Colorado, 2025

Heavy Snow and High Wind in Colorado, January 7 to 9, 2025

January 7 to 9, 2025 · NWS PUB · 13 events in 11 counties and zones

An upper wave dug down over the Four Corners Region, which coupled with mid-level circulation with energy moving east of the Rocky Mountains. At the surface, strong and consistent upslope flow assisted in snow formation, while gusty winds spread across portions of the area, bringing snow and blowing snow to portions of SE Colorado.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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
13

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.

An upper wave dug down over the Four Corners Region, which coupled with mid-level circulation with energy moving east of the Rocky Mountains. At the surface, strong and consistent upslope flow assisted in snow formation, while gusty winds spread across portions of the area, bringing snow and blowing snow to portions of SE Colorado.

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 Jan 6, 10:37 PM MST, 3 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 10:37 PM MST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 6, 4:42 AM MST, 21 hours 18 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
442 AM MST Mon Jan 6 2025

COZ058>089-093>099-071145-
Western Mosquito Range/East Lake County Above 11000 Feet-
Leadville Vicinity/Lake County Below 11000 Feet-
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Feet-
Western Chaffee County Between 9000 and 11000 Feet-
Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Feet-
Western Mosquito Range/East Chaffee County Above 9000 Feet-
Saguache County West of Continental Divide Below 10000 Feet-
Saguache County East of Continental Divide Below 10000 Feet-
La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Feet-
Upper Rio Grande Valley/Eastern San Juan Mountains Below
10000 Feet-Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Feet-
Del Norte Vicinity/Northern San Luis Valley Below 8500 Feet-
Alamosa  Vicinity/Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Feet-
Southern San Luis Valley-
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 And 11000 Feet-
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Feet-
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 and 11000 Feet-
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Feet-
Northwestern Fremont County Above 8500 Feet-
Western/Central Fremont County Below 8500 Feet-
Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Feet-
Wet Mountains between 6300 and 10000 Feet-
Wet Mountains Above 10000 Feet-
Teller County/Rampart Range Above 7500 Feet/Pikes Peak Between
7500 And 11000 Feet-Pikes Peak Above 11000 Feet-
Canon City Vicinity/Eastern Fremont County-
Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge/Rampart Range Below
7500 Feet-
Colorado Springs Vicinity/Southern El Paso County/Rampart Range
Below 7400 Feet-Pueblo Vicinity/Pueblo County Below 6300 Feet-
Walsenburg Vicinity/Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Feet-
Trinidad Vicinity/Western Las Animas County Below 7500 Feet-
Crowley County-La Junta Vicinity/Otero County-
Eastern Las Animas County-Western Kiowa County-
Eastern Kiowa County-Las Animas Vicinity/Bent County-
Lamar Vicinity/Prowers County-Springfield Vicinity/Baca County-
442 AM MST Mon Jan 6 2025

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east
central...south central and southeast Colorado.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Snow will set in across the central mountains starting this
afternoon. Tonight, snow will spread to the rest of the higher
terrain and the eastern plains, starting light but increasing
steadily into tomorrow morning. Roads will turn slick and travel
will be hazardous, including over the I-25 corridor.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

Persistent light to moderate snow is forecast across the region
through Tuesday afternoon. Most areas will see 1 to 4 inches of
snow, with higher totals across the Palmer Divide, south into
Pueblo County.  Snow will end north to south by Tuesday evening.

Another storm system will bring light snow to the Mountains on
Thursday with minor accumulations possible. Active weather will
continue over the weekend with another round of snowfall for much
of southern Colorado late Saturday into Sunday.

Temperatures will remain below normal during this period, with
overnight lows in the single digits across the Plains.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will
be possible over portions of the region.

GARBEROGLIO/88

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 7, 12:43 AM MST, 1 hour 17 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

11 heavy snow, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 7.0 inches of snow measured.

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

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 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)

There was 2.8 inches of snow measured.

Heavy Snow, West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3.0 inches of snow measured.

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

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3.0 inches of snow measured.

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

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 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 5.3 inches of snow measured.

Heavy Snow, Southern San Luis Valley

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM 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 3.9 inches of snow measured.

Heavy Snow, Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM 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)

There was 4.0 inches of snow measured.

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

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 4.0 inches of snow measured.

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

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 3.2 inches of snow measured.

Heavy Snow, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM 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 3.5 inches of snow measured.

Heavy Snow, Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County

When
January 7, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Canon City Vicinity / Eastern Fremont County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.488, -105.323 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 4.0 inches of snow measured.

High Wind, Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft

When
January 9, 8:00 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where
Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a 64 mph gust measured at the Fort Carson airport.

High Wind, Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft

When
January 9, 9:13 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where
Pueblo Vicinity / Pueblo County Below 6300 Ft forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
38.173, -104.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a 59 MPH gust measured in Pueblo West.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2025

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: 1230852, 1230854, 1230856, 1230863, 1230864, 1230865, 1230866, 1230867, 1230868, 1230869, 1230870, 1230872, 1230871.