A widespread wind event occurred across the eastern mountains and adjacent plains. winds gusted above 60 mph and 70 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A widespread wind event occurred across the eastern mountains and adjacent plains. Most gusts were below high wind warning criteria...but in some isolated locales...winds gusted above 60 mph and 70 mph. Highest wind gusts from 68 mph to 74 mph occurred near the Air Force Academy...western Colorado Springs...Manitou Springs and atop Cheyenne Mountain...all in western El Paso county...and Pueblo West in Pueblo county. No major damage was reported.
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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 29, 2:43 PM MST, 12 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 243 PM MST MON DEC 29 2003 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND TUESDAY). MAIN FCST CHALLENGES WILL BE EXTENT OF SNOWS FOR WESTERN MOUNTAINS... STRENGTH OF WINDS EASTERN MTNS AND ADJACENT SLOPES...AND TEMPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. DEEPER MOISTURE FINALLY BEGINNING TO SPREAD INTO WESTERN COLORADO IN STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT...WITH GJT RADAR BEGINNING TO SHOW SOME INCREASE IN ECHOES OVER THE PAST COUPLE HOURS. UPPER TROF EXTENDING ACROSS THE NRN US ROCKIES THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO NORTHERN CA WILL CONTINUE TO SPLIT WITH NRN STREAM TROF CONTINUING EASTWARD ACROSS MT/WY BY 12Z...WHILE SOUTHERN STREAM ENERGY SPLITS OFF AND MOVES SOUTHWARD OFF THE SRN CA COAST. THIS PUTS FCST AREA UNDER FAST ZONAL FLOW ALOFT WITH WEAK EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES IN MOISTURE PLUME ORIENTED ACROSS THE AREA. FOR THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WESTERLY FLOW COMBINED WITH DEEP MOISTURE WILL PROVIDE SOME FAVORABLE OROGRAPHIC FLOW FOR THE WEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES...AND THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MTNS. HOWEVER...AIR MASS IS QUITE STABLE OVER THIS REGION WITH WAA OCCURRING ALOFT. RAN THE SNOW MODEL...AND RECEIVED BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE 24 HOUR PERIOD BEGINNING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. WILL KEEP THE LIKELY POPS GOING FOR THE HIGHER AREAS...WITH GENERALLY SCATTERED TYPE SHOWERS BELOW 10000 FEET. NOT EXPECTED MUCH IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION...AS DYNAMICS WILL BE WEAK THROUGH THE PERIOD AND LAPSE RATES WILL BE QUITE STABLE (AROUND 3.5C/KM). HOWEVER... HIGHER AREAS MAY SEE 24 HOUR ACCUMS OF GENERALLY UP TO 4 INCHES. ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MTNS/PLAINS...AS UPPER JET SHIFTS OVER THE REGION TONIGHT/TOMORROW...LEE TROF WILL DEEPEN...AND MTN TOP STABLE LAYER ENHANCES TOWARDS 12Z. WINDS IN THE CRITICAL LAYER INCREASE TO AROUND 50 KTS...WITH 18Z MESO-ETA COMING IN A TAD STRONGER. SHEAR ABOVE THIS LAYER VARIES IN TIME FROM WEAK FORWARD SHEAR...TO SOME WEAK REVERSE SHEAR. SETUP LOOKS FAVORABLE FOR SOME NEAR HIGH WIND CRITERIA GUSTS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY. HOWEVER...WOULD LIKE TO SEE STRONGER WINDS IN THE CRITICAL LAYER. HIGHER ELEVATIONS ABOVE TIMBERLINE COULD SEE SOME GUSTS TO NEAR 70 MPH...AND A FEW SPORADIC AND LOCALIZED GUSTS TO 70 MPH COULD SPREAD INTO THE LOWER EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE PIKES PEAK REGION... AND THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER... THINK WIND GUSTS WILL BE TOO BRIEF/LOCALIZED AT THIS POINT TO WARRANT HIGH WIND WATCH. HOWEVER...SITUATION WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY. FOR TUESDAY AS NORTHERN STREAM TROF SHIFTS EASTWARD...LEE SHOULD KICK EASTWARD ALLOWING WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE WINDS TO SPREAD INTO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. WINDOW FOR MARGINAL STRONG WINDS SHOULD END AROUND 18Z AS MTN TOP STABLE LAYER WEAKENS AND DEEPER MIXING OCCURS. HOWEVER...WINDS SHOULD HELP LOWER ELEVATION