A Rare Ice Storm in the Colorado Rockies

Abstract

During the early morning hours of 9 January 2017, freezing rain developed across several valley locations in western Colorado. The resultant ice accumulation led to extremely treacherous travel conditions with hundreds of vehicle accidents reported in the vicinity of Grand Junction, Colorado and near Durango, Colorado. Additionally, widespread power outages were reported in Durango and near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. First responders were overwhelmed by the volume increase of emergency calls, and secondary services were requested from nearby municipalities to help with the increased workload. The emergency operations center in Mesa County, Colorado (Grand Junction) was activated as a result of the numerous accidents and injuries across the region. An ice storm of this magnitude has not been experienced in Grand Junction’s period of record, which dates back to 1893. A detailed investigation explores the physical processes responsible for this ice storm over the complex terrain of the Intermountain West.