Colorado, 1998Winter Storm in Colorado, December 19 to 21, 1998
December 19 to 21, 1998 · NWS GJT · 16 events in 16 counties and zones
An upper trough and an Arctic air mass joined forces to produce heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions across most of western Colorado. The storm helped to break a dry period, especially in the mountains where the ski areas had been suffering from a lack of snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 16
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.
An upper trough and an Arctic air mass joined forces to produce heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions across most of western Colorado. The storm helped to break a dry period, especially in the mountains where the ski areas had been suffering from a lack of snow. The storm also wreaked havoc for travelers, with hundreds of accidents and many road closures. 12 to 18 inches of new snow fell in the mountains, while lower valley elevations generally received 6 to 12 inches. Some of the heavier snow totals included 33 inches on Molas Pass, 22 inches on the Grand Mesa, 21 inches at Telluride Ski Area, 19 inches at Sunlight Ski Area as well as the Flat Tops Mountains, and 18 inches on Douglas Pass. Some of the biggest snowfall amounts in the lower valleys included 15 inches at Montrose, 15 inches at Meeker, 15 inches at El Jebel, 14 inches just north of Craig, and 9 inches in the Redlands of Grand Junction. Windy conditions accompanied the snow, especially in the mountains where snow drifts of 6 to 8 feet deep occurred. Some peak wind gusts included 98 MPH on Mount Abrams, 94 MPH on the top of Telluride Ski Area, and 89 MPH over Red Mountain Pass.
Winter Storm, Lower Yampa River Basin/Rangely and Vicinity / W Moffat / X Nw Rio Blanco
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Lower Yampa River Basin/Rangely and Vicinity / W Moffat / X Nw Rio Blanco forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.066, -108.109 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Central Yampa River Basin/Craig-Hayden and Vicinity / E Moffat / C Rio Blanco / Sw Routt
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Central Yampa River Basin/Craig-Hayden and Vicinity / E Moffat / C Rio Blanco / Sw Routt forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.361, -107.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus / Sw Rio Blanco / W Garfield / Part of Nc Mesa
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus / Sw Rio Blanco / W Garfield / Part of Nc Mesa forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.532, -108.196 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Elkhead and Park Mountains/Flat Tops/White River Plateau / E Rio Blanco / Ne Garfield / X Nw Eagle / Routt Except C Xs
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Elkhead and Park Mountains/Flat Tops/White River Plateau / E Rio Blanco / Ne Garfield / X Nw Eagle / Routt Except C Xs forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Upper Yampa River Basin/Steamboat Springs and Vicinity / C Routt
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Yampa River Basin/Steamboat Springs and Vicinity / C Routt forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.485, -106.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Grand Valley/Grand Junction and Vicinity / Nw & C Mesa / X Sw Garfield
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Grand Valley/Grand Junction and Vicinity / Nw & C Mesa / X Sw Garfield forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Debeque Rifle Glenwood Springs Corridor / C Se Garfield / Nc Mesa (Part) / X Sw Eagle / X Nc Pitkin
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Debeque Rifle Glenwood Springs Corridor / C Se Garfield / Nc Mesa (Part) / X Sw Eagle / X Nc Pitkin forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Central Colorado River Basin/Eagle and Vicinity / N Eagle Except X Nw / X S Routt
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Central Colorado River Basin/Eagle and Vicinity / N Eagle Except X Nw / X S Routt forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Grand and Battlement Mesas / X Sc Garfield / E Mesa Except X Ne / N Delta
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Grand and Battlement Mesas / X Sc Garfield / E Mesa Except X Ne / N Delta forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys/Aspen and Vicinity / Ne S Eagle / Pitkin Except Xnc / X Ne Mesa / Se Garfield (Part)
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys/Aspen and Vicinity / Ne S Eagle / Pitkin Except Xnc / X Ne Mesa / Se Garfield (Part) forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin/Montrose and Vicinity / W C Gunnison / Part of Ne Montrose / S Delta / N C Ouray
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin/Montrose and Vicinity / W C Gunnison / Part of Ne Montrose / S Delta / N C Ouray forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.737, -107.907 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains/Taylor Park / W Lake / W Chaffee / Wc to Ec Gunnison
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- West Elk and Sawatch Mountains/Taylor Park / W Lake / W Chaffee / Wc to Ec Gunnison forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Leadville and Vicinity / E Lake
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Leadville and Vicinity / E Lake forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, Uncompahgre Plateau / S Mesa Except X Sw / X Ne San Miguel / C Montrose / Nw Ouray
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Uncompahgre Plateau / S Mesa Except X Sw / X Ne San Miguel / C Montrose / Nw Ouray forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Northwestern San Juan Mountains / E Ouray / X Sw Gunnison / N Hinsdale / Se San Miguel
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northwestern San Juan Mountains / E Ouray / X Sw Gunnison / N Hinsdale / Se San Miguel forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Southwestern San Juan Mountains / C E Dolores / San Juan / S Hinsdale / N la Plata / Ne Montezuma / E N Archuleta
- When
- December 19, 5:00 AM MST to December 21, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southwestern San Juan Mountains / C E Dolores / San Juan / S Hinsdale / N la Plata / Ne Montezuma / E N Archuleta forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 37.594, -107.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
- 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.
- Winter Storm in Nevada, December 19 to 20, 19981 death · 10 injured · $150,000 · 1 event
- Winter Storm in Utah, December 19 to 21, 199810 injured · $100,000 · 32 events
- Cold in California, December 19 to 29, 1998$2.4 million · 5 events
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 19 to 20, 19982 injured · $24,000 · 1 event
- Winter Storm in Washington, December 19, 19985 events
- Heavy Snow in California, December 19 to 20, 19985 events
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 19 to 20, 19983 events
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, December 19, 19981 event
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 19, 19981 event
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 19, 19981 event
- High Wind in California, December 19, 1998$10,000 · 70 kt wind · 1 event
- High Wind in California, December 19, 199870 kt wind · 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5674811, 5674812, 5674813, 5674814, 5674815, 5674816, 5674817, 5674818, 5674819, 5674820, 5674821, 5674822, 5674823, 5674824, 5674825, 5674826.