Crestone Weather Center
Crestone, Colorado

 

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Public Information Statement

 

Snow Reports from Monday
(posted by Keno at 540 PM on December 12)

Here are the snow reports from yesterday's snowfall: First from our Crestone Weather Station, located in Chalet 1 at 8,085 feet, I recorded 1.6" and 0.07" of melted down snow in the gauge. Next reports from our locals are: Staying in Chalet 1, from our longest serving spotter Paul who's at the second highest location in Baca 1, he measured 2.5" of snow. Then also in Chalet 1, at 8,215 feet, on Arrowhead, 1.6" of snow; Then we move to the town of Crestone where our first report is from S. Birch St. at the town borderline (at 7,825 feet), where they saw 1.3". Then from a bit higher up, on East Galena Ave, 1/4 mi east of Crestone, at 8,150 feet., 1.8 inches of snow recorded. Next we head on over to Chalet 2, near Carefree and Jubilant, elevation 8,000 feet, and where our lone spotter reports 1.8" of snow. Next we move on out to the Grants, with the first report from Brook Trout Rd, west of Wagon Wheel at 7,800 feet, where they saw 1.5". Then next we head over to Camino Real and Willow Trail area, at 7,681 feet, and they also saw 1.5" of snow there, too. Finally, from my family members, my daughter Jackie reports only a dusting at her place south of Fort Garland, near the bottom of La Veta Pass, at 8,400 feet. Yep, that's all, and my grandson Colt was over there last nite visiting and confirmed it when he got back in town that it wasn't evening snowing there yet when he left at 8pm. He also noted to me that it wasn't snowing in the valley once off the Sand Dunes Road, including in Moffat, where my grandson Cooper lives, and yes, Coop confirmed that only a dusting ending up falling there.

If I get in any other reports, I'll list them up above. I thank all of our spotters for their help!

 

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.

 

Seasonal Snow Spotters are always needed and wanted!
(posted by Keno on October 15 at 1127 am)

 

I'm always looking for new volunteer weather spotters, especially snow spotters, for our area for this new snow season. For the last few years now we haven't had any snow spotters in the town of Crestone and I would love to have at least one reporting from there, and some more are needed elsewhere (more on that below).

What is needed to be a snow spotter? Just a ruler - or a yard stick for when it snows a lot, while a rain gauge, a snow board (no, not the kind you ski on, but the original white snow board used by the NWS to measure snow on) and a snow rule would be even better (but only a few of our spotters have them). A home weather station is real cool to have too, especially to report temperatures on record cold nights! But for being a snow spotter alone, only a everyday ruler is needed to be one!

Besides needing a new snow spotter in downtown Crestone, we also need at least one new spotter in Chalet 2 (we had 2 at one time, but now no longer have any out there since last winter), and none out in Casita Park (all of theses are important locations where we can use spotters!). I also would love to have another spotter out 15 miles away in Moffat, as my grandson Cooper will sometimes report from there, but only sometimes, as he isn't a weather buff at all (not a requirement to be one, but if you're not into the weather, then you're not likely to report conditions too often, if ever - and likely are not even reading this!).

 

In Chalet 1, besides myself, we have 2, sometimes 3 other spotters; 2 to 3 spotters out in the Grants and one spotter off T Road in the Baca Townhouses - but - even in all of these places - more reporters are always wanted and are always welcomed to join us! So please email me at keno@fairpoint.net if you would like to join our Crestone-Baca spotter team and I can tell you a bit more on how easy it is to join our local team in doing this fun community service! All I need to know on my end in your email is your name, where in town you are located - and at what elevation you are at. Do note that your exact address is not needed, just your location, and since some spotters don't wish to be named online (in our snow report), I don't do that, unless you tell me you don't mind. But yes, all locals are welcome to join us in reporting snowfall for our greater area! So please join us this snow season in reporting snow totals! 

 

Keno

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 




 

 

 

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