Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains
- When
- March 24, 4:00 AM MST to March 25, 3:00 AM MST
- Where
- Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Colorado, March 24 to 25, 1997
A Canadian trough dropped down over the region and produced 5 to 10 inches of new snow over most mountain areas of western Colorado. 30 to 50 MPH winds in exposed areas resulted in blowing and drifting snow.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- 5
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 GJT wrote it up.
A Canadian trough dropped down over the region and produced 5 to 10 inches of new snow over most mountain areas of western Colorado. 30 to 50 MPH winds in exposed areas resulted in blowing and drifting snow.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas
- When
- March 24, 4:00 AM MST to March 25, 3:00 AM MST
- Where
- Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys
- When
- March 24, 4:00 AM MST to March 25, 3:00 AM MST
- Where
- Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains
- When
- March 24, 4:00 AM MST to March 25, 3:00 AM MST
- Where
- West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Northwestern San Juan Mountains
- When
- March 24, 4:00 AM MST to March 25, 3:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.210, -107.755 (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
- Hail in Kansas, March 24, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 24 to 25, 1997
- Flooding in Iowa, March 24 to 31, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, March 24, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, March 24, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 24, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, March 24 to 25, 1997
- Winter Storm in New Mexico, March 24 to 25, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Kansas, March 24, 1997
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 24 to 25, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, March 24, 1997
- High Wind in South Dakota, March 24, 1997
More
Every storm in Colorado in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 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: 5593614, 5593615, 5593616, 5593617, 5593618.