Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:45 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, March 17, 1996
8-14 inches of new snow fell in the northern and central mountains of western Colorado. 20-30 mph winds combined with the snow to make for hazardous driving conditions.
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
- 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 GJT wrote it up.
8-14 inches of new snow fell in the northern and central mountains of western Colorado. 20-30 mph winds combined with the snow to make for hazardous driving conditions.
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, Upper Yampa River Basin
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Yampa River Basin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.485, -106.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:45 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
- March 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
- Where
- Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
- Where
- West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.643, -107.721 (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
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, March 17, 1996
- Lightning Strike in Alabama, March 17, 1996
- High Wind in Utah, March 17, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, March 17, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Montana, March 17, 1996
- High Wind in New Mexico, March 17, 1996
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, March 17 to 18, 1996
- High Wind in Alaska, March 17 to 18, 1996
- Hail in Virginia, March 17, 1996
- Hail in Alabama, March 17, 1996
- Hail in Georgia, March 17, 1996
- Hail in Georgia, March 17, 1996
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5540914, 5540915, 5540916, 5540917, 5540918.