Snow Spotters Reports from Friday
(posted by Keno on Nov 9 at 3:02 pm)

So this report will cover yesterday and reports from early this morning Friday into Saturday), also add a wrap-up from each location with all of the combined totals from this storm that lasted a full week, but mainly missed our area, as far as any heavy snow went, as this one seemed to mainly hit Colorado's part of the Great Plains.

I'll start out with my report from the Crestone Baca Weather Center, in Chalet 1, located at 8,085 feet, one block south of the Baca Fire Station, where I measured 3.8" in the last day and a half and saw 6.6" total from when the storm first started up last Sunday. Next Chalet 1 report comes in from Paul, Crestone's longest reporting spotter (he was doing this before I even lived here), and he reports from the highest spot in town, at 8,600 feet, where he saw 3.8" also yesterday/this morning and a 6.0" total since Sunday. Then our last report from Chalet 1 near (and from another long time spotter, but I'm not sure if she wants me to give out her name here or not), located off Arrowhead Way at 8,215 feet, measured - get this, 3.8" (5.9" since Sunday).... In the 23 years of doing this here in the Crestone-Baca, I've never seen 3 spotters who report from the same main area report the exact amounts! Hey, that's a big deal to me, we always see different totals, but not this time. Okay, next we head north into the town of Crestone and another first happen there. We've never had more than one spotter reporting in from the town of Crestone, and for this report we have two! Funny thing is, both are technically just outside of town limits, but they are close enough to say their both from town. Anyway, Our first reporter is by East Galena Ave, just east of the town's limits at 8,150 ft, and he reports 3.5" from yesterday/this morning and a total of 5.0' from the storm. Then our other Crestone spotter is reporting from the other end of town off Birch St., at 7,825 ft, she saw 3.0" yesterday/this morning, and this was her first report of this snow season! I should that I did mess up when I noted here in October that we didn't have any Crestone spotters in a couple of years. Well, thanks to my failing memory I totally forgot that we did pick up a new spotter late in the season last snow season in town, like in April, and well, I just forgot. I do remember now, but I'm pleased to have her back and sorry to her for being forgetful. All right, who's next? How about we head south to Chalet 2, near Carefree and Jubilant, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, where they saw a two day total there of 2.5".

Let's head on out to the SL Valley in the Grants now. First report from off Camino Real and Willow Trail at 7,681 feet, and 1.7" fell there, plus the total from the storm was 3.2". Then our second Grants report comes from Brook Trout Rd w of Wagon Wheel, 7, 800 feet elevation, with 1.5" overnight and a 2.6" total since the storm's start. Now let's head on over to Moffat (across from the school) at 7,566 ft, where Cooper reported 0.7" new inches there and a 1.7" total since Wednesday. Then out to Coop's mom and my girl Jackie, way out south of Fort Garland, where she and Rocky reported 6.8" and  10.4" overall, so they saw the most, but yes, they are more than a hour away, so no, that's not local, but heck, we parents do  like to stay in touch with our kids even long after they leave the nest and this way I get to talk to her even more often.

So that does it for now. I thank all of our spotters for their important reports! If I get in any late reports, I'll add them here at that time.

Keno

Snow Reports from Wednesday and early this Morning

(posted by Keno on Nov 7 at 1028 am; updated 11:42 pm)

Good day everybody, some of the snow reports are now coming in, including 2 from our new spotters! In a nutshell, we haven't seen anywhere near the amount of snow the NWS forecasted for our area, even if many outside the greater Crestone area did. It's rare when Alamosa or Center see more snow than we do (happens on average just once a year), but that has been happening so far with this storm - which is still to the south of us, so more is suppose to come, and is suppose to me a lot (if you can believe that!). Anyway, next up are the reports....

