Colorado, 2017

Winter Weather in Colorado, April 3 to 4, 2017

April 3 to 4, 2017 · NWS BOU · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A storm system brought a period of locally heavy snow to portions of the Front Range Mountains and Foothills. The heaviest snowfall occurred in and near the foothills of Clear Creek, southern Boulder, northern Jefferson and Gilpin Counties.

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 BOU wrote it up.

A storm system brought a period of locally heavy snow to portions of the Front Range Mountains and Foothills. The heaviest snowfall occurred in and near the foothills of Clear Creek, southern Boulder, northern Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. Storm totals in those areas included: 16 inches at Eldorado Springs, 15 inches at Echo Lake, 14 inches at St. Mary's Glacier and Winter Park Ski Area, 13.5 inches at Genesee, 13 inches at Rough and Tumble SNOTEL and near Tiny Town, 12.5 inches near Allenspark and Idaho Springs, 12 inches at Joe Wright SNOTEL, 11 inches near Conifer, 10 inches at Breckenridge. Across the rest of the Front Range mountains and foothills, the western suburbs of Denver and Boulder, storm totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches.

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 Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 3, 2:37 PM MST, 8 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 2:37 PM MST, 8 hours 23 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 10:01 AM MST, 12 hours 59 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

4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, S & Se Grand / W Central & Sw Boulder / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Summit / N & W Park Counties Above 9000 Feet

When
April 3, 11:00 PM MST to April 4, 11:00 PM MST
Where
S & Se Grand / W Central & Sw Boulder / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Summit / N & W Park Counties Above 9000 Feet forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
39.726, -105.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm totals included: 15 inches at Echo Lake, 14 inches at Winter Park Ski Area, 13 inches at Rough and Tumble SNOTEL, 12 inches at Joe Wright SNOTEL, 10 inches at Breckenridge. Elsewhere lesser amounts of 4 to 9 inches were recorded.

Winter Weather, Boulder & Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet / W Broomfield County

When
April 3, 11:00 PM MST to April 4, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Boulder & Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet / W Broomfield County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm totals included: 5.8 inches in Louisville, 5 inches in Wheat Ridge, with 4.5 inches at the Weather Forecast Office in Boulder and Westminster.

Winter Weather, Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet

When
April 3, 11:00 PM MST to April 4, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.380, -105.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm totals included 16 inches at Eldorado Springs and 12.5 inches near Allenspark, with 4 to 10 inches elsewhere.

Winter Weather, Jefferson & W Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Ne Park Counties Below 9000 Feet

When
April 3, 11:00 PM MST to April 4, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Jefferson & W Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Ne Park Counties Below 9000 Feet forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.516, -105.413 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm totals included: 13.5 inches at Genesee, 13 inches near Evergreen, Kittredge and Tiny Town, 12.5 inches near Idaho Springs and 11 inches near Conifer. Elsewhere lesser amounts of 5 to 10 inches were reported.

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 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2017

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: 691436, 691437, 691439, 691440.