Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Northwestern San Juan Mountains, Colorado

2025-01-22 · Northwestern San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

The KTEX AWOS in Telluride recorded an approximately 2 hour period where temperatures were below 25F and wind chill values were below 15F. The majority of this period saw winds less than 10 mph, but those still produced sufficiently cold wind chill values to warrant inclusion. Temperatures ranged from 16F to 18F and wind speeds ranged from 7 mph to 20 mph. The coldest wind chill value recorded during this period was 4F. 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 1237297. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.