Winter Storm — Lower Yampa River Basin, Colorado

2022-12-21 to 2022-12-22 · Lower Yampa River Basin, Colorado

Event narrative

Winds gusted to over 45 mph at times which resulted in significantly reduced visibility in blowing snow and hazardous travel. The cold front brought wind chills down to -37 degrees F near Elk Springs.

Wider weather episode

An impressive arctic air mass accompanied a strong cold front that dropped across western Colorado. The lift from the front itself paired with strong jet support aloft and minor moisture resulted in scattered showers across the Continental Divide. While snowfall totals weren't overly impressive with this system, generally light to moderate, the combination of snowfall with wind gusts in excess of 70 mph at times in the higher terrain resulted in blizzard-like conditions and significant travel impacts.

In the wake of the system, the arctic air overhead paired with continued breezy conditions resulted in bitterly cold wind chills for the northern areas.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1061153. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.