Colorado, 1996Cold in Colorado, January 17 to 18, 1996
January 17 to 18, 1996 · NWS PUB · 12 events in 12 counties and zones
Behind a potent winter storm, strong north winds and low temperatures combined to produce dangerously low wind chills in the -30 to -50 degree range from Colorado Springs south to the New Mexico border and east to the Kansas border.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 12
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.
Behind a potent winter storm, strong north winds and low temperatures combined to produce dangerously low wind chills in the -30 to -50 degree range from Colorado Springs south to the New Mexico border and east to the Kansas border.
Cold/Wind Chill, Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft
- When
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 AM MST
- Where
- Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Southern San Luis Valley
- When
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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
- January 17, 7:00 PM MST to January 18, 8:00 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)
- 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.
- High Wind in Texas, January 17, 19963 deaths · $10 million · 75 kt wind · 1 event
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 17 to 18, 19961 death · 1 injured · $490,000 · 31 events
- High Wind in Kansas, January 17 to 18, 19961 death · $200,000 · 61 kt wind · 27 events
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 17 to 18, 19961 death · $230,000 · 17 events
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 19965 injured · $150,000 · F2 · 1 event
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996$750,000 · F2 · 1 event
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 19961 death · 23 events
- Dust Storm in Arizona, January 17, 199617 injured · 1 event
- High Wind in Iowa, January 17 to 19, 1996$250,000 · 55 kt wind · 58 events
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 19961 injured · $750,000 · F1 · 1 event
- High Wind in Texas, January 17 to 18, 1996$500,000 · 60 kt wind · 12 events
- Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996$350,000 · 3 events
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: 5537496, 5537497, 5537498, 5537499, 5537500, 5537501, 5537502, 5537503, 5537504, 5537505, 5537506, 5537507.