Colorado, 1997

Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 2 to 3, 1997

December 2 to 3, 1997 · NWS PUB · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A weather disturbance moved northeast across northern New Mexico, bringing snow to the mountains, high valleys, and plains of south central and southeast Colorado starting the morning of the 2nd through the afternoon of the 3rd. Snow accumulations ranged from 4 to 6 inches across parts of the southeast plains, the Palmer Divide, and southern portions of the San Luis Valley.

Where it happened

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

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The toll

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.

A weather disturbance moved northeast across northern New Mexico, bringing snow to the mountains, high valleys, and plains of south central and southeast Colorado starting the morning of the 2nd through the afternoon of the 3rd. Snow accumulations ranged from 4 to 6 inches across parts of the southeast plains, the Palmer Divide, and southern portions of the San Luis Valley. Snowfall reached 9 inches at Rye in the Wet Mountains, 17 inches at Cuchara in the Southern Sangre De Cristo Mountains, and 22 inches at Wolf Creek Ski Area in the Eastern San Juan Mountains. The rest of the southeast plains received 1 to 3 inches amounts, including much of the Colorado Springs and Pueblo areas.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates
38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern San Luis Valley

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Southern San Luis Valley forecast zone
Coordinates
38.081, -106.282 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates
37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates
37.778, -106.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties forecast zone
Coordinates
37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Upper Arkansas River Valley/Salida and Vicinity

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM 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)

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates
37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity forecast zone
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity forecast zone
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Las Animas County

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Las Animas County forecast zone
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity forecast zone
Coordinates
37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity

When
December 2, 8:00 AM MST to December 3, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity forecast zone
Coordinates
38.729, -105.043 (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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 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: 5626609, 5626610, 5626611, 5626612, 5626613, 5626614, 5626615, 5626616, 5626617, 5626618, 5626619, 5626620.