What follows are the dates, precipitation, and snow depths for the big snow events at my house for the period 1977 to 2003, where I lived for 28 years. It is located west of Fort Collins, CO at an altitude of 7,300 feet; location 40 37.04' N; 105 16.98'.

The house is accessed by driving up Rist Canyon and up Davis Ranch Road and is on a mountain side facing southeast at the head of Redstone Canyon, a natural funnel for four-corners lows passing east onto the plains south of Denver.

I define a "big one" as any event with an accumulated snow depth over 20 inches during a 48 hour period.

There are pictures of the snowfall available here


DATE

PRECIPITATION (inches)

SNOW DEPTH (inches)—ENSO?

5/5 - 5/6/78

5"

45"

3/18/79

3.7"

30"  Marginal El Nino

10/29/79

2.3"

22"

11/19 - 11/21/79

4.5"

44"

3/3 - 3/4/81

2.5"

24"

3/15 - 3/16/83

3"

30.5"

4/3 - 4/4/83

3"

         28" El Nino

5/17/83

2.99"

23"

4/3 - 4/4/86

4.25"

34.5"

3/31/88

1.2"

23"

3/6 - 3/7/90

6.74"

54"

3/9/92

2.7"

            28"El Nino

4/24 - 4/25/97

2.29"

44"

10/25/97

2.98"

           42" El Nino

4/22 - 4/23/99

3.37"

25"

3/18-3/20/03

6.03"

69" El Nino

*Note: Total snowfall October - December 31, 1979 - 110"; Total for calender year '79 = 239"; Total precipitation 1979 = 34.69"

*Note: Total snow for '79-'80 snow season = 204"

*Note: Total snowfall March '83 = 71"

*Note: '82-'83 season snowfall total = 154"

*Note: March '90 total snow 70" and 8.31" precipitation