Colorado, 1998

Winter Storm in Colorado, March 18, 1998

March 18, 1998 · NWS BOU · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Heavy snow fell from areas west of Interstate 25 to the Continental Divide as strong upslope conditions developed. Snowfall totals included: 38 inches at Silver Spruce Ranch, 2 miles south of Ward, 35 inches at Aspen Springs, 33 inches near Blackhawk, 31 inches at Allenspark, 30 inches at Eldora, 29 inches at Coal Creel Canyon, 27 inches at Conifer, the Chief Hosa Exit and Nederland, 25 inches…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
8

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 BOU wrote it up.

Heavy snow fell from areas west of Interstate 25 to the Continental Divide as strong upslope conditions developed. Two to 3 1/2 feet of snow fell in the foothills with 1 to 2 feet reported along western portions of the Urban Corridor.Snowfall totals included: 38 inches at Silver Spruce Ranch, 2 miles south of Ward, 35 inches at Aspen Springs, 33 inches near Blackhawk, 31 inches at Allenspark, 30 inches at Eldora, 29 inches at Coal Creel Canyon, 27 inches at Conifer, the Chief Hosa Exit and Nederland, 25 inches at Rollinsville and Gross Reservoir, 21 inches at Evergreen, 20 inches at Carter Lake, 15 to 19 inches at Broomfield, Lakewood, Table Mesa, 1 mile east of Buckhorn Mountain and Virginia Dale. Elsewhere snowfall amounts ranged from 8 to 14 inches.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Rabbit Ears & Medicine Bow Ranges/Rocky Mountain National Park

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Rabbit Ears & Medicine Bow Ranges/Rocky Mountain National Park forecast zone
Coordinates
40.382, -105.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Summit County/Mosquito Range/Indian Peaks forecast zone
Coordinates
39.726, -105.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie and Cache la Poudre River Basins forecast zone
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Front Range Foothills/Clear Creek Basin forecast zone
Coordinates
39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Larimer and Northwestern Weld Counties forecast zone
Coordinates
40.611, -104.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Boulder County/Boulder and Vicinity forecast zone
Coordinates
39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Denver Metropolitan Area

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Denver Metropolitan Area forecast zone
Coordinates
39.714, -104.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Douglas and Western Elbert Counties/Castle Rock and Vicinity

When
March 18, 2:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Douglas and Western Elbert Counties/Castle Rock and Vicinity forecast zone
Coordinates
39.422, -104.468 (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, 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: 5638694, 5638695, 5638696, 5638697, 5638698, 5638699, 5638700, 5638701.