Winter Storm in Colorado, February 23 to 24, 1997

Name: Winter Storm in Colorado, February 23 to 24, 1997
Start: 1997-02-23T04:00
End: 1997-02-24T04:00
Location: Colorado

February 23 to 24, 1997 · NWS PUB · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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: 22

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.

An upper level low pressure system over southern Utah pumped moisture into southern Colorado. This abundant moisture, in conjunction with a strong cold front over southeastern Colorado, produced widespread snow across south-central and southeast Colorado starting early the morning of the 23rd. The mountains and higher terrain received between 1 and 3 feet of new snow, the foothills around 12 inches, and the rest of the area between 5 and 10 inches. The highest snow total reported was 26 inches at Cuchara in Huerfano county.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.677, -106.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Chaffee County Between 9000 & 11000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Western Chaffee County Between 9000 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Chaffee County / Western Mosquito Range Above 9000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern Chaffee County / Western Mosquito Range Above 9000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saguache County West of Continental Divide Below 10000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Saguache County West of Continental Divide Below 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.081, -106.282 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saguache County East of Continental Divide Below 10000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Saguache County East of Continental Divide Below 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.778, -106.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Del Norte Vicinity / Northern San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Del Norte Vicinity / Northern San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern San Luis Valley

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Southern San Luis Valley forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.240, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.867, -105.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: West / Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When: February 23, 4:00 AM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft

When: February 23, 3:00 PM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Northwest Fremont County Above 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft

When: February 23, 3:00 PM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When: February 23, 3:00 PM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When: February 23, 3:00 PM MST to February 24, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.729, -105.043 (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

Every storm in Colorado in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, February 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: 5590182, 5590183, 5590184, 5590185, 5590186, 5590187, 5590188, 5590189, 5590190, 5590191, 5590192, 5590193, 5590194, 5590195, 5590196, 5590197, 5590381, 5590383, 5590198, 5590382, 5590384, 5590385.