Images from Copper Mountain
Colorado received huge amounts of snow this week from an atmospheric river event that brought bands of heavy snow to the Rockies. The shortfall was intense at times with as much as 51″ of snow falling in just 48 hours.
I’ve been asked why the Thursday-Friday event was so powerful. First, the moisture flow was rich. We call it an atmospheric river pattern and you can trace it all the way back to Hawaii. It’s like a fire hose was pointed at Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Second, a powerful jet stream to transport the moisture and then focus it. Third, the jet was focused in a Northwest Flow pattern. This optimizes orographic lift in Colorado’s Central and Northern Mountains. – Chris Tomer
Snowfall amounts below are from the National Weather Service’s Boulder office and were updated on Feb 08, 2020.Â
Top 10 Locations From Colorado’s Massive Snowfall
Rabbit Ears Pass – 51.8 inches
Copper Mountain – 33.6 inches
Cameron Pass – 32.2 inches
Loveland Pass – 32.2 inches
Berthoud Pass – 30.8 inches
Winter Park – 28 inches
Eldora – 28 inches
Gould – 28 inches
Guanella Pass – 25.2 inches
Green Mountain Reservoir – 25.2 inches