Colorado, 2003

Heavy Snow in Colorado, November 12 to 13, 2003

November 12 to 13, 2003 · NWS PUB · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong winter weather disturbance began producing accumulating snow over the Eastern San Juan and La Garita mountains the evening of the 12th with around 4 inches of snow noted by midnight. Snowfall continued into the afternoon of the 13th with totals exceeding 24 inches near the summit of Wolf Creek Pass.

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

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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 PUB wrote it up.

A strong winter weather disturbance began producing accumulating snow over the Eastern San Juan and La Garita mountains the evening of the 12th with around 4 inches of snow noted by midnight. Snowfall continued into the afternoon of the 13th with totals exceeding 24 inches near the summit of Wolf Creek Pass. Other snow totals include 5 inches at La Jara and Manassa in the San Luis Valley in Conejos county...8 inches at Antonito and the area 3 miles southwest of South Fork...11 inches at Wolf Creek Ranch...12 inches at Fox Creek....and 18 inches 11 miles southwest of Monte Vista.

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, La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
November 12, 5:00 PM MST to November 13, 3:00 PM MST
Where
La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.778, -106.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft

When
November 12, 5:00 PM MST to November 13, 3:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft

When
November 12, 5:00 PM MST to November 13, 3:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.484, -106.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern San Luis Valley

When
November 12, 8:00 PM MST to November 13, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Southern San Luis Valley forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.240, -105.810 (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, November 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: 5335451, 5335452, 5335453, 5335454.