Colorado winter storms
Every recorded winter storm record since 1996 · 64 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 15,010 winter storm records in Colorado from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 496 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the March 30, 2009 winter weather in Weld County: 5 deaths and 5 injuries across 3 records. Colorado ranks 1st of 51 states and territories by count and 23rd of 50 per square mile.
Winter storms in Colorado, 1996 to 2026
Winter storm records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 15,0101996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 496average
- Deaths
- 37631 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $70Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2024813 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are winter storm records common in Colorado?
Colorado averages about 496 winter storm records a year since 2000, 1st of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2024 (813). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Colorado records 1448 winter storm records since 1996, 23rd of 50 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Colorado have the most winter storm records?
Per square mile, San Juan County leads Colorado: 633 days with a winter storm record since 1996, 1633.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Garfield County has the most winter storm records (2,880 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is winter storm season in Colorado?
Colorado's winter storm records by month. The busiest month is December (2,518 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 2,393 · Feb 2,474 · Mar 2,229 · Apr 1,767 · May 527 · Jun 35 · Jul 0 · Aug 0 · Sep 200 · Oct 1,119 · Nov 1,748 · Dec 2,518 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest winter storm records in Colorado?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-03-30 | Winter WeatherWeld County · forecast zone C & S Weld County One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. A band of heavy snow, induced by a strong upper level jetstream, wreaked havoc on the morning commute in Denver, as well as area north and east of the Denver area. The snow was heaviest on the east side of the Denver metro area where storm totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches. The combination of reduced visibilities and ... | 5 | 5 | – | |
| 1997-10-24 | BlizzardConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs And Vicinity One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 5 | 2 | $1.7M | |
| 2011-12-19 | Winter WeatherElbert County and Lincoln County · forecast zone N & Ne Elbert County Below 6000 Feet / N Lincoln County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A winter storm brought heavy snow to southern Lincoln County. Trained spotters in and around Karval measured 7 to 10 inches of snowfall. In northern Lincoln County the combination of light snow and freezing drizzle produced extremely hazardous road conditions and caused numerous accidents. The accidents involved 20 to ... | 3 | 8 | – | |
| 2019-03-13 | BlizzardEl Paso County · forecast zone Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft A family in Yoder, CO (northern El Paso County) had their house demolished by the the strong gradient winds, during the blizzard. It was a total loss. No injuries were reported. | 3 | 0 | $115K | |
| 2006-12-20 | BlizzardAdams County and 3 more · forecast zone N Douglas County Below 6000 Feet / Denver / W Adams & Arapahoe Counties / E Broomfield County Storm totals along the Urban Corridor included: 34 inches, 10 miles south-southeast of Buckley AFB, 32 inches at Littleton, 30 inches near Castle Rock and Thornton, 29.5 inches near Parker, 28 inches at Wheat Ridge, 26 inches at Castle Rock, 25.5 inches at Centenniel, 25 inches at Niwot, 24 inches at Aurora, near ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-10-24 | BlizzardFremont County · forecast zone Crowley And Otero Counties/La Junta And Vicinity One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places, 1997-10-24 to 1997-10-25; the totals are the episode's. While blizzards are not uncommon in Colorado, the widespread areal extent of this blizzard was, perhaps a one in 50 year event. A powerful low pressure system moved in from the northwest through Utah, and settled into northern New Mexico. Meantime, arctic air invaded eastern Colorado, setting the stage for high winds, ... | 2 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 1997-10-24 | BlizzardWeld County · forecast zone Northeastern Weld County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. A deep east to northeast flow associated with a vigorous upper level low pressure system over the Four Corners area, combined with a strong Arctic airmass in the central plains, to create deadly blizzard conditions across all of eastern Colorado. Snowfall totals along the Urban Corridor and adjacent plains generally ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-03-01 | Winter WeatherAdams County and 3 more · forecast zone N Douglas County Below 6000 Feet / Denver / W Adams & Arapahoe Counties / E Broomfield County A band of heavy snow, produced around one inch in less than 30 minutes, contributed to a chain of accidents in the northbound lanes of Interstate 25, between Logan Street and University Boulevard. The combination of excessive speed and very poor driving conditions led the chain reaction; it involved 104 vehicles and ... | 1 | 30 | – | |
