Blizzard — Sedgwick County, Colorado

2016-03-23 · Sedgwick County, Colorado

Event narrative

A storm spotter measured 5.5 inches of snowfall 4 miles north-northwest of Marks Butte. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph were measured at Chadron, Nebraska with peak gust to 35 mph.

Wider weather episode

A powerful blizzard developed across the Front Range of Colorado late on the 22nd and continued through much of the 23rd. The storm tracked east-southeast across Utah on the 22nd, and then into southeast Colorado by the morning of the 23rd. The storm rapidly intensified as it reached eastern Colorado, producing extremely heavy and intense snowfall with snowfall rates exceeding 3 inches per hour at times. In addition to heavy snow, strong winds gusting in excess of 50 mph east of Interstate 25 produced widespread blizzard conditions and zero visibilities. The storm initially began with rain on the plains, but quickly changed over to snow during the early morning hours of the 23rd. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common, with several inches of snow already accumulating for the morning commute. Many roads became impassable due to the depth of fallen snow, drifting snow, and near zero visibilities during the day.

During the peak of the storm, snowfall rates reached or exceeded 3 inches per hour. Widespread road closures occurred, including Interstate 76 from northeast of Denver to the Nebraska state line, Interstate 70 east of Denver to the Kansas state line, and much of I-25 , from near Castle Rock to Colorado Springs and from Highway 7 north to the Wyoming border. The Colorado Department of Transportation estimated over 2,000 vehicles became trapped on I-25 near Monument Hill alone, with hundreds of stuck or abandoned cars elsewhere. Numerous power outages occurred as heavy wet snow accumulated on trees, despite the strong winds. At the peak, several hundred thousand residents along the Front Range were without power. Denver International Airport was closed for 7 hours during and just after the peak of the blizzard, with around 1,300 cancelled flights. The power outages shut down the fuel farm pumps, the deicing facility, as well as train service to the concourses at the airport. Pea Boulevard, the main road to the airport, was impassable for much of the day. It was the first time since Dec. 21,2006 that Denver International Airport had been shut down due to snow conditions.

One to 2 feet of snow fell across much of the Front Range Urban Corridor, with over 30 inches in some foothill locations. Most of the snow fell within a 12-hr period from the early morning into the afternoon. A peak wind gust of 59 mph recorded at Denver International Airport. South of Denver, over the Palmer Ridge, 12 to 18 inches of snow was reported, with 6 to 10 inches across the northeast plains of Colorado. The official snowfall measurement at Denver International Airport was 13.1 inches. In addition, the snow was very heavy and wet, with many areas receiving 1 to 2 inches precipitation. In the foothills, some locations received nearly 3 inches of water from this storm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 617570. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.