Colorado, 1997Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 9 to 11, 1997
January 9 to 11, 1997 · NWS GJT · 11 events in 11 counties and zones
A persistent moist northwest flow aloft resulted in snowfall totals of 3 to 5 feet in the northern mountains and 2 to 4 feet in the central mountains of western Colorado. Lower elevation snowfall totals of 12 inches or more were common.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
- 11
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 persistent moist northwest flow aloft resulted in snowfall totals of 3 to 5 feet in the northern mountains and 2 to 4 feet in the central mountains of western Colorado. Lower elevation snowfall totals of 12 inches or more were common. Steamboat Springs received 37 inches, while the adjacent mountains picked up 45 to 60 inches.
Heavy Snow, Central Yampa River Basin/Craig-Hayden and Vicinity
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central Yampa River Basin/Craig-Hayden and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.361, -107.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.532, -108.196 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Elkhead and Park Mountains/Flat Tops/White River Plateau
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Elkhead and Park Mountains/Flat Tops/White River Plateau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Upper Yampa River Basin/Steamboat Springs and Vicinity
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Yampa River Basin/Steamboat Springs and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.485, -106.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Debeque Rifle Glenwood Springs Corridor
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Debeque Rifle Glenwood Springs Corridor forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Central Colorado River Basin/Eagle and Vicinity
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central Colorado River Basin/Eagle and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Grand and Battlement Mesas
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Grand and Battlement Mesas 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
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys/Aspen and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin/Montrose and Vicinity
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin/Montrose and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.737, -107.907 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains/Taylor Park
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- West Elk and Sawatch Mountains/Taylor Park forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Leadville and Vicinity
- When
- January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Leadville and Vicinity forecast zone
- 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.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 9 to 11, 19972 deaths · 45 injured · $55 million · 36 events
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 9 to 10, 19972 deaths · 3 injured · 26 events
- Winter Weather in New York, January 9, 19971 death · 4 injured · 3 events
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 9 to 10, 19971 death · 25 events
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 9 to 10, 19971 death · 17 events
- Cold in Ohio, January 9, 19971 death · 1 event
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 9 to 11, 19976 injured · $210,000 · 24 events
- Ice Storm in North Carolina, January 9, 1997$2.0 million · 22 events
- Blizzard in Iowa, January 9 to 11, 19973 injured · $80,000 · 11 events
- Winter Storm in Vermont, January 9 to 10, 1997$180,000 · 12 events
- Ice Storm in South Carolina, January 9, 1997$200,000 · 8 events
- Tornado in Florida, January 9, 1997$75,000 · F1 · 1 event
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5589165, 5589166, 5589167, 5589168, 5589169, 5589346, 5589347, 5589348, 5589349, 5589350, 5589351.