Winter Weather — Elkhead and Park Mountains, Colorado

2026-01-01 to 2026-01-02 · Elkhead and Park Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

Generally 5 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area with locally higher amounts up to 24 inches at Tower. A peak wind gust of 45 mph occurred at Storm Peak Lab.

Wider weather episode

An open low pressure trough moved through the area with better dynamics and moisture at the onset, with the Park Range Mountains favored for the better accumulations. Moderate snow continued across the central and southern Colorado mountains as well as the La Sal Mountains and Abajo Mountains of southeast Utah, driven mainly from orographic components. Temperatures were fairly mild, which limited snow accumulations to the higher elevations above 8000 feet.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1311850. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.