Winter Weather — West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

2026-01-05 to 2026-01-06 · West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

Generally 5 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area with 8.5 inches of snow reported at Crested Butte 6.2N. Winds gusted 45 to 64 mph in the higher elevations with a peak wind gust of 64 mph at Monarch Pass.

Wider weather episode

A jet streak and shortwave trough pushed through the northern and central portions of the area, bringing moderate snowfall to the northern and central Colorado mountains as well as the Eastern Uinta Mountains of northeast Utah. The strong southwest flow also led to windy conditions at the higher elevations resulting in blowing snow as well. Temperatures stayed warm with this system, keeping better snow accumulations mainly confined to areas above 9000 feet.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1311875. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.