Colorado, 1996

Cold in Colorado, February 2 to 4, 1996

February 2 to 4, 1996 · NWS PUB · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Arctic air brought bitter low temperatures to the southeast plains from the evening of the 2nd to the morning of the 4th. and the morning of the 4th with minus 14.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.

Arctic air brought bitter low temperatures to the southeast plains from the evening of the 2nd to the morning of the 4th. New record low temperatures were seen in Pueblo on the evening of the 2nd with around minus 19...the morning of the 3rd with minus 26...and the morning of the 4th with minus 14. Colorado Springs had a record low on the morning of the 3rd with minus 18.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern San Luis Valley

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Southern San Luis Valley forecast zone
Coordinates
37.240, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
37.867, -105.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
February 2, 10:00 PM MST to February 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates
38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5542674, 5542675, 5542676, 5542677, 5542678, 5542679, 5542680, 5542681, 5542682, 5542683, 5542684.