Two snowmobilers were caught, buried, and killed in a large avalanche on the east face of Mount Epworth near Corona Pass, about 6 miles east of Winter Park. Another group in the area was able to locate one of the riders with a transceiver.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Two snowmobilers were caught, buried, and killed in a large avalanche on the east face of Mount Epworth near Corona Pass, about 6 miles east of Winter Park. Another group in the area was able to locate one of the riders with a transceiver. They performed CPR, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The second rider was not wearing an avalanche transceiver. Grand County Sheriff's Deputies and Grand County search and rescue were unable to locate the second rider before dark. They continued the search the following day and the second victim was recovered.
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 Jan 7, 9:25 AM MST, 4 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 925 AM MST Sat Jan 7 2023 .UPDATE... Issued at 921 AM MST Sat Jan 7 2023 We're a little slower to clear this morning than expected, and there are even still some flurries up around Sterling as well as some lingering on the mountain ridges. Not really expecting any accumulation out of this. There is also some patchy fog over the northeast plains. It's dense in a few spots, but that looks to be very limited in coverage. Developing winds should get rid of that within the next hour or so. I also added a few patches of fog tonight as some evaporation today combined with less cloud cover should allow the cold pools to get close to saturation. Today's forecast highs should still be good. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 224 AM MST Sat Jan 7 2023 Radars, web cameras and observations are indicating scattered light snow showers pushing southeastward across the plains at this time. There is more steady light snow over the high mountains currently. The cloud cover in place is keeping the temperatures warmer tonight compared to the last few nights. Current temperatures are in the mid 20s to lower 30s F over the plains. Readings over the mountains and foothills are mainly in the teens to lower 20s F. Models have northeasterly flow aloft increasing a bit as an upper ridge axis moves into the CWA from the west through the day today. The ridge axis is over eastern Colorado through the night tonight with zonal flow aloft. Weak downward synoptic scale energy is progged today and tonight. The low level winds should be a mix of normal diurnal patterns and downsloping both today and tonight. Speeds do not look significant. Cross sections indicate the moisture to decrease this morning. It will continue dry this afternoon and this evening. Some upper level cloudiness is expected to move into the western CWA towards dawn on Sunday morning. The QPF fields have a small amount of measurable snow for the northwestern CWA this morning, then nothing is indicated over the forecast area through 12Z Sunday morning. Will keep some lingering pops for snow in the high mountains this morning only. For temperatures, highs today and lows tonight, will both be right at seasonal normals. .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 158 AM MST Sat Jan 7 2023 Overall a dry and warming trend expected over the mountains and plains through Monday. On Sunday the high pressure ridge axis shifts east into the central plains while a more moderate westerly flow results over Colorado. Cross sections showing increasing westerly, downsloping flow with cross barrier flow of 30- 40kt. Expect increasing gusty winds in the mountains up to 50 mph while temperatures will be warming on the plains. The mountain top flow increases a bit more Sunday night with continued gusty winds over the higher mountains and exposed east slopes. On Monday, the high pressure ridge rebuilds for a short time in advance of the next strong low developing off the west coast. The next big challenge will be with the track of the Pacific storm as it rides to the lee of the Rockies. There is still quite a bit of discrepancy in model placement and timing but there is a general track across far southern Colorado or Northern New Mexico over the Wednesday time frame. At this time, best moisture and QG forcing would stay more over southern Colorado with lesser amounts over northern Colorado. However still 5 days away so expect varied solutions and timing as we go forward. For now, a bit cooler temperatures and a chance of rain or snow showers. Given this is a Pacific system, there is not a lot of cold air with this system, given the mixed rain/snow in the current forecast. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 921 AM MST Sat Jan 7 2023 VFR through tonight with light winds. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && UPDATE...Gimmestad SHORT TERM...RJK LONG TERM....Entrekin AVIATION...Gimmestad
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1012 AM MST Sat Jan 7 2023 COZ030>051-081715- 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- 1012 AM MST Sat Jan 7 2023 This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday The chance of snow will return to the high country on Tuesday as moisture increases from the west. A stronger storm system will bring more snow to the high country along with a chance for rain and snow across the plains Wednesday into Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight. Gimmestad/Kalina
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
Two snowmobilers were caught, buried and killed by a large avalanche.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, S & Se Grand / W Central & Sw Boulder / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Summit / N & W Park Counties Above 9000 Feet | 2023-01-07 | 58 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Avalanche, S & Se Grand / W Central & Sw Boulder / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Summit / N & W Park Counties Above 9000 Feet | 2023-01-07 | 52 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2023
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: 1064478.