Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains
- When
- February 22, 12:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Colorado, February 22, 1996
Another winter storm brought 6-12 inches of snow to the mountains. The snow was accompanied by winds to 40 mph resulting in a number of road closures.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 5
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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 GJT wrote it up.
Another winter storm brought 6-12 inches of snow to the mountains. The snow was accompanied by winds to 40 mph resulting in a number of road closures. There were many traffic accidents, including two multi-vehicle pileups on I-70 near Vail. Thirty vehicles were involved in one of the incidents.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas
- When
- February 22, 12:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys
- When
- February 22, 12:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
- Injuries
- 5 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains
- When
- February 22, 12:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Northwestern San Juan Mountains
- When
- February 22, 12:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Colorado, February 22, 1996
- Dense Fog in Vermont, February 22 to 23, 1996
- Tornado in California, February 22, 1996
- Ice Storm in North Dakota, February 22, 1996
- Ice Storm in Minnesota, February 22 to 23, 1996
- Ice Storm in North Dakota, February 22 to 23, 1996
- Flash Flood in New York, February 22, 1996
- Dense Fog in Florida, February 22, 1996
- Flooding in Maine, February 22 to 25, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, February 22 to 24, 1996
- High Wind in Oregon, February 22 to 23, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 22, 1996
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: 5540366, 5540367, 5540368, 5540369, 5540370.