DENVER (KDVR) — The Headwaters Trail Alliance is helping with cleanup after an estimated 15,000 trees were blown down last year during a strong cold front.
A strong area of low pressure and cold front raced into Colorado on Sept. 8, 2020 creating a strong cross-mountain pressure gradient.
The cold front delivered a 50-degree temperature drop and snow to the Central and Northern Mountains. This storm system was supported by a 190-mph jet stream blowing from the southwest to northeast.
At 10,000 feet, a strong northeast wind developed and ranged from 75-mph to 100-mph. The bullseye stretched from Steamboat Springs to the Devils Thumb Trail, Devils Thumb Pass, Jasper Peak, and western High Lonesome Trail.
The storm broke two records in Denver: It tied the 1962 record for the earliest first freeze on record. The other record it broke was a record low of 31 degrees on Sept. 9.
These were some of the biggest snow totals we saw from that storm:
- Alamosa: 14 inches
- Crested Butte: 10 inches
- Monte Vista: 12 inches
- Westcliffe: 14 inches
- Wet Mountains: 12 inches