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)

Winter Storm brough 5.5 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Lamar Vicinity / Prowers County

When
February 15, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Lamar Vicinity / Prowers County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.955, -102.393 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Delayed report of 3.5 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When
February 16, 5:42 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brough 10.4 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Western Kiowa County

When
February 16, 7:04 PM MST
Where
Western Kiowa County forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.433, -102.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter storm brough 5.6 inches of snow.

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

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 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: 1083635, 1083643, 1083633, 1083634, 1083636, 1083638, 1083639, 1083640, 1083644, 1083646, 1083654, 1083655, 1083631, 1083637, 1083649, 1083652, 1083647, 1083641, 1083651, 1083630, 1083658, 1083629, 1083657.