Winter Weather — West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

2025-04-17 to 2025-04-19 · West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

Generally 6 to 10 inches of snow fell across the area. Wind gusts were in the 40 to 65 mph range at elevations above 11,900 feet with a peak wind gust of 67 mph at Cinnamon Mountain at 4/17 22:15.

Wider weather episode

Warm and windy conditions occurred ahead of a strong cold front and associated low pressure trough that brought much colder temperatures, with rain changing over to snow in some valleys. Moderate to heavy snow fell across most mountain areas of eastern Utah and western Colorado with the southern mountains receiving heavier snowfall in excess of a foot.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1253672. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.