Okay, I'm gonna start off with our 2 new reporters first. The first one is located just outside of the town of Crestone, to the east, at 8,150 feet, where 1.5" were recorded. Then our second new spotter is located in Chalet 2, near Carefree and Jubilant, elevation 8,000 feet, and reports overnight reading of 0.5" of snow (as of 7am) and just a trace from Wednesday. I, and I know the rest of you, welcome; are happy to see our new spotters here, we and thank them for their new reporting! Next up, out in the Grants, where at Brook Trout W of Wagon Wheel, at 7800 feet, for Wednesday reported 0.3", and then for overnight saw 0.8", so a total of 1.1. Also in the Grants, near Camino Real and Willow Trail, at 7,681 feet, 1.0" from Wednesday and 0.5" over nite for a 1.5" total. Let's see, who's next, in Chalet 1, at Arrowhead Way (8,215 feet) reports 0.8" Wednesday morning and then another 0.2" in the early evening, but as she noted to me, the high winds seen made some the morning snow blow away before any measuring took place (yes indeed, that happened to me too). But we'll say one inch even for her reading, and haven't heard yet as to what fell there overnight, but I'll put in right here when I find out. For now, I'm the last to report my readings from the Chalet 1, at the Crestone-Baca Weather Station, located one block south of the Baca Firehouse at 8,085 feet. For Wednesday, once again, wind was the problem, but I measured a few spots to get an average since my main snowboard had little snow on it and the backup board had perhaps too much thanks to drifting. Anyway, I recorded 1.1" for the 24 hours ending Wednesday at midnight (thanks goodness again that DT is over with, I don't have to wait till 1 am any longer to make my NWS report out!), and then overnight 0.5" fell. Melted down snow to water was on Wednesday 0.12" and so for 0.04" for today (at 10:15am). Oh, forgot, my grandson Cooper's report from Moffat. He's located in town south of the Moffat school at 7,566 feet and reports about an inch total from yester and this morning that was of course wind blown there, too. Then his mom (Jackie) who lives about 40 minutes away from Moffat, near Fort Garland (as the crow flies, anyway, and that's what needs to be noted weather reporting wise), she reported to me that while areas to her far northeast saw over 20" (yes, I saw that report too in this mornings COCRAHS reports - 41" and 45"!), at her place about 5 mils south of Fort Garland, the only saw 2 or 3", but again, too much wind blowing the snow away to know for sure. Plus while the wind let up here yesterday by late afternoon, it blew all nite there. So that report could be in error, as could all of ours from Wednesday since it was impossible to measure in such conditions!... Only one last report came in for this time period, from our highest spot in town, in Chalet 1 at 8,600 feet, reported 2.5" of snow.

I thank our spotters for their reports and when some more come in, I'll report them here!

Snow Spotters Reports from Sunday Night
(posted by Keno at 104 PM on Nov 3)

Okay, our first reports for this new snow season are starting to come in now... Let's start off first from out in the valley in the Grants (since the Grants usually see the least amount of snow in our area, this area is usually listed last... But, I'm gonna change that around on some days this snow season - and for today - they will go first!): Out off Camino Real and Willow Trail in the Grants at 7,681 feet, just a trace was reported... Then our second report from out that way was 0.3" was reported (with 0.05" melted down snow), near Brook Trout Rd west of Wagon Wheel, at 7,800 feet. Next up from Chalet 1, from Arrowhead Way at 8,215 feet, 0.7".... and the same 0.7" reading was recorded at my place (with 0.07" melted snow to water), which I usually report the location as the "Crestone-Baca Weather Station", since that's where our official NWS station is located - one block south of the Baca firehouse at 8,085 feet. Then, last but not least, from our highest reporting spot in Baca 1 (8,600 feet), or anywhere else in any of the 3 Bacas, they saw 0.5" of snow, along with 0.08" of water (gee, how many different ways can I say that?).  As of right now, that's all I've gotten in, which isn't unusual, as several of our spotters don't report when under an inch falls, even though I and the NWS appreciate even trace reports, since all snowfalls are important to us and the record books.

