Colorado, 2003

Heavy Snow in Colorado, April 23 to 24, 2003

April 23 to 24, 2003 · NWS GJT · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong spring storm produced heavy snowfall across the northern mountains and portions of the central mountains in western Colorado. SNOTEL and spotter measurements indicated snowfall amounts from one to three feet across the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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 GJT wrote it up.

A strong spring storm produced heavy snowfall across the northern mountains and portions of the central mountains in western Colorado. SNOTEL and spotter measurements indicated snowfall amounts from one to three feet across the area. This resulted in road closures and restrictions on high elevation roadways and passes.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 23, 2:11 AM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 23, 2:11 AM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 23, 3:57 AM MST, 3 minutes before
COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-241100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
457 AM MDT WED APR 23 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN COLORADO AND FOR
EASTERN UTAH

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AS A STORM MOVES ACROSS
THE AREA. SNOW SHOWERS AND WEST WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH MAY CREATE
HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TODAY AND TONIGHT.
SNOWFALL OF 3 TO 7 INCHES IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT IN THE
MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN COLORADO.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHEAST UTAH AND
NORTHWEST COLORADO MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES
PASS BY TO THE NORTH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY.

JAD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When
April 23, 4:00 AM MST to April 24, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Flattop Mountains

When
April 23, 4:00 AM MST to April 24, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Flattop Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.062, -107.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When
April 23, 4:00 AM MST to April 24, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When
April 23, 4:00 AM MST to April 24, 10:00 AM MST
Where
West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
38.643, -107.721 (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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5355535, 5355536, 5355537, 5355538.