Colorado, 1998

Winter Storm in Colorado, November 8 to 9, 1998

November 8 to 9, 1998 · NWS PUB · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

A weather system produced widespread snow and gusty winds across the region beginning the afternoon of the 8th, and lasting through the evening of the 9th. The heaviest snowfall occurred across the mountains.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.

A weather system produced widespread snow and gusty winds across the region beginning the afternoon of the 8th, and lasting through the evening of the 9th. The heaviest snowfall occurred across the mountains. Snowfall totals ranged from 1 to 4 inches in Trinidad, Pueblo and El Paso county, 4 to 8 inches across parts of the San Luis Valley and the Wet Mountain valley, 7 inches in Walsenburg in Huerfano county, and 8 inches in Woodland Park in Teller county. Higher snow totals ranged from 10 inches at La Veta Pass and the Santa Maria Reservoir, 12 inches near Creede in Mineral county, 16 inches at the summit of Cumbres Pass, and 17 inches in Cuchara and at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, La Garita Mountains / W Sanguache

When
November 8, 1:00 PM MST to November 9, 5:00 PM MST
Where
La Garita Mountains / W Sanguache forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
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
November 8, 1:00 PM MST to November 9, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern San Juan Mountains / Mineral / W Rio Grande / W Conejos forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Alamosa County/Alamosa and Vicinity / Alamosa / E Rio Grande

When
November 8, 2:00 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Alamosa County/Alamosa and Vicinity / Alamosa / E Rio Grande forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
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
November 8, 2:00 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Northern San Luis Valley/Del Norte and Vicinity / E Sanguache Except X E / N Rio Grande forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.747, -106.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Arkansas River Valley/Salida and Vicinity / E Chaffee

When
November 8, 4:00 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Arkansas River Valley/Salida and Vicinity / E Chaffee forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties

When
November 8, 4:00 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern San Luis Valley / E Conejos / W Costilla

When
November 8, 8:00 PM MST to November 9, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Southern San Luis Valley / E Conejos / W Costilla forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.081, -106.282 (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
November 8, 9:00 PM MST to November 9, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains / X Sw Fremont / X E Sanguache / W Custer / W Huerfano / X N Costilla forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
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
November 8, 9:00 PM MST to November 9, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains / E Costilla / Sw Huerfano / X Sw Las Animas forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
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
November 9, 6:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak / Teller / W El Paso forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
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
November 9, 6:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains / E Custer / X Sw Pueblo / X N Huerfano / Part Se Fremont forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs and Vicinity

When
November 9, 6:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.240, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge

When
November 9, 6:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pueblo and Eastern Fremont Counties/Pueblo and Vicinity

When
November 9, 6:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Pueblo and Eastern Fremont Counties/Pueblo and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.867, -105.544 (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
November 9, 6:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity / Sw Las Animas Except X Sw forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

When
November 9, 6:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity / Nc to Sc Huerfano forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
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, November 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5676555, 5676556, 5676557, 5676678, 5676683, 5676684, 5676679, 5676680, 5676681, 5676682, 5676685, 5676686, 5676687, 5676688, 5676689, 5676690.