Colorado, 2026

Heavy Snow and High Wind in Colorado, January 2 to 4, 2026

January 2 to 4, 2026 · NWS PUB · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A quick-moving shortwave brought a brief period of accumulating snow to the mountains, while strong winds were seen just east of the terrain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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.

A quick-moving shortwave brought a brief period of accumulating snow to the mountains, while strong winds were seen just east of the terrain.

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 1, 10:14 PM MST, 3 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 10:14 PM MST, 3 hours 46 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

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

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

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

There was 5.0 inches of snow measured.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When
January 2, 8:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
38.677, -106.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was 6.0 inches of snow measured.

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

When
January 4, 5:40 AM MST
Where
Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Measured
62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a 71 mph gust measured near Manitou Springs, CO.

High Wind, Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
January 4, 5:43 AM MST
Where
Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a 66 mph wind gust measured.

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 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2026

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: 1314977, 1314976, 1314979, 1314978.