| 2008-03-29 | Winter StormEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys One to two feet of snow fell across the area while frequent wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. An accident involving 60 to 75 vehicles occurred in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 at Mile Marker 189, about 1 mile west of the Vail Pass summit. The eastbound lanes were subsequently closed ... | 1 | 22 | – | |
| 1996-02-20 | Heavy SnowEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys 12-24 inches of snow fell over the central and northern mountains. 6-8 inches were common in the southwest mountains. There were numerous vehicle accidents, including a 20 car/truck pile up on I-70 near Vail. Avalanches and snow accumulations resulted in numerous road closures over the mountain passes. | 1 | 2 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest winter storm records in Colorado
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-03-17 | BlizzardAdams County and 3 more · forecast zone N Douglas County Below 6000 Feet / Denver / W Adams & Arapahoe Counties / E Broomfield County One storm episode: 6 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 2 | $50M | |
| 2001-04-11 | BlizzardCostilla County and 4 more · forecast zone Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge | 0 | 0 | $6.7M | |
| 2001-04-11 | BlizzardAdams County and 3 more · forecast zone Denver Metropolitan Area | 0 | 0 | $5.2M | |
| 1997-10-24 | BlizzardConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs And Vicinity One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 5 | 2 | $1.7M | |
| 1997-10-24 | BlizzardFremont County · forecast zone Crowley And Otero Counties/La Junta And Vicinity One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places, 1997-10-24 to 1997-10-25; the totals are the episode's. | 2 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 1996-03-14 | Winter StormCuster County · forecast zone Westcliffe Vicinity / Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Ft | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2017-03-24 | Winter StormCheyenne County · forecast zone Cheyenne County | 0 | 0 | $722K | |
| 1998-11-08 | Winter StormLa Plata County · forecast zone Animas River Basin/Durango And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $543K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are winter storm records becoming more frequent in Colorado?
Colorado's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Colorado | United States | Colorado's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 1,942 | 32,893 | 5.9% |
| 2000s | 4,709 | 88,805 | 5.3% |
| 2010s | 5,122 | 103,626 | 4.9% |
| 2020-26 | 3,237 | 62,015 | 5.2% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent winter storm records in Colorado
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | Winter WeatherBoulder County and 2 more · forecast zone Boulder & Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet / W Broomfield County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Winter WeatherJackson County · forecast zone Jackson County Below 9000 Feet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-17 | Winter WeatherMoffat County and Routt County · forecast zone Elkhead And Park Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-17 | Winter StormBoulder County and 3 more · forecast zone S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-06 | Winter WeatherDelta County and 2 more · forecast zone West Elk And Sawatch Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowProwers County · forecast zone Lamar Vicinity / Prowers County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowHuerfano County · forecast zone Walsenburg Vicinity / Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowEl Paso County · forecast zone Colorado Springs Vicinity / Southern El Paso County / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowEl Paso County · forecast zone Northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowEl Paso County and 2 more · forecast zone Teller County / Rampart Range Above 7500 Ft / Pikes Peak Between 7500 & 11000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowCuster County and 3 more · forecast zone Wet Mountains Between 8500 And 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowCostilla County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Between 7500 & 11000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for winter storm records in Colorado
FEMA has declared 5 disasters in Colorado for winter storm, counting its incident type and declarations that name snow or winter storm or ice storm or blizzard in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 2 were major disasters, the latest on January 7, 2007.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-01-07 | EM-3271 | Snow | 10 |
| 2007-01-07 | EM-3270 | Snow | 16 |
| 2003-04-09 | EM-3185 | Snow | 29 |
| 2001-05-17 | DR-1374 | Severe Winter Storms | 14 |
| 1973-05-23 | DR-385 | Heavy Rains, Snowmelt and Flooding | 16 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- San Juan County: the county's whole recordThe Colorado county with the most winter storm records per square mile
- Winter storms across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in ColoradoTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Hail in Colorado15,490 records
- Severe thunderstorm wind in Colorado4,650 records
- High wind and dust storms in Colorado4,370 records