1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 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 May 25, 2:29 AM MST, 10 hours 31 minutes earlier.
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO 329 AM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003 SHORT TERM DISCUSSION...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...ANOTHER ROUND OF TSTMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTN/EVE... CURRENTLY: LATEST PUB RADAR AND METAR COMPOSITE SHOWED RENEGADE SHRA/TSRA HAVE DISSIPATED QUICKLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH JUST SOME VERY ISOLATED SPRINKLES AROUND 0200. LATE EVE/EARLY AM RADAR AND METAR DATA REVEALED A FEW PRONOUNCED OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES: ONE EXTENDING FROM KCOS-JUST N OF KPUB-KLHX-KLAA...ANOTHER WAS FROM WALSENBURG-KTAD...AND THE THIRD FROM KITR TO JUST EAST OF KLAA. THESE WERE BECOMING HARDER AND HARDER TO FIND IN THE MINIMAL METAR SFC DATA...BUT MAY STILL BE AROUND OR JUST OFF THE SFC FOR TSTM INITIATION LATER TDA. VERY HARD TO FIND ANY SHORTWAVE TROUGHS IN THE MID/UPPER LEVELS PER WATER VAPOR AND RUC MODEL UPPER AIR ANALYSES. THERE IS A MORE SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH NWRN OLD MEXICO...BUT THAT TRAJECTORY SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE IT EWD THROUGH NRN OLD MEXICO. SFC DEW POINTS ARE STILL RELATIVELY HIGH WITH READINGS IN THE 50S IN SERN CO AND 20S/30S/40S IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS. TDA-TNGT: HARD TO SEE HOW TDAS AND TNGTS WEATHER WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT FROM SAT AND SAT NGTS WEATHER. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING REMAINS IN PLACE OVER WRN CO. ALL INGREDIENTS IN PLACE FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN LATER THIS AFTN/EVE. GEORGES K-INDEX WILL BE 30-35C AROUND CONTDVD AND 35-40 IN SERN CO. H7 THETA-E AXIS ALONG I-25 AND EWD. PRECIPITABLE WATER INDICES WILL BE .75 TO 1.00 INCHES...OR 150%-200% OF NORMAL...ACROSS SERN CO MTNS/PLAINS. STORM MOTION PROGGED TO BE ONLY 310/5-15KTS. H7-H5 SPECIFIC HUMIDITY LEVELS AROUND 5 G/KG. INSTABILITY WILL BE JUXTAPOSED WITH LIFTED INDICES -2C TO -6C AND MOST UNSTABLE CAPES OF 800 TO 1500 J/KG. 0-6KM SHEAR FCST TO BE 25-35KTS OVER SERN CO...SO IF ANY TSTMS FORM OR MOVE INTO A LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ZONE...COULD HAVE SUPERCELL POTENTIAL. THE BIGGEST KEY TO ALL THIS CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION WILL BE SFC TEMPS. MOST LOCATIONS WILL BE STARTING ON THE MILD SIDE. MOS GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO CREEP UP WITH EACH RUN. THE MAV IS LIKELY STILL WAY TOO COOL IN SERN CO. MODELS HAVE BEEN WAY OVERDONE WITH THE STRATUS POTENTIAL IN SERN CO. H7 TEMPS ARE PROGGED TO BE AROUND 10C IN SERN CO...WHICH WOULD SUPPORT MID/UPPER 70S. DEGREE OF CLOUDINESS WILL BE THE KEY. EVEN IF THERE IS SOME STRATUS...THIS WILL LIKELY BURNOFF WITH THE LATE MAY SUN. CONVECTIVE TEMPS ARE PROJECTED TO BE 70-75F. OBVIOUSLY...THERE IS FOR THE MOST PART NO SUCH THING AS A THERMAL CAP OVER THE MTNS...SO INITIATION WILL LIKELY OCCUR FIRST OVER THE MTNS AROUND 11AM. AFTER THE FIRST TSTMS ARE INITIATED...THEN IT IS UP TO OUTFLOW BOUNDARY COLLISIONS AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARY/MOUNTAINS INTERACTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CONVECTIVE PRECIP. TWEAKED TEMPS UP FOR TDA IN SERN CO. ALSO...ADDED HEAVY RAIN TO THE FCST GRIDS GENERALLY ALONG SERN CO MTNS/PLAINS. WILL HOLD OFF ISSUING A FLOOD WATCH HAS PRECIP WILL BE SCATTERED AND HEAVY RAIN LOCALIZED. THE MAIN THREAT AREAS WOULD BE THE TRINIDAD COMPLEX... IRON