Frost/Freeze — Upper Yampa River Basin, Colorado

2024-10-21 to 2024-10-22 · Upper Yampa River Basin, Colorado

Event narrative

As 7 of the 11 reporting stations available for verification in this zone reported temperatures at or below 32F for at least three hours, at least 50% of the zone was below freezing for the required length of time. However, only 2 of the 11 reported temperatures below 28F for at least 3 hours, marking this as a freeze but not a season-ending one. The minimum recorded temperature was 26F, with a range of 26-32F. The coldest temperature recorded at the KSBS AWOS in Steamboat Springs was 29F. Temperatures at or below 32F lasted on average for 5 hours, with a maximum of 9 hours and a minimum of 0 Temperatures at or below 28F lasted on average 1 hour, with a maximum of 3 hours and a minimum of 0.

Wider weather episode

As skies gradually began to clear in the wake of an upper level low, and the atmosphere began to dry out, conditions were favorable for temperatures to drop below freezing in many locations across eastern Utah and western Colorado. Northern and central Colorado in particular were favored to see freezes. Lingering moisture and cloud cover in the vicinity did limit how cold temperatures could get, however, with this being a freeze but not a season ending one.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1220473. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.