Winter Storm — Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties, Colorado

2001-04-02 to 2001-04-05 · Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties, Colorado

Wider weather episode

A strong upper level storm system combined with cold air to produce a widespread heavy, wet snow across parts of central and southeast Colorado from the evening of the 2nd through the 5th. The hardest hit area was the upper Arkansas River Valley from southern Chaffee county into western Fremont county and Custer county. Snowfall amounts from 20 to 30 inches were common in the above areas, which include the Buena Vista area in Chaffee county, the Westcliffe area and west of Westcliffe in Custer county, and from the Royal Gorge to Swissvale in western Fremont county. Numerous rock slides were seen on U.S. Highway 50 from Parkdale to Texas Creek. That stretch of road was closed for about one week for clean-up and further blasting of cliff sides. Salida, in southern Chaffee county, received the brunt of the snowfall. Amounts of 36 to 50 inches were claimed during the more than two days of snow. Numerous power failures and trees and limbs were brought down by the heavy, wet snow. The roof of the hot springs pool was taken off after severe structural damage. One radio station was knocked off-the-air for 36 hours. The Wet mountains in Custer and Pueblo counties also received snowfall, ranging from 6 to 15 inches. Teller county and northern El Paso county also received heavy snowfall, mainly later on the 4th and into the morning of the 5th. Up to 20 inches of snow was reported around and in Woodland Park, and 8 to 14 inches was observed in northern El Paso county from the Monument area to Black Forest, and points farther east. The damage estimates for the Salida area and U.S. Highway 50 clean-up are rough at this time.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5250424. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.