National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rainfall in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes; Winter Weather in the Northern Tier

A slow moving front extending from the Great Lakes region into the Plains will bring snow, wintry mix, and ice accumulation north of the front from the Upper Midwest into New England, and severe weather and heavy rain south of the front. Scattered severe thunderstorms with damaging gusts, severe hail, and heavy rain are expected across parts of the Great Lakes/Midwest through tonight. Read More >

Overview

     A prolonged period of strong northwest flow carried sufficient moisture from a decaying atmospheric river and produced significant snow over the mountains of western Colorado, as well as some northern and central valleys. Snow favored the northwestern and western slopes across the northern and central portions of the forecast area with over 3 feet of snow falling in some areas. Showers began in earnest on Wednesday night, February 5 and into Thursday with heavy snow continuing through Friday before activity diminished Friday night, February 7.

     Wind gusts with this storm exceeded 50 MPH, resulting in hazardous travel with reduced visibility in blowing snow. Additionally, snow rates approached 2 inches per hour at times. This severely impacted travel, particularly along I-70 with Vail Pass closing several times throughout the event, often for an extended period of time. Additionally, the heavy snow led to treacherous backcountry conditions and the increased threat for avalanches with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) having to issue numerous Avalanche Warnings during the event.

February 4-7, 2020 Winter Storm
Storm Total Snowfall: February 4-7, 2020
Rabbit Ears Pass on Feb 7, 2020 Vail Pass on Feb 7, 2020 Gore Pass on Feb 7, 2020
Rabbit Ears Pass on February 7, 2020 (Credit: CDOT) Vail Pass on February 7, 2020 (Credit: CDOT) Gore Pass on February 7, 2020 (Credit: CDOT)
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