Blizzard in Colorado, January 12, 1998

Name: Blizzard in Colorado, January 12, 1998
Start: 1998-01-12T00:00
End: 1998-01-12T08:00
Location: Colorado

January 12, 1998 · NWS BOU · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 blizzard, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 1

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.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks / S Grand / Summit / W Clear Creek / W Gilpin / Sw Boulder / Nw Park

When: January 12, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where: Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks / S Grand / Summit / W Clear Creek / W Gilpin / Sw Boulder / Nw Park forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.726, -105.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very strong winds and heavy snow caused blizzard conditions to develop on a localized scale as another winter storm moved through the area. Loveland and Winter Park ski areas picked up 6 and 8 inches of snow respectively. Just east of the Continental Divide, sustained winds from 80 to 85 mph with gusts to 100 mph were recorded at Silver Spruce Ranch near Ward, resulting in whiteout conditions.

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 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, January 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: 5628289.