Winter Storm, Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
- When
- February 6, 1:00 AM MST to 9:00 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 in Colorado, February 6, 1997
Low pressure over central New Mexico intensified and created an upslope flow and snowfall over south-central and southeast Colorado. The heaviest amounts fell across the southern mountains with 4 to 8 inches.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
- 6
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.
Low pressure over central New Mexico intensified and created an upslope flow and snowfall over south-central and southeast Colorado. The heaviest amounts fell across the southern mountains with 4 to 8 inches. Aspen Acres campground in Custer county reported 6 inches of snow, Poncha Springs in Chaffee county reported 5 inches, and Cuchara in Huerfano county had 4 inches of new snow.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Western Chaffee County Between 9000 & 11000 Ft
- When
- February 6, 1:00 AM MST to 9:00 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, Saguache County East of Continental Divide Below 10000 Ft
- When
- February 6, 1:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM 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 6, 1:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM 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, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft
- When
- February 6, 1:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM 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, Alamosa Vicinity / Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Ft
- When
- February 6, 1:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM 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)
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
More
Every storm in Colorado in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5590167, 5590168, 5590169, 5590170, 5590171, 5590172.