Colorado, 2006

Winter Weather in Colorado, March 31, 2006

March 31, 2006 · NWS GJT · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A spring storm system struck western Colorado at the end of March and continued into early April. Widespread snow accumulations of 5 to 12 inches were measured across the central and southern mountains of western Colorado.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
5

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 spring storm system struck western Colorado at the end of March and continued into early April. Widespread snow accumulations of 5 to 12 inches were measured across the central and southern mountains of western Colorado. Please see the April 2006 Storm Data publication for a continuation on this event.

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 Mar 31, 3:30 PM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 3:30 PM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 5:45 AM MST, 11 hours 15 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
545 AM MST FRI MAR 31 2006

COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011400-
ANIMAS RIVER BASIN-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES-
CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN-
CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN-
CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR-
EASTERN UINTA BASIN-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-
ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-FLAT TOPS-
FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-
GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS-
GRAND VALLEY-LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-
NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER-
ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH-
SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU-
UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE-UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY-
UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-
545 AM MST FRI MAR 31 2006

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A CHANCE FOR SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN UTAH AND
WESTERN COLORADO LATE TONIGHT...WITH THE BEST COVERAGE OVER THE
SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

MOUNTAIN SNOW...WITH THE CHANCE FOR VALLEY RAIN OR SNOW WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SOME SNOW SHOWERS MAY LINGER THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST UTAH ON TUESDAY...THEN SPREAD TO THE OTHER
MOUNTAIN AREAS BY WEDNESDAY. THE CHANCE FOR SNOW OR MIXED RAIN AND
SNOW WILL SPREAD TO THE VALLEYS BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER...
YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO PHONE IN SNOW REPORTS TO THE GRAND JUNCTION
FORECAST OFFICE...OR EMAIL US AT WXGJT@NOAA.GOV.

EH

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When
March 31, 5:00 PM MST to 11:59 PM 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, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When
March 31, 5:00 PM MST to 11:59 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)

Winter Weather, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When
March 31, 5:00 PM MST to 11:59 PM 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, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When
March 31, 5:00 PM MST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Weather, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When
March 31, 5:00 PM MST to 11:59 PM 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

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 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 2006

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: 5495024, 5495025, 5495026, 5495027, 5495028.