Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

2025-01-20 to 2025-01-21 · West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

Between the Taylor Park RAWS and the CDOT Mesonet Station in Crested Butte, a period of approximately 18 hours where temperatures were below 25F and wind chill values were below 15F. Winds were, on the whole, at or above 10 mph, gusting or sustained. That said, even weaker winds produced wind chill values sufficiently cold to warrant inclusion. Temperatures ranged from -12F to 4F and winds ranged from 6 mph to 23 mph. The coldest wind chill value recorded during this period was -30F. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received.

Wider weather episode

A cold front ushered in an arctic airmass on the evening of January 17th, as well as bringing widespread wind and snow to eastern Utah and western Colorado. This arctic airmass was reinforced over the course of the next week by several passing waves with their own associated cold fronts. Temperatures during this period were 15-20 degrees below normal, and in some places close to 30 degrees below normal. With temperatures this cold, any amount of wind would produce a dangerously cold wind chill. The coldest period of this event was January 20th to the 22nd, with temperatures finally beginning to moderate after the 23rd.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1236861. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.