Colorado, 1996

Heavy Snow in Colorado, March 16 to 17, 1996

March 16 to 17, 1996 · NWS BOU · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

More snow for the Northern Mountains and Front Range Foothills as another 7 to 14 inches fell across the area. Along the Urban Corridor and Palmer Divide areas amounts generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
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 BOU wrote it up.

More snow for the Northern Mountains and Front Range Foothills as another 7 to 14 inches fell across the area. Along the Urban Corridor and Palmer Divide areas amounts generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches. The heavy snowfall resulted in several accidents along Interstates 25 and 70...south and west of the Denver respectively. The accidents involved at least 30 cars and resulted in several minor injuries. The interstates were closed for an unspecified amount of time until the accidents could be cleaned up. A few of the totals included: 14 inches at Keystone, 13 inches at Evergreen, 11 inches at Copper Mountain and 10 inches at Conifer.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet

When
March 16, 9:00 PM MST to March 17, 9:00 PM MST
Where
S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet forecast zone
Coordinates
40.382, -105.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, S & Se Grand / W Central & Sw Boulder / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Summit / N & W Park Counties Above 9000 Feet

When
March 16, 9:00 PM MST to March 17, 9:00 PM MST
Where
S & Se Grand / W Central & Sw Boulder / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Summit / N & W Park Counties Above 9000 Feet forecast zone
Coordinates
39.726, -105.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet

When
March 16, 9:00 PM MST to March 17, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet forecast zone
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jefferson & W Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Ne Park Counties Below 9000 Feet

When
March 16, 9:00 PM MST to March 17, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Jefferson & W Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Ne Park Counties Below 9000 Feet forecast zone
Coordinates
39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Elbert / C & E Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet

When
March 16, 9:00 PM MST to March 17, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Elbert / C & E Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet forecast zone
Coordinates
39.422, -104.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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, March 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5547314, 5547315, 5547316, 5547317, 5547318.