Colorado, 2003

Heavy Snow in Colorado, April 19, 2003

April 19, 2003 · NWS PUB · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

mainly above 6000 feet. the highest snow amount reported with this event was 23 inches at Cuchara in Huerfano county.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 PUB wrote it up.

An intense spring storm produced heavy snow over large sections of southeast Colorado...mainly above 6000 feet. Some of the heavier snow totals include 6 inches southeast of Fort Garland in Costilla county...9 inches 18 miles west of Aguilar in Las Animas county...up to 11 inches in Beulah in Pueblo county...12 inches at both La Veta Pass and Walsenburg in Huerfano county...13 inches at Rye in Pueblo county...14 inches 13 miles south-southeast of Walsenburg in Huerfano county...16 inches at La Veta in Huerfano county...18 inches was tallied 5 miles to the south of La Veta...and finally...the highest snow amount reported with this event was 23 inches at Cuchara in Huerfano county.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.992, -105.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.867, -105.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.426, -104.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Between 8500 and 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.110, -105.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Wet Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.989, -104.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.685, -104.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Trinidad Vicinity / Lower Huerfano River Basin & Western Las Animas County Below 7500 Ft

When
April 19, 1:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Trinidad Vicinity / Lower Huerfano River Basin & Western Las Animas County Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.316, -104.039 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2003

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5351754, 5351755, 5351756, 5351757, 5351758, 5351759, 5351760, 5351761.