I just wanted all to know that because of failing health, around this time last year, I was thinking that the 2023-2024 snow season would be the last year of my making special reports in any way - including the snow spotter reports. But since things haven't gotten any worst for me (brain wise anyway), I'm back doing this again, and from looking at the page views stats that my domain puts out every day, well this page is always very popular, especially when the snow spotters' reports show up! Yes, almost everyone who checks out our weather site's main page, also love to know which areas in town sees the most - and least snow after a storm hits (plus our webcam’s page views also come to life big time on snowy days, too)! So, believe me, I didn't want to stop showing and reporting this info, and will as long as I am able.  

Winter & Snow Advisories and Warnings Explanations

It's been at least a couple of years, maybe 3 or 4, that I last posted this, and I like to repost it every few years to remind everybody what each advisory covers. I really should have posted this in late October, as we can see these conditions anytime starting in September/October and have already had them issued here this season.

All of the following are issued when hazardous winter weather is occurring, imminent or likely. I'm only noting the warnings we see here and will skip the other winter advisories (like a freezing rain or drizzle advisory) that the National Weather Service (NWS) issues elsewhere, since that kind of weather never really ever occurs in our neck of the woods:

- A Winter Weather Advisory is issued for less serious winter weather conditions than warnings - but will still cause significant inconvenience.
- A Winter Storm Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for significant winter weather and/or blizzard conditions within the next three days, but the timing, intensity, or occurrence may still be uncertain.
- A Winter Storm Warning is issued when a combination of heavy snow, blowing snow, and possibly ice mixed with snow is expected to impact the area. Time to act! If caution is not exercised, such storms could lead to situations that may threaten life or property
- A Blizzard Warning is issued when the combination of strong wind, low visibility, and heavy snow will significantly impact daily life. Plus once again, if caution is not exercised, such storms could lead to situations that may threaten life or property. Blizzard conditions are also met when visibility in falling and blowing snow reaches ¼ mile or less.

- A Snow Squall Warning is an alert from the NWS that indicates a short, intense burst of heavy snowfall that can create dangerous driving conditions
- A Wind Chill Watch is issued when Wind Chill Warning criteria are possible in the next 12 to 36 hours.
- A Wind Chill Warning is issued for wind chills of at least minus 25 degrees on the plains, and minus 35 degrees in the mountains.

Some more on this:

A Blizzard Warning has different criterias for different areas. For one to be issued in the Rocky Mountains, the conditions noted above apply, but winds must be in excess of 50 mph. This criteria also applies to our Foothills and all higher elevations. For our Mountain Valleys and the Colorado Great Plains, the conditions noted above again apply, but winds don't have to be as high, as speeds of 35 mph or higher at lower elevations is all it takes for a Blizzard Warning to be issued. Plus, while large amounts of snow are usually expected, little or no snow at all can be expected when such a warning is issued, since blowing snow from past storms also can meet criteria for a Blizzard Warning to be issued.

Heavy snow criteria for Colorado also representative values applied by area: Mountains: 8 inches of snow in 12 hours and/or 12 or more inches in 24 hours. Lower elevations: 6 inches of snow in 12 hours and/or 8 or more inches in 24 hours.

For a Wind Chill Watch or Warning: As the wind increases, the body is cooled at a faster rate. The “wind chill” is a way for meteorologists to communicate what the combination of wind and temperature “feels like” to exposed skin. While wind chills negatively affect our bodies - and our pets bodies, they have no effects on other things like your car. While a vehicle's battery and other engine parts are effected negatively by the cold, they aren't effected by wind chill.

Our area rarely sees Snow Squall Warnigs issued here in the winter, as snow squalls are more likely to occuar in the spring here, plus they usually don't last all day long around here like they do in the U.S. Great Lakes. But yes, we can still see them in the winter months here, too.

A Freeze Watch and a Freeze Warning are issued when freezing conditions are possible in the next 12 to 36 hours. They are only issued during the growing season when widespread temperatures are expected to drop to below 32 degrees. Since these last two watches and warnings have already been issued and already reached this fall on more than two days, they will no longer be issued for the rest of this season.