Winter Weather — Debeque To Silt Corridor, Colorado

2023-02-28 · Debeque To Silt Corridor, Colorado

Event narrative

A snow squall impacted portions of the I-70 corridor, reducing visibilities to less than one quarter of a mile for around 15 minutes as it moved through. Winds gusted to 50 mph at the Rifle Garfield County Airport.

Wider weather episode

A second shortwave disturbance tracked across the Western Slope. Ample moisture paired with favorable orographics and support aloft resulted in moderate snow across the mountains of western Colorado. Winds in both the mountains and valleys exceeded 50 mph at times. Additionally, stronger snow bands and subsequent snow squalls developed along portions of I-70 and Highway 40, with visibilities dropping to less than one quarter of a mile in heavy snow and strong winds.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1075025. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.