Andy's Weather

After much anticipation and criticism from the locals, the snow is here, and I hope everyone is satisfied. People are literally snowmobiling in Downtown Denver.

Snowmobiling in Central Park! #Denver #COwx @AndySteinWx pic.twitter.com/DHtemg50P4

— Dale Ratterree (@DaleRatte) March 14, 2021

What started with large snowflakes Saturday afternoon led to brief lulls in the action leaving people a bit confused since this storm was supposed to be “such a bad storm.” Well, one of the nuances meteorologists were watching and noting was that this storm was a slow mover. When it finally got to where it needed to be in southeast Colorado it really starts to perform and blast the Front Range with Upslope winds.

BLIZZARD WARNING (orange) FOR DENVER!#COwx #Colorado #Denver pic.twitter.com/Rwdon8LiIG

— ❄️ Rain or ☀️ Shine I’m Andy Stein (@AndySteinWx) March 14, 2021

Strong winds were mentioned on all local meteorologist forecasts for today and it came to fruition. Blizzard warnings are in place for the I-25 corridor including Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins Loveland and Castlerock. 

All runways are currently closed due to blowing snow and poor visibility. Our crews are ready to clear the runways once conditions improve. Many flights have already been cancelled so the runway closures have minimal impacts.

— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) March 14, 2021

DEN airport is all but completely shut down, travel in and out of Denver is impossible, multiple roads are shut down including interstates and state roads. It’s snowing and it’s snowing hard.

We are begging you…STAY HOME! Cars and vehicles that are low to the ground have a ZERO percent chance of clearing 128/121 over US 36. Wadsworth is also a parking lot. This is not an exaggeration. #cowx #TweetAlong pic.twitter.com/kmvJuDmtHd

— Broomfield Police (@BroomfieldPD) March 14, 2021

Denver as of the noon observation has received 19.2” of snow making this storm rank in the top 15 snowstorms of all time. The forecast calls for additional accumulation through midnight with blizzard conditions lasting till then as well. Here is a look at Denver’s Top 10 largest snowstorms ever recorded.

          45.7 | Dec 1-5, 1913

• 31.8 | Mar 17-19, 2003
• 30.4 | Nov 2-4, 1946
• 23.8 | Dec 24, 1982
• 23.0 |Apr 23, 1885
• 22.7 | Oct 20-23, 1906
• 21.9 | Oct 24-25, 1997
• 21.5 | Nov 26-27, 1983
• 20.7 | Dec 20-21, 2006
• 19.3 | Jan 29-31, 1883

Denver has only recorded 3 storms with more than 2 feet of snow in 141 years of recorded history. There’s a chance we add another storm to that list.

Some current snow totals from the area:

3 WNW Aspen Park: 32.9”
4 ENE Nederland: 28”
Horsetooth Mountain: 26”
Estes Park: 22.3”
Georgetown: 20.2”
Loveland, CO: 19.5”
Denver International: 19.1”
Jamestown: 17.5”
3 WNW Arvada: 17.5”
1 SSW Ft. Collins: 17.0”
Westminster: 15.0”

These will change as heavy snow continues for the next several hours. Stay hunkered down and do not travel today. It’s not worth it. Enjoy the weather history that is literally happening outside your door and dammit, have some more faith in your local meteorologists.