Colorado, 1999

Winter Storm in Colorado, March 11 to 13, 1999

March 11 to 13, 1999 · NWS PUB · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

The center of a major winter storm moved across northern New Mexico into the Texas panhandle from late evening of the 11th through the early morning of the 13th. Snow fell throughout all of southern Colorado, and heavy snow fell in the northern San Luis Valley, Sangre de Cristo mountains, and into the southeast plains.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
11

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.

The center of a major winter storm moved across northern New Mexico into the Texas panhandle from late evening of the 11th through the early morning of the 13th. Snow fell throughout all of southern Colorado, and heavy snow fell in the northern San Luis Valley, Sangre de Cristo mountains, and into the southeast plains. The northern San Luis Valley received 5 to 10 inches of snow, the Sangre de Cristo mountains 6 to 16 inches, and the southeast plains 6 to 12 inches of snow. Some higher amounts were the 10 inches at Saguache in Saguache county, 16 inches at Cuchara in Huerfano county, and 12 inches in the Springfield and Walsh areas of Baca county in far southeast Colorado.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northern San Luis Valley/Del Norte and Vicinity / E Sanguache Except X E / N Rio Grande

When
March 11, 7:00 PM MST to March 12, 9:00 AM 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, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains / X Sw Fremont / X E Sanguache / W Custer / W Huerfano / X N Costilla

When
March 11, 9:00 PM MST to March 12, 12:00 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
March 11, 9:00 PM MST to March 12, 3:00 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, Upper Huerfano River Basin/Walsenburg and Vicinity / Nc to Sc Huerfano

When
March 12, 2:00 PM MST to March 13, 6:00 AM 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)

Winter Storm, Eastern Las Animas County / E Las Animas / Ne Huerfano

When
March 12, 2:00 PM MST to March 13, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Eastern Las Animas County / E Las Animas / Ne Huerfano forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.473, -105.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kiowa County

When
March 12, 2:00 PM MST to March 13, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Kiowa County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.897, -105.164 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity

When
March 12, 2:00 PM MST to March 13, 7:00 AM 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
March 12, 2:00 PM MST to March 13, 8:00 AM 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, Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity

When
March 12, 3:00 PM MST to March 13, 7:00 AM 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, Baca County/Springfield and Vicinity

When
March 12, 3:00 PM MST to March 13, 8:00 AM 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)

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

When
March 12, 4:00 PM MST to March 13, 6:00 AM 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)

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 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 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: 5692132, 5692252, 5692253, 5692255, 5692257, 5692258, 5692259, 5692260, 5692256, 5692261, 5692254.