Winter Weather — West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

2026-01-01 to 2026-01-02 · West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

Generally 5 to 10 inches of snow fell across the area with 6.5 inches reported at Crested Butte 6.2N. A peak wind gust of 61 mph occurred at Monarch Pass.

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 1311852. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.