Colorado, 2003

Winter Weather in Colorado, April 3, 2003

April 3, 2003 · NWS GJT · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong early spring storm system moved across the area and produced widespread significant snowfall across the northern mountains, and portions of the central mountains of western Colorado. Snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 13 inches across the Elk, Park, Flattop, and Sawatch Mountains.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 early spring storm system moved across the area and produced widespread significant snowfall across the northern mountains, and portions of the central mountains of western Colorado. Snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 13 inches across the Elk, Park, Flattop, and Sawatch Mountains.

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 2, 4:20 PM MST, 13 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 4:20 PM MST, 13 hours 40 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 2, 6:00 AM MST, 24 hours before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Flattop Mountains

When
April 3, 6:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM 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)

Winter Weather, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When
April 3, 6:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM 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)

Winter Weather, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When
April 3, 6:00 AM MST to 10:00 PM 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)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5355444, 5355445, 5355446.