Moisture will continue to move into areas of the West. This will increase showers and thunderstorms coverage and intensity, with the risk of flash flooding and damaging wind gusts. Meanwhile, heat across the Southwest will expand into the center of the nation this weekend into early next week. Trends favor this heat will spread across the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic next week. Read More >
Overview
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A major winter storm brought several feet of heavy snow to the eastern Utah and western Colorado mountains during the evening of December 15th through the morning of December 17th. Most locations received one to two inches of liquid equivalent precipitation, with measured liquid precipitation equivalence as high as four inches! Both Highway 550 over Red Mountain Pass and Highway 65 over the Grand Mesa were closed for more than 24 hours due to avalanche danger and mitigation during and after this storm. Many accidents along I-70 occurred due to winter weather, and many passes in western Colorado were closed for shorter duration during this storm due to either vehicle accidents or avalanche mitigation. This storm brought snowpack up significantly in water basins across eastern Utah and western Colorado. |
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| Digging out from 33" of snow on December 17, 2016. Photo courtesy Grand Mesa Lodge. |
9" fell at Spring Valley, near Glenwood Springs. Photo courtesy Rick Walter |
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) percentage of normal in Utah as of 12/18/2016 |
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) percentage of normal for Colorado as of 12/18/2016 |
Photos & Video:
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| Snow piling up in Ouray, CO on December 17, 2016 (Heather Smith) |
Just north of Ouray, CO on December 17, 2016 (Mary Carkin) |
Buried snowmobile trailer on the Grand Mesa December 17, 2016 (Grand Mesa Lodge) |
12.5" fell at Black Canyon National Park (NPS) |
Storm Reports
Preliminary and estimated mountain storm total values are shown. This is followed by individual reports, both 24 and 48 hour values. Elkheat & Park Range...... 14 to 26 inches Flattops.................. 12 to 36 inches Grand Mesa................ 20 to 40 inches with 49 inches near Park Reservoir (9960') Gore & Elk Range.......... 14 to 19 inches West Elk & Sawatch Range.. 19 to 31 inches with 49 inches near Schofield Pass (10700') Uncompahgre Plateu........ 30 to 40 inches Northwest San Juans....... 16 to 27 inches Southwest San Juans....... 19 to 35 inches Eastern Uintas............ 11 to 22 inches Eastern Tavaputs.......... 14 to 18 inches La Sals & Abajos.......... 15 to 22 inches ...Snowfall Reports... Location Amount Time/Date Elevation (ft.) Cedaredge 10.5 NNW 33.8 in 0800 AM 12/18 10399 Irwin Ski Lodge 31.0 in 0521 PM 12/17 10400 4 NE North Pole Peak 27.0 in 1201 PM 12/18 9470 Crested Butte 6.2 N 23.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 9606 Gothic 23.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 9469 Ouray 21.9 in 0507 PM 12/17 7720 Ouray Spotter 21.9 in 0736 AM 12/18 7727 Ouray 21.9 in 0736 AM 12/18 7728 Pitkin 1.1 SW 18.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 9139 6 NNW Rockwood 17.9 in 0700 AM 12/18 8976 Taylor Park 10.4 in 0509 PM 12/17 9179 4 NW Colona 10.0 in 0507 PM 12/17 null 3 N Skyway 9.0 in 0642 PM 12/17 7696 Vail 2.6 E 8.6 in 0700 AM 12/18 8389 Montrose 2e 7.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 5806 Montrose 7.3 ENE 7.2 in 0700 AM 12/18 6914 Gunnison 6.6 N 6.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 7941 Vail 0.9 WNW 6.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 8172 Durango 4.8 WSW 5.8 in 0700 AM 12/18 7430 Steamboat Springs 0.7 ESE 5.7 in 0700 AM 12/18 7049 El Jebel 5.5 in 0720 AM 12/18 6427 Pagosa Springs 1.6 SSW 5.2 in 0800 AM 12/18 7401 Bayfield 7N 4.4 in 0700 AM 12/18 7460 Hayden 4.0 in 0600 PM 12/17 6467 Gunnison 3wsw 4.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 7602 Cortez 11nw 4.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 6598 Carbondale 3.6 in 0500 AM 12/18 6171 Glenwood Springs 1.7 NW 3.6 in 0700 AM 12/18 6050 Durango 0.8 SSW 3.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 6624 Wolcott 2.3 N 3.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 7224 Wolcott 2n 3.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 7215 Hotchkiss 5wnw 1.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 5763 17 W Glade Park 1.3 in 0800 AM 12/18 6385 Canyonlands the Neck 1.0 in 0800 AM 12/18 5930 Arboles 5wnw 1.0 in 0700 AM 12/18 6545 Hovenweep National Monument 0.8 in 0800 AM 12/18 5240 Rifle 3.2 ENE 0.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 5472 Durango 7.1 N 0.5 in 0800 AM 12/18 6575 Rifle 3ene 0.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 5436 Grand Junction 3.9 SSE 0.5 in 0700 AM 12/18 4676 Ignacio Spotter 0.4 in 0700 AM 12/18 6562 Grand Junction 4.1 W 0.1 in 0700 AM 12/18 4630
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