Snow Report for Friday/Saturday Morning's Snowfall
(posted by Keno on Sat, Feb 14, 2026 at 100 pm)

Well, finally we got to see the higher end snowfall amounts forecasted instead of seeing lower end amounts, which has been the case for most of this snow season. Plus, I normally don't write about rainfall here, but since a new record was set on Friday, I'll start off with that. If you rather not read about rain, then just skip the next paragraph, but I think this following bit is interesting and important to state!

We got to see very rare measurable rain fall in February on Friday afternoon, this being only the second time since records been kept this has ever been seen in the Crestone/Baca. Record keeping only started being kept here in 1982. When I first moved to Crestone back in 2002, I spoke to a few of the old timers who lived here all their lives after a trace of rain fell on February 12, 2005. They told me that they had never before seen it rain - ever - in any winter month (including February) in the town of Crestone, and one of them was born and been living here since 1912. All of those folks are now gone today, but I'm glad I took the time to speak to them about this. BTW, and I sadly had to say this next line often today - but thanks to out of control climate change, what those elderly folks noted to me about it never raining in Crestone in any months of the winter (and they were going back 92 years from that day), was true, and sadly in just the last 20 years, all of that is no longer true, as it has now rained (and not just a trace), at least once in each month of all of our winter months now.

Okay, now to the snow totals that have come in the last 24 hours. Here at the Crestone/Baca Weather Station, located in Chalet 1, one block south of the Baca Firehouse at 8,085 feet. Here we saw 3.6 inches of snow, which started to accumulate after 9 pm Friday, after the rain turned to all snow. Total water precip came to 0.47 of an inch, and half of that fell as rain. But what a wonderful drink our area got from this event. I'll also note, unlike what was forecasted by the NWS, no, we didn't see any snow turn into rain here, it was the opposite that took place. I could not believe when I read that and still believe that isn't possible to occur in our foothills above 8,000 feet in the winter, or ever see that happen from December thru February anyway - and it didn't happen. Come to think of it, I've never seen that happen here in the fall or spring, either, but unlike the wintertime, that could happen here in non winter months, and will some day the way global warming is taking place.

Next up, I'll finish the other 2 reports in from Chalet 1. From Paul's place located on Panorama Way, at 8,600 feet, he measured 3.5 inches.... and on Arrowhead Way(sorry, I can't recall the elevation there), just 2.0 inches reported. Now let's head north into the town of Crestone where we have another 2 reporters. First report in, from South Birch Street at the town line (just under 8,000 feet): "A scant 2 inches" reported. Then a bit to the east and a little higher up at 8,165 feet, near McAlpine Ranch, on East Galena Ave, they reported 2.5 inches. Now our last report from a local spotter, heading out into the valley, from out in the Grants, our faithful spotters there also reported 2.5 inches of snow over by Brook Trout Rd. west of Wagon Wheel. Do note while the Grants usually see less snow than our foothills and mountains, this storm was centered to the south, and in those cases, no, the Grants could actually see more snow fall than locations to their north.

Now some non-spotter reports from nearby. First, from the South Colony Snow Report, with South Colony located due east of Crestone/Baca in our mountains at 10,800 feet. Do note that this report comes in once a day at 2 am - and it was still snowing here and also up there at that time, so it's not a total snow report for this storm. But what was reported was 7.0 inches of new snow and a snowpack of 28 inches. That's still a very low snowpack reading, at just 64% of normal - but, it's no longer showing the lowest snowpack reading ever reported from this location anymore, either. The snowpack a few days ago was all the way down to just 49% of normal! So all of us should be happy to see this big increases of the snow on the ground up there and from where we get our drinking water.

