Blizzard in Colorado, October 25 to 26, 1997

Name: Blizzard in Colorado, October 25 to 26, 1997
Start: 1997-10-25T00:00
End: 1997-10-26T00:00
Location: Colorado

October 25 to 26, 1997 · NWS GLD · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Snowfall of 1 to 2 feet combined with north winds 50 to 60 mph created widespread blizzard conditions with near zero visibility and wind chills to 20 degrees below zero. An 11 year old boy perished in the storm after wandering away from his home near Stratton and becoming disoriented on the 25th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 GLD wrote it up.

Snowfall of 1 to 2 feet combined with north winds 50 to 60 mph created widespread blizzard conditions with near zero visibility and wind chills to 20 degrees below zero. Specific snowfall amounts were Wray 7 inches, Yuma 7, Joes 14, Idalia 12, Bonny Dam 13, Stratton 29, Burlington 22, Kit Carson 15, Kit Carson 9NNE 24, Cheyenne Wells 11, Arapahoe 16.An 11 year old boy perished in the storm after wandering away from his home near Stratton and becoming disoriented on the 25th. His body was found on the 26th 1.5 miles southeast of his home. Cause of death was hypothermia. An estimated 1100 head of cattle were killed. Roads were closed and motorists stranded. All activities were postponed or cancelled. Many schools were closed for 1 to 2 days afterwards.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Cheyenne County

When: October 25, 12:00 AM MST to October 26, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Cheyenne County forecast zone
Coordinates: 38.828, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kit Carson County

When: October 25, 12:00 AM MST to October 26, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Kit Carson County forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 39.305, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Yuma County

When: October 25, 12:00 AM MST to October 26, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Yuma County forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.003, -102.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Blizzard, Kit Carson County	1997-10-25	11	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5622196, 5622197, 5622198.