Winter Storm, Eastern San Juan Mountains
- When
- April 1, 12:30 AM MST to April 5, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Eastern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Colorado, April 1 to 5, 1997
A slow moving winter storm brought periods of heavy snow to mainly the higher elevations of southern Colorado from the 1st through the 5th. Parts of the Eastern San Juan and La Garita Mountains received between one and two feet of snow.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
- 8
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.
A slow moving winter storm brought periods of heavy snow to mainly the higher elevations of southern Colorado from the 1st through the 5th. Parts of the Eastern San Juan and La Garita Mountains received between one and two feet of snow. Eight to 15 inches of snow fell in parts of Chaffee, western Fremont and northern Custer counties, including the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Six to 8 inches fell in parts of the Wet Mountains, Teller county, and northern and western El Paso county. The lower elevations adjacent to and near the mountains received from one to four inches of new snow.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, La Garita Mountains
- When
- April 1, 12:30 AM MST to April 5, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- La Garita Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.677, -106.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- April 1, 5:00 PM MST to April 3, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Upper Arkansas River Valley/Salida and Vicinity
- When
- April 1, 5:00 PM MST to April 3, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Arkansas River Valley/Salida and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties
- When
- April 1, 5:00 PM MST to April 3, 2:00 AM MST
- Where
- Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge
- When
- April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 5, 9:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak
- When
- April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 5, 9:00 AM MST
- Where
- Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Wet Mountains
- When
- April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 2, 3:00 AM MST
- Where
- Wet Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.578, -106.085 (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
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, April 1, 1997
- High Wind in North Carolina, April 1, 1997
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Rhode Island, April 1, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Connecticut, April 1, 1997
- Flooding in Louisiana, April 1 to 20, 1997
- Flooding in Iowa, April 1 to 10, 1997
- Winter Storm and Hail in Kansas, April 1 to 29, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Jersey, April 1, 1997
- Cold in West Virginia, April 1 to 30, 1997
- Cold in North Carolina, April 1 to 18, 1997
- Flooding in South Dakota, April 1 to 30, 1997
More
Every storm in Colorado in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 1997
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: 5592745, 5592746, 5592748, 5592750, 5592751, 5592747, 5592749, 5592752.