Okay next, I used to, up until about 2 years ago, always report the local snow totals that came in from CoCoRaHS - the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network, another place I used to report to daily myself. But being elderly got in my way of doing a lot of things I used to do, including that and nowadays, I only report daily to the NWS. I had promised CoCoRaHS that since I was one of their first spotters (back around 25 years ago when they started up), that I would still report to them after any major weather events we might have here - and for all snowfalls, but I never remember to do so. Today for whatever reason, I did, and this was only my second report to them this snow season (that officially starts on July 1 of every year, I reported once early last December). But the thing is, they don't have anybody really left from this area, in fact, only one reporter from the northern SLV, and that person is in Saguache. Over there across the valley from us, they had little snow, 0.7 of an inch and 0.24 of an inch of water from this event. That reading came from 7am this morning, so it is a compete report on this past snowfall. There was also a report from Alamosa, there they only saw one inch of new snow along with 0.32 of an inch of water. Do note that on the other side of our mountains (the Westcliffe area), there were 3 or 4 reports - but while they are very close to us as the crow flies, weather wise, they never see the same weather conditions that we see, so I don't ever take reports from that area. However, this time, they did see pretty much the same amount of snow fall on their side of our main mountains (well, just a bit more, with 3 plus inches on average). If you would like to check out our local area map at CoCoRaHS, you can do so here, once there you can zoom in and out and look all over Colorado, or the U.S. and Canada, if you like and have the time. Just click on any dot you see on the map and you will see the local report from that location you clicked on!

Okay, so have I over written up this report yet again? Yes, perhaps, so please let me close this out now. As usual, I want to thank all of our local spotters for sending in their reports, and I'll add anything new that might come in later today.

Keno

Seasonal Snow Spotters are always needed and wanted!
(posted by Keno on October 4 at 827 am)
 
I'm always looking for new volunteer weather spotters, especially snow spotters, for our area for this new snow season.

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!

Places where we need new spotters the most? Do understand: All locations in our entire area are important locations (!), so even if we have a spotter in one area already, any new spotters are still welcome to join our team! But, where do we need new spotters the most for this new season? Well, we are down to just one spotter in the Grants, so we could use 2 more, since the Grants cover a wide open area. Our lone spotter there is on the western side by Willow Creek. We also need at least one new spotter in Chalet 2, it may be a small area, but it's the one spot that sees the most different snow totals from other areas in our town, and usually sees the most snow per storm, but then again, not always, sometimes it sees the least, too. So we all miss not having a spotter there anymore! We've always have needed a spotter in Casita Park, it's the only spot on the local map where we never have had one! But I hope each year we'll get one and I'm still hoping!.... Will the 2025-26 snow season see our first one? I also would love to have a new spotter 15 miles away in Moffat, as my grandson Cooper, no longer lives out there. While Moffat sees the least snow in our small town's area, knowing what they get out that way is so very important for locals here in the Crestone/Baca who - as we all know, must pass thru Moffat on our way out of town heading north or south on highway 17. So knowing snow totals out in the valley before traveling, is important indeed to us in the foothills, especially since CDOT removed the live cams we used to have out that way and we all relied on and miss seeing.
 
In Chalet 1, besides myself, we have 2 solid spotters, and sometimes a third, and all 3 of them do a great job (as all our spotters do!). Last year we had 2 spotters in or around the town of Crestone and I believe both of them will return, and again, 2 very important spotters who supplied us with great reports! The one spot in Crestone where we never have had a spotter is around or in the area of, the western side of town, and we could sure use one over there! We have one excellent spotter off T Road in the Baca Townhouses, sure hope he's be back for this season. We never have had any spotter in Chalet 3 (!), it might be only that one long block, but it's still an important area, too and I'd love to see somebody there join our team for this season. I also have an on and off spotter in the Two Trees area, which is of course a good bridge area between the Chalets and Grants, so a second spotter there would be helpful. Then, one of our former spotters from the Grants, who moved well north of here deep in the woods, yet I can't recall now exactly where she is at.... But, it's a great location and I hope she returns again this season, too! BTW, to all my current spotters, I haven't forgotten to get ahold of you in emails yet, like I do at the start of each new season, but I got in a new snow measuring video you should enjoy watching, which I'll be sending to you soon.

Now, and again, even in all of the places I noted above where we do have spotters - more new reporters are always wanted and are always welcomed to join us! So to anybody who wants to join us - anywhere in our area, 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 won't do that unless you tell me you don't mind being named. But yes, all locals are welcome to join us in reporting snowfall for our greater area! So please do so this snow season in reporting snow totals if you feel like joining us! Thanks!
 
Keno