Narrative of April 23-25 1997 Snowstorm

April 23-25 1997 Snow Storm across southern Colorado

While widespread heavy snow is unusual in late April, it is not unprecedented. The worst snow and wind storm in recent memory occurred in late April of 1997. Below is the narrative in our Storm Data publication on that wild storm...

A very strong winter storm moved through southern Colorado from the evening of the 23rd through the morning of the 25th. Six to 12 inches of snow fell in parts of the eastern San Juan and La Garita Mountains. A more persistent snowfall pattern set up over the eastern mountains and adjacent plains. Heavy rain fell through most of the night on the eastern plains and then turned to heavy snow in the early morning hours of the 24th. Periods of heavy snow fell in the higher elevations from the 23rd through the 25th.

One to three feet of snow fell in the eastern mountains and adjacent plains. The Sangre de Cristos saw one to two feet of snow. The Wet Mountains had two to two an a half feet of snow. Higher terrain around Canon City had two feet of snow. Heavy snow began before dawn in El Paso and Teller counties. By the morning of the 25th, two to three feet of snow had fallen in and near the mountains. One foot of snow fell in the adjacent plains from El Paso county south to near Trinidad. The three foot snows occurred in Ute Pass, at Green Mountain Falls and Cascade in El Paso county. Two feet of snow fell at Cripple Creek, Woodland Park in Teller county, and Monument, Palmer Lake, Manitou Springs, and the extreme western side of Colorado Springs in El Paso county.

Thousands of trees were uprooted or limbs were broken off by the very heavy wet snow. Approximately 20,000 households were without power, some for around a week. There were numerous traffic accidents. School was canceled for two days in Colorado Springs and surrounding communities. Many government and private offices closed both the 24th and 25th. A water pump failed in Green Mountain Falls, leaving one third of the residents without water into the 25th.