December 15-17 Winter Storm Summary

Overview

A major winter storm brought several feet of heavy snow to the eastern Utah and western Colorado mountains during the evening of December 15th through the morning of December 17th. Most locations received one to two inches of liquid equivalent precipitation, with measured liquid precipitation equivalence as high as four inches! Both Highway 550 over Red Mountain Pass and Highway 65 over the Grand Mesa were closed for more than 24 hours due to avalanche danger and mitigation during and after this storm. Many accidents along I-70 occurred due to winter weather, and many passes in western Colorado were closed for shorter duration during this storm due to either vehicle accidents or avalanche mitigation. This storm brought snowpack up significantly in water basins across eastern Utah and western Colorado.

Storm Total Snowfall


Digging out from 33" of snow on December 17, 2016. Photo courtesy Grand Mesa Lodge.	9" fell at Spring Valley, near Glenwood Springs. Photo courtesy Rick Walter	Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) percentage of normal in Utah as of 12/18/2016	Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) percentage of normal for Colorado as of 12/18/2016

Photos & Video
Storm Reports

Photos & Video:

Header


Snow piling up in Ouray, CO on December 17, 2016 (Heather Smith)	Just north of Ouray, CO on December 17, 2016 (Mary Carkin)	Buried snowmobile trailer on the Grand Mesa December 17, 2016 (Grand Mesa Lodge)	12.5" fell at Black Canyon National Park (NPS)

Storm Reports

Preliminary and estimated mountain storm total values are shown. This is
followed by individual reports, both 24 and 48 hour values.

Elkheat & Park Range...... 14 to 26 inches
Flattops.................. 12 to 36 inches
Grand Mesa................ 20 to 40 inches with 49 inches near Park Reservoir (9960')
Gore & Elk Range.......... 14 to 19 inches
West Elk & Sawatch Range.. 19 to 31 inches with 49 inches near Schofield Pass (10700')
Uncompahgre Plateu........ 30 to 40 inches
Northwest San Juans....... 16 to 27 inches
Southwest San Juans....... 19 to 35 inches
Eastern Uintas............ 11 to 22 inches
Eastern Tavaputs.......... 14 to 18 inches
La Sals & Abajos.......... 15 to 22 inches


...Snowfall Reports...

Location                     Amount    Time/Date       Elevation (ft.)      
Cedaredge 10.5 NNW           33.8 in   0800 AM 12/18   10399                
Irwin Ski Lodge              31.0 in   0521 PM 12/17   10400                
4 NE North Pole Peak         27.0 in   1201 PM 12/18   9470                 
Crested Butte 6.2 N          23.5 in   0700 AM 12/18   9606                 
Gothic                       23.5 in   0700 AM 12/18   9469                 
Ouray                        21.9 in   0507 PM 12/17   7720                 
Ouray Spotter                21.9 in   0736 AM 12/18   7727                 
Ouray                        21.9 in   0736 AM 12/18   7728                 
Pitkin 1.1 SW                18.0 in   0700 AM 12/18   9139                 
6 NNW Rockwood               17.9 in   0700 AM 12/18   8976                 
Taylor Park                  10.4 in   0509 PM 12/17   9179                 
4 NW Colona                  10.0 in   0507 PM 12/17   null                 
3 N Skyway                   9.0 in    0642 PM 12/17   7696                 
Vail 2.6 E                   8.6 in    0700 AM 12/18   8389                 
Montrose 2e                  7.5 in    0700 AM 12/18   5806                 
Montrose 7.3 ENE             7.2 in    0700 AM 12/18   6914                 
Gunnison 6.6 N               6.5 in    0700 AM 12/18   7941                 
Vail 0.9 WNW                 6.0 in    0700 AM 12/18   8172                 
Durango 4.8 WSW              5.8 in    0700 AM 12/18   7430                 
Steamboat Springs 0.7 ESE    5.7 in    0700 AM 12/18   7049                 
El Jebel                     5.5 in    0720 AM 12/18   6427                 
Pagosa Springs 1.6 SSW       5.2 in    0800 AM 12/18   7401                 
Bayfield 7N                  4.4 in    0700 AM 12/18   7460                 
Hayden                       4.0 in    0600 PM 12/17   6467                 
Gunnison 3wsw                4.0 in    0700 AM 12/18   7602                 
Cortez 11nw                  4.0 in    0700 AM 12/18   6598                 
Carbondale                   3.6 in    0500 AM 12/18   6171                 
Glenwood Springs 1.7 NW      3.6 in    0700 AM 12/18   6050                 
Durango 0.8 SSW              3.0 in    0700 AM 12/18   6624                 
Wolcott 2.3 N                3.0 in    0700 AM 12/18   7224                 
Wolcott 2n                   3.0 in    0700 AM 12/18   7215                 
Hotchkiss 5wnw               1.5 in    0700 AM 12/18   5763                 
17 W Glade Park              1.3 in    0800 AM 12/18   6385                 
Canyonlands the Neck         1.0 in    0800 AM 12/18   5930                 
Arboles 5wnw                 1.0 in    0700 AM 12/18   6545                 
Hovenweep National Monument  0.8 in    0800 AM 12/18   5240                 
Rifle 3.2 ENE                0.5 in    0700 AM 12/18   5472                 
Durango 7.1 N                0.5 in    0800 AM 12/18   6575                 
Rifle 3ene                   0.5 in    0700 AM 12/18   5436                 
Grand Junction 3.9 SSE       0.5 in    0700 AM 12/18   4676                 
Ignacio Spotter              0.4 in    0700 AM 12/18   6562                 
Grand Junction 4.1 W         0.1 in    0700 AM 12/18   4630

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