Winter Storm, La Garita Mountains / W Sanguache
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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 in Colorado, March 18 to 19, 1998
A strong winter storm system moved across western Colorado the morning of the 18th, reaching north central New Mexico by the evening. Heavy snow fell in many parts of south central and southeast Colorado on the 18th through the early morning of the 19th.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 22 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
- 22
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 western Colorado the morning of the 18th, reaching north central New Mexico by the evening. Heavy snow fell in many parts of south central and southeast Colorado on the 18th through the early morning of the 19th. The storm shut down nearly all except emergency services and caused numerous traffic accidents in Colorado Springs, where snowfall amounts ranged from 15 inches at the Colorado Springs airport to 34 inches near Monument Hill. Other snow amounts included: 1 to 4 inches across the southwest mountains with as much as 12 inches at Wolf Creek Pass, 1 to 4 inches across the San Luis Valley with as much as 10 inches in Antonito, 4 to 12 inches across the southeast foothills and high valleys, 15 to 20 inches across the eastern mountains with as much as 34 inches at Monument Hill, and 6 to 14 inches across all of the southeast plains.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
22 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Alamosa County/Alamosa and Vicinity / Alamosa / E Rio Grande
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Alamosa County/Alamosa and Vicinity / Alamosa / E Rio Grande forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.729, -105.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Eastern Las Animas County / E Las Animas / Ne Huerfano
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Las Animas County / E Las Animas / Ne Huerfano forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Eastern San Juan Mountains / Mineral / W Rio Grande / W Conejos
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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, Kiowa County
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Kiowa County forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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, Northern San Luis Valley/Del Norte and Vicinity / E Sanguache Except X E / N Rio Grande
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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, Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Pueblo and Eastern Fremont Counties/Pueblo and Vicinity
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Pueblo and Eastern Fremont Counties/Pueblo and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.867, -105.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs and Vicinity
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs and Vicinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.240, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Southern San Luis Valley / E Conejos / W Costilla
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern San Luis Valley / E Conejos / W Costilla forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.081, -106.282 (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
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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, Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak / Teller / W El Paso
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak / Teller / W El Paso forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Upper Arkansas River Valley/Salida and Vicinity / E Chaffee
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Arkansas River Valley/Salida and Vicinity / E Chaffee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity / Nc to Sc Huerfano
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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)
Winter Storm, Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties
- When
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.484, -106.500 (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
- March 18, 12:00 AM MST to March 19, 10:00 AM 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)
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 and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 18 to 19, 1998
- Winter Storm in Kansas, March 18 to 19, 1998
- Flash Flood in Florida, March 18 to 19, 1998
- Winter Storm in Colorado, March 18, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Texas, March 18 to 19, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, March 18, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, March 18 to 19, 1998
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 18, 1998
- Winter Weather in New Jersey, March 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Kansas, March 18 to 19, 1998
- High Wind in Alaska, March 18, 1998
More
Every storm in Colorado in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 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: 5632597, 5632598, 5632599, 5632600, 5632601, 5632602, 5632603, 5632604, 5632605, 5632606, 5632607, 5632608, 5632609, 5632610, 5632611, 5632612, 5632613, 5632614, 5632615, 5632616, 5632617, 5632618.