1997 — Oct 24-25, Blizzard, Colorado — 10

—  10  NCDC. Storm Events Database. Blizzard. Search Results for All Counties in Colorado.

–1  Bent County/Las Animas and vicinity, Oct 24-26. Male, 40, hunting, froze. NCDC.

–1  Otero County, Oct 24-26. Female, 76, froze, after leaving stranded car. NCDC SED.

–4  El Paso County/Colorado Springs and vicinity, Oct 24-25.[1]

Males, 20, 29, and 63, female, 30, all in vehicles (3 CO poisoning, 1 freezing).[2]

–1  Kit Carson Co. ~Stratton, Oct 25. Boy, 11, hypothermia; wandered away from home.[3]

–1  Pueblo and Eastern Fremont Counties, Oct 24-25. Male, 31, vehicular.

–1  Weld Co., Oct 24-25. Male, 26; CO poisoning, snow clogged vehicle exhaust pipe.[4]

–1  Weld Co., Oct 24-25. Female, 23; lost control of car in blinding storm.[5]

 

Narrative Information

 

NCDC: “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, below zero wind chill values, heavy snow, and widespread life threatening conditions. The heavy snow began in the southwest mountains early on Friday morning the 24th. Snow spread across the Eastern San Juan and La Garita Mountains into the San Luis Valley, Upper Arkansas Valley, Wet Mountain Valley, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains through Friday morning. Snow began spreading across the eastern plains by midday Friday. By Friday evening the arctic high pressure and low pressure to the south intensified, and blizzard conditions began in the eastern mountains and across the plains.

 

“Blizzard conditions persisted, except for a brief break early Saturday morning, through Saturday night into the extreme eastern plains. The scope and length of blizzard conditions proved fatal for several eastern Coloradans. Three people in El Paso county perished from carbon monoxide poisoning after waiting for help to come in their snowbound vehicles for over 24 hours. Another person froze to death in a vehicle on post at Fort Carson in the Colorado Springs area. An elderly women in Otero county tried to walk home after her vehicle became stuck in open country. She froze to death. A man in Bent county froze to death in open country while hunting, or looking for other hunters. Another man died in a vehicle accident in Pueblo during the blizzard Friday night.

 

“Two people were injured in Colorado Springs when a canopy at a gas station collapsed under the weight of deep snow on top. Another canopy at a gas station in Lamar collapsed, but no-one was injured. A vehicle was destroyed, though. Thousands of people were stranded in eastern Colorado, and hundreds had to be rescued from their snowbound vehicles. By Saturday, the Governor declared a State of Emergency. Emergency traffic only was allowed on eastern Colorado roadways. Rescues were made by the U.S. Army in Humvees and by helicopter, the National Guard, law enforcement, other public resources, and private citizens. The combination of high wind and heavy snow caused power lines to come down. Power outages occurred (and lasted up to two days) in many parts of the area, most notably in parts of Colorado Springs, in and around Pueblo, and in southeast Colorado from McClave in Bent county to Holly in Prowers county. Hundreds of businesses and stores were closed throughout much of the weekend, and temporary sales and production loses were in the millions of dollars. Many school districts were closed for a part, or all of the following week, as the digging out process continued. Extra costs for snow removal in both the private and public sector from overtime wages certainly ran into the millions of dollars area-wide.

 

“Not only did humans suffer, but there was a widespread die off of range cattle. Estimates of around 20,000 dead cattle and calves were given. Untold numbers were saved by hay drops carried out by the Army and National Guard. Removal of dead cattle and feeding of remaining cattle cost millions of dollars.

 

“Snow amounts with the blizzard were impressive. One to two feet fell in the Eastern San Juan, La Garita, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. However, the San Luis Valley received only a few inches of snow. The Upper Arkansas Valley had six to 12 inches of snow. Generally between one and two feet fell from the Rampart Range and southern Colorado Springs, south through Pueblo, down to Trinidad, and throughout the southeast Plains. However, parts of the Wet Mountains, Beulah, Walsenburg, and some areas around La Junta had around three feet of snow. From northern Colorado Springs to the Palmer Divide, amounts were excessive. In northern Colorado Springs as much as three feet of snow fell. In the Black Forest and Monument three to four foot amounts were the norm. At Palmer Lake, on the Palmer Divide, 52 inches of snow was reported. The deep snow was blown and piled into drifts anywhere between three and 15 feet deep.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity; Oct 24-26, 1997.)

 

NCDC: “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 ranged from 14 to 30 inches. The heaviest snowfall occurred in the foothills west and southwest of Denver where 2 to 4 feet of snow was reported. In addition, sustained winds to 40 mph (35 kts) with gusts as high as 60 mph (52 kts) caused zero visibilities and deadly wind chill temperatures to dip between 25 below and 40 below zero. The blizzard stirred up snowdrifts ranging from 4 to 10 feet in depth. Several major highways and interstates were closed as conditions became life threatening and travel impossible. Red Cross shelters were set up for hundreds of travelers who became stranded and were forced to abandon their vehicles. In the mountains, sustained winds to 70 mph (61 kts) with peak wind gusts to 110 mph (96 kts) were recorded above 12,000 feet at the Breckenridge Ski Area.

 

“The blizzard was responsible, either directly or indirectly, for the deaths of 4 people in northeast Colorado. One man died of carbon monoxide poisoning when he became stranded in his vehicle and the snow clogged the exhaust pipe. A woman died when she lost control of the car in the blinding storm. In addition, 2 elderly men died from heart attacks while shoveling snow.

 

“At Denver International Airport (DIA), 4,000 travelers were stranded when the airport was forced to shut down. At least 120 cars were abandoned along Pena Blvd, the only arterial leading into and out of DIA. The blizzard cost air carriers at least $20 million. In Weld County, nearly 3,000 head of cattle died in the storm resulting in an estimated $1.5 million loss.

 

“Some of the more impressive snowfall totals included: 51 inches at Coal Creek Canyon, 48 inches at Silver Spruce Ranch and Monument Hill, 42 inches at Intercanyon, 37 inches at Sedalia, 36 inches at Foxton, 35 inches at Aspen Springs and Conifer, 32 inches at Elizabeth, 31 inches at Eldorado Springs, southeast Aurora and Englewood, with 30 inches reported at Allenspark, Sunshine Canyon and Table Mesa near Boulder.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Northeastern Weld County, Oct 24-25, 1997.)

 

Sources

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Bent County/Las Animas and Vicinity; Oct 24-26, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5621991

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Crowley and Otero Counties/La Junta and Vicinity, Oct 24-26, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5621988

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, El Paso County/Colorado Springs and vicinity, Oct 24-25, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5621983

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Kit Carson County, Oct 25, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5622197

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Northeastern Weld County, Oct 24-25, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5616598

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Pueblo and Eastern Fremont Counties, Oct 24-25, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5621985

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Southern Weld County/Greeley and Vicinity, Oct 24-25, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5616691

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard. Search Results for All Counties in Colorado, Oct 24-25, 1997. Accessed 1-21-2017 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28Z%29+Blizzard&beginDate_mm=10&beginDate_dd=24&beginDate_yyyy=1997&endDate_mm=10&endDate_dd=26&endDate_yyyy=1997&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=8%2CCOLORADO

[1] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs & Vic.

[2] The person who froze to death was in a vehicle on post at Fort Carson near Colorado Springs.

[3] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Kit Carson County, Oct 25-26, 1997.

[4] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Northeastern Weld County, Oct 24-25, 1997.

[5] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Blizzard, Colorado, Southern Weld County/Greeley and Vicinity.