Winter Weather — Grand & Summit Counties Below 9000 Feet, Colorado

2010-12-18 to 2010-12-21 · Grand & Summit Counties Below 9000 Feet, Colorado

Wider weather episode

A winter storm, associated with a strong west to southwesterly flow aloft, produced a 4-day period of moderate to heavy snow in the North Central Mountains. The combination of strong wind and heavy snow forced the closure of several mountain passes due to threat of avalanches. The Amtrack train route, which runs from Denver to California, was rerouted through Wyoming when Union Pacific closed its tracks along Interstate 70. Numerous accidents forced the closure of I-70 at times. Peak wind gusts over the higher mountain passes generally ranged from 45 to 60 mph. Storm totals ranged from 16 to 32 inches in the mountains, with 5 to 10 inches in the valleys of Grand and Jackson Counties.

In the mountains, storm totals included: 32 inches, 10 miles east of Silverthorne; 29 inches at Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area; 28 inches at Breckenridge Ski Area; 23 inches, 16 miles west-southwest of Walden; 21 inches at Willow Park; 20 inches at Copper Mountain; 18 inches at Zirkel SNOTEL; 16 inches at Eldora Ski Resort, Long Draw Reservoir SNOTEL and Never Summer.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 271805. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.