Colorado, 2003

Winter Weather in Colorado, December 21 to 22, 2003

December 21 to 22, 2003 · NWS GJT · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A fast moving Pacific storm system produced 5 to 12 inches of snow across the mountains of western Colorado. Local amounts up to 16 inches occurred in the northwest San Juan Mountains.

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 GJT wrote it up.

A fast moving Pacific storm system produced 5 to 12 inches of snow across the mountains of western Colorado. Local amounts up to 16 inches occurred in the northwest San Juan 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 Dec 21, 3:53 AM MST, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 21, 3:53 AM MST, 37 minutes 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

8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 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)

Winter Weather, Flattop Mountains

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 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)

Winter Weather, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 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)

Winter Weather, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.159, -108.078 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 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)

Winter Weather, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When
December 21, 4:30 AM MST to December 22, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Southwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.594, -107.912 (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, December 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: 5332185, 5332186, 5332187, 5332188, 5332189, 5332190, 5332191, 5332192.