Colorado, 1998

Winter Storm in Colorado, February 15 to 16, 1998

February 15 to 16, 1998 · NWS PUB · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A strong winter storm system moved across southern Colorado, bringing snow to the southwest mountains the morning of the 15th, and to the southern and southeast mountains and foothills beginning the evening of the 15th. The snow lasted through midday of the 16th, with rain then spreading across the southeast plains on the 16th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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.

A strong winter storm system moved across southern Colorado, bringing snow to the southwest mountains the morning of the 15th, and to the southern and southeast mountains and foothills beginning the evening of the 15th. The snow lasted through midday of the 16th, with rain then spreading across the southeast plains on the 16th. Snowfall totals ranged from 8 to 12 inches across the Eastern San Juan and Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, 8 to 10 inches across the Wet Mountains, including Rye and Beulah, 6 inches in Walsenburg, 4 inches in Trinidad and Northern El Paso county, and 1 to 4 inches across the La Garita Mountains and the Northern San Luis Valley.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, La Garita Mountains / W Sanguache

When
February 15, 6:00 AM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
La Garita Mountains / W Sanguache forecast zone
Coordinates
38.677, -106.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern San Juan Mountains / Mineral / W Rio Grande / W Conejos

When
February 15, 6:00 AM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern San Juan Mountains / Mineral / W Rio Grande / W Conejos forecast zone
Coordinates
38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern San Luis Valley/Del Norte and Vicinity / E Sanguache Except X E / N Rio Grande

When
February 15, 6:00 AM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Northern San Luis Valley/Del Norte and Vicinity / E Sanguache Except X E / N Rio Grande forecast zone
Coordinates
38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains / X Sw Fremont / X E Sanguache / W Custer / W Huerfano / X N Costilla

When
February 15, 6:00 PM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains / X Sw Fremont / X E Sanguache / W Custer / W Huerfano / X N Costilla forecast zone
Coordinates
37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains / E Costilla / Sw Huerfano / X Sw Las Animas

When
February 15, 6:00 PM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains / E Costilla / Sw Huerfano / X Sw Las Animas forecast zone
Coordinates
37.778, -106.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wet Mountains / E Custer / X Sw Pueblo / X N Huerfano / Part Se Fremont

When
February 15, 6:00 PM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains / E Custer / X Sw Pueblo / X N Huerfano / Part Se Fremont forecast zone
Coordinates
37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge

When
February 15, 6:00 PM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge forecast zone
Coordinates
37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity / Nc to Sc Huerfano

When
February 15, 6:00 PM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity / Nc to Sc Huerfano forecast zone
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity / Sw Las Animas Except X Sw

When
February 15, 6:00 PM MST to February 16, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity / Sw Las Animas Except X Sw forecast zone
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 1998

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: 5634816, 5634817, 5634818, 5634819, 5634820, 5634821, 5634822, 5634823, 5634824.