TEMPS WARM INTO THE 50S. WILL BE BATTLING HIGH CLOUDINESS...BUT THINK THAT DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL WIN OUT. HAVE BOOSTED HIGH TEMPS A BIT MORE IN CURRENT GRIDS. -KT .LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY). ...SNOWS FOR THE MTNS...WINDS ALL AREAS BY MID TO LATE WEEK AND HOW COLD FOR THIS WEEKEND?... A PATTERN QUITE FAVORABLE FOR STEADY MTN SNOWS FOR COLORADO APPEARS TO BE EVOLVING DURING THIS FCST TIME PERIOD. ALL LONGER RANGE GUIDANCE DEVELOP A STRONG ZONAL JET BY THURSDAY...EVOLVING INTO A BROAD CYCLONIC TROUGH JUST S OF US BY THIS WEEKEND. THIS PATTERN OF STRONG ZONAL FLOW AND CYCLONIC FLOW (WITH EMBEDDED SHORT WAVES) SHOULD BRINGS SNOWS TO THE COLORADO MTNS. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT SOME COLDER AIR WILL ALSO AFFECT THE PLAINS. HOWEVER THE EXTENT OF HOW COLD THE AIR WILL BE IS UNCERTAIN THIS TIME. SOME PLAINS PRECIP MAY ALSO OCCUR...BUT WAY TO IFFY FOR POPS FOR NOW. DETAILS... BY 12Z WED...A CUTOFF LOW IS FCST TO BE IN THE VICINITY OF S CALIF... AND THIS SYSTEM IS FCST TO MOVE QUICKLY E TO ENE WITH TIME. QUITE A BIT OF MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL STILL BE IN THE CO MTNS AND LAPSE RATES SHOULD IMPROVE SOMEWHAT...SO CONTINUED THREAT OF SNOW SHOWERS FOR THE MTNS DURING TUES NIGHT AND WED. AS FOR THE PLAINS DURING MID WEEK...I DECIDED TO PULL POPS MOST OF N PART OF PLAINS AS SYSTEM APPEARS TO QUITE WEAK. KEPT SLIGHT POPS S PART OF PLAINS TO MATCH W S&E OFFICES. THE JET IS GOING TO START TIGHTENING UP OVER THE N PLAINS BY THURSDAY AND IS FCST TO SLOWLY DROP SOUTH AS IT BECOMES MORE CYCLONICALLY ORIENTED OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. THIS SHOULD FAVOR CONTINUED MTN SNOW IN THE SW AND C MTNS FROM THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS JET...AS IT MOVES OVERHEAD IS GOING TO BRING SOME SIGGY WINDS TO THE REGION. HIER UP MTNS WILL LIKELY GET QUITE WINDY THU/FRI. AS FOR THE PLAINS...IT WILL ALSO GET WINDY BUT A BIT TOO EARLY TO TELL HOW MUCH. I AM QUITE CONFIDENT WITH DOWNSLOPE IT WILL BE GETTING WARM WITH FLOW OFF MTNS...AND TEMPS THU/FRI REFLECT THIS THINKING. COLD AIR BOTTLED UP IN CANADA WILL BE WORKING ITS WAY SOUTH BY LATE WEEK. MODELS ARE HINTING AT COLDER AIR MOVING INTO THE N HI PLAINS. HOWEVER UNCERTAINTY EXISTS ON MOVEMENT AND AMOUNT OF THIS COLDER AIR. COLLABORATION WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES IS COMING IN LINE WITH TEMPS DROPPING FOR THIS WEEKEND...BUT MADE THE COOLING MODEST IN MAGNITUED WITH HIGHS IN THE 30S/40S. THIS VALUES MAY GO DOWN FARTHER AS THINGS COME CLEARER IN FOCUS AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES. IF THE REALLY COLD AIR DOES MAKE IT DOWN...THEN POPS MAY BE NEEDED ON PLAINS. FOR NOW...I JUST BROUGHT IN CLOUDS FOR THE REGION THIS WEEKEND ALONG WITH THE COLDER AIR. /HODANISH && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 630 AM MST MON DEC 29 2003 COZ058>089-093>099-301330- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT-CROWLEY COUNTY- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET-WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- 627 AM MST MON DEC 29 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY TONIGHT OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL GENERALLY BE LESS THAN 2 INCHES...WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW ABOVE 10000 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS POSSIBLE EACH DAY IN LAKE COUNTY...THE MOUNTAINS OF CHAFFEE COUNTY...THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...AND THE LA GARITA MOUNTAINS. ON THURSDAY...A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE...WITH A CHANCE FOR ACCUMULATING SNOWS IN THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE AREA WILL BRING A CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOWS TO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2003
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: 5332101, 5332102, 5332103, 5332104, 5332105, 5332106, 5332107, 5332108, 5332109.