Colorado, 1997Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 8 to 9, 1997
December 8 to 9, 1997 · NWS GJT · 7 events in 7 counties and zones
A Pacific trough moved across the area and produced 6 to 12 inches of snow in most western mountains as well as 4 to 7 inches in some northwest valleys. The heaviest reported amount was 13 inches at the Steamboat Springs Ski Area.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- 7
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.
A Pacific trough moved across the area and produced 6 to 12 inches of snow in most western mountains as well as 4 to 7 inches in some northwest valleys. The heaviest reported amount was 13 inches at the Steamboat Springs Ski Area.
Heavy Snow, Central Yampa River Basin/Craig-Hayden and Vicinity / E Moffat / C Rio Blanco / Sw Routt
- When
- December 8, 4:00 PM MST to December 9, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central Yampa River Basin/Craig-Hayden and Vicinity / E Moffat / C Rio Blanco / Sw Routt forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.361, -107.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Elkhead and Park Mountains/Flat Tops/White River Plateau / E Rio Blanco / Ne Garfield / X Nw Eagle / Routt Except C Xs
- When
- December 8, 4:00 PM MST to December 9, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Elkhead and Park Mountains/Flat Tops/White River Plateau / E Rio Blanco / Ne Garfield / X Nw Eagle / Routt Except C Xs forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Grand and Battlement Mesas / X Sc Garfield / E Mesa Except X Ne / N Delta
- When
- December 8, 4:00 PM MST to December 9, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Grand and Battlement Mesas / X Sc Garfield / E Mesa Except X Ne / N Delta forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys/Aspen and Vicinity / Ne S Eagle / Pitkin Except Xnc / X Ne Mesa / Se Garfield (Part)
- When
- December 8, 4:00 PM MST to December 9, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys/Aspen and Vicinity / Ne S Eagle / Pitkin Except Xnc / X Ne Mesa / Se Garfield (Part) forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains/Taylor Park / W Lake / W Chaffee / Wc to Ec Gunnison
- When
- December 8, 4:00 PM MST to December 9, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- West Elk and Sawatch Mountains/Taylor Park / W Lake / W Chaffee / Wc to Ec Gunnison forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Northwestern San Juan Mountains / E Ouray / X Sw Gunnison / N Hinsdale / Se San Miguel
- When
- December 8, 4:00 PM MST to December 9, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northwestern San Juan Mountains / E Ouray / X Sw Gunnison / N Hinsdale / Se San Miguel forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Southwestern San Juan Mountains / C E Dolores / San Juan / S Hinsdale / N la Plata / Ne Montezuma / E N Archuleta
- When
- December 8, 4:00 PM MST to December 9, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southwestern San Juan Mountains / C E Dolores / San Juan / S Hinsdale / N la Plata / Ne Montezuma / E N Archuleta forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.594, -107.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
- 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.
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 8 to 11, 19971 death · 36 injured · $100,000 · 4 events
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 8 to 9, 19972 deaths · 2 injured · $60,000 · 5 events
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 8 to 10, 199718 events
- Tornado in California, December 8, 1997$20,000 · F0 · 1 event
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 199714 events
- Winter Storm in Missouri, December 8, 19978 events
- Winter Weather in Illinois, December 8, 19978 events
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 8 to 10, 19975 events
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, December 8, 19974 events
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 8 to 9, 19974 events
- Winter Weather in South Carolina, December 8 to 9, 19973 events
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, December 8, 19972 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: 5619595, 5619596, 5619597, 5624488, 5624489, 5624490, 5624491.