Winter Storm in Colorado, December 3 to 4, 1999

Name: Winter Storm in Colorado, December 3 to 4, 1999
Start: 1999-12-03T05:00
End: 1999-12-04T13:00
Location: Colorado

December 3 to 4, 1999 · NWS PUB · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

14 winter storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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: 14

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

14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak

When: December 3, 5:00 AM MST to December 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where: Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

When: December 3, 5:00 AM MST to December 4, 10:00 AM 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: December 3, 5:00 AM MST to December 4, 10:00 AM 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, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When: December 3, 7:00 AM MST to December 4, 10:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.832, -106.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An intense winter storm moved from northwest New Mexico the morning of December 3rd into the Texas Panhandle by the morning of December 4th. It produced some incredible snow totals. In addition to the snow, north to northeast winds, gusting over 30 mph, caused low visibility and very hazardous driving conditions. One of the incredible snow totals occurred at Cuchara in southwest Huerfano county where 61 inches of snow was noted from 9:00 a.m. on December 3rd to noon on December 4th. Four to 5 feet of snow fell at the Cuchara Ski Resort in approximately 24 hours. Elsewhere in Huerfano county, 40 inches of snow was reported around Red Wing, and 13 inches of the white stuff accumulated at Walsenburg. In extreme southwest Pueblo county, Rye was graced with up to 34 inches of snow while Beulah tallied 16 inches of snow. In Las Animas county, a site 18 miles west-southwest of Aguilar reported 28 inches of snow. Twelve inches of snow was observed at Aguilar...7 inches was noted 4 miles north of Tobe...5 inches fell at Trinidad and 4 inches was measured at Kim. In Custer county, 12 to 24 inches of snow occurred in the vicinity of Westcliffe with 16 inches covering Rosita. In Costilla county, 14 inches of snow was noted 4 miles east of Fort Garland. In Fremont county, 5 inches of snow accumulated at Coaldale. In Teller county, 20 inches of snow graced the community of Woodland Park while 9 inches was measured at Divide. In El Paso county, 12 inches of snow was measured at Monument...up to 11 inches in the Black Forest region...6 inches at the Air Force Academy and 4 to 6 inches in the western sections of Colorado Springs. In Otero county, 10 inches of snow graced Timpas. In southwest Bent county, 8 inches of snow was measured. In extreme southwest Prowers county, 5 inches of snow was noted. Finally, in Baca county...5 inches of snow occurred 20 miles northwest of Springfield, while at Springfield, 4 inches was noted.

Winter Storm, Western Fremont and Northern Custer Counties

When: December 3, 8:00 AM MST to December 4, 11:00 AM 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, Wet Mountains

When: December 3, 8:00 AM MST to December 4, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Wet Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.578, -106.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity

When: December 3, 8:00 AM MST to December 4, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When: December 3, 9:00 AM MST to December 4, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.778, -106.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity

When: December 3, 9:00 AM MST to December 4, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Purgatoire River Basin/Trinidad and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Las Animas County

When: December 3, 10:00 AM MST to December 4, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Las Animas County forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity

When: December 3, 12:00 PM MST to December 4, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity

When: December 3, 5:00 PM MST to December 4, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity

When: December 3, 5:00 PM MST to December 4, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Prowers County/Lamar and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity

When: December 3, 5:00 PM MST to December 4, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.729, -105.043 (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

Every storm in Colorado in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, December 1999

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: 5724191, 5724194, 5724195, 5724189, 5724192, 5724193, 5724196, 5724190, 5724197, 5724199, 5724198, 5724200, 5724201, 5724202.