Winter Weather — West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

2026-01-23 to 2026-01-24 · West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

Generally 5 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area. 10 inches of snow was reported at Crested Butte 6.2N and McClure Pass.

Wider weather episode

Southwest flow ahead of a deepening cutoff low over the Desert Southwest allowed for sufficient moisture to work into the area along a strong cold front. An additional low pressure system dropped in from the northwest, bringing colder air with it and pushing this cold front across the area. This resulted in moderate to heavy snowfall across the central and southern mountains of western Colorado and southeast Utah with the higher accumulations over the Uncompahgre Plateau and San Juan Mountains due to colder air and favorable orographics.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1311905. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.