MOUNTAIN...AND HAYMAN BURN SCARS. ALSO...ERN LAS ANIMAS CO RECEIVED THE MOST WIDESPREAD QPF. THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW(3-4) SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE...SO WILL HOLD OFF MENTIONING IN THE ZFP AND MENTION IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. FOR TNGT...STILL THINK THAT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY SHOULD DIMINISH AROUND MIDNIGHT...AS THERE WILL BE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF SYNOPTIC INFLUENCES TO KEEP THE CONVECTIVE PRECIP GOING. HOWEVER...OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES/MTNS WILL BE THE KEY TO ITS LONGEVITY. SHOULD BE ANOTHER MILD NGT WITH CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDS OVERHEAD AND POTENTIAL FOR STRATUS IN EXTREME SERN CO. --METZE LONG TERM DISCUSSION...(MONDAY THROUGH SAT). COVERAGE/STRENGTH OF THUNDERSTORMS THE CHALLENGE FOR MONDAY...WITH DRYING/WARMING TREND FOR MID/LATE WEEK. MORE OF THE SAME IN STORE FOR MEMORIAL DAY...WITH THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE WRN US AND PREDOMINANTLY NORTH/NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER THE AREA. LITTLE QG FORCING TO WORK WITH. MESO-ETA KEEPS PLENTIFUL LOW LVL MOISTURE ACROSS SE PLAINS WITH DEW POINTS IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S IN EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW. MESO-ETA TRIES TO DECREASE DEW POINTS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR IN THE AFTN...BUT THIS IS STILL HARD TO BUY GIVEN PERSISTENT EASTERLY FLOW. AFTERNOON CAPES OF AROUND 500-1500 J/KG...LIS OF -2 TO -6...0-6KM SHEARS OF 30-40KTS... POINTS TO SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL ONCE MORE FOR THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. AGAIN...PROBABLY MORE OF A HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN THREAT WITH PRECIPITABLE H20 AROUND 1 INCH ACROSS SE PLAINS. MAIN MECHANISM FOR CONVECTIVE INITIATION WILL BE UPSLOPE...THEN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS AS STORMS MOVE OUT INTO THE PLAINS. OUT WEST...MOISTURE BECOMES MORE HIGH BASED...BUT WITH DEW POINTS STILL IN THE 20S/30S... PROBABLY WARRANTS MORE SCATTERED TYPE DIURNAL TSTORM COVERAGES. ACROSS SOUTHEAST PLAINS...BIG CONUNDRUM IS TEMPS WITH MESO-ETA SMARTINITS GIVING LOWER 80S...AND NEW 06Z RUN EVEN WARMER. HAVE WARMED UP GRIDS ABOUT 4-6 DEGREES...BUT MAY NOT HAVE WARMED THEM UP ENOUGH. IT WILL ALL DEPEND ON PERSISTENCE/COVERAGE OF MORNING STRATUS. UPPER RIDGE SHIFTS EASTWARD WITH TIME WITH DRYING NOTED OUT WEST WHICH SHOULD DECREASE AFTERNOON/EVENING THUNDERSTORM COVERAGES. FOR SOUTHEAST PLAINS...STILL ENOUGH MOISTURE/UPSLOPE FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED TYPE POPS TUES AFTN. WITH UPPER RIDGE SHIFTING OVER AREA...CAPES SHOULD DECREASE DUE TO WARMING ALOFT...EVEN ON THE PLAINS...WHICH MAY TEMPER SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. BOTH ETA/AVN BRING A WEAK FRONT THROUGH SOUTHEAST PLAINS TUES NIGHT WHICH REINFORCES UPSLOPE/LOW LVL MOISTURE FOR WED. BY THURSDAY...UPPER RIDGE FLATTENS AS SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS NRN ROCKIES. THURS/FRI ARE LOOKING QUITE WARM NOW AS 700 TEMPS WARM TO +16 TO +18C. HAVE WARMED UP TEMPS THESE DAYS INTO THE LOWER 90S...AND MAY NOT HAVE GONE WARM ENOUGH IF GFS VERIFIES. CANT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. BY SATURDAY... GFS BRING A HEALTHY EASTERLY SURGE INTO THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS INCREASING THUNDERSTORMS CHANCES ONCE MORE FOR THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS/ADJACENT PLAINS. -KT .PUB...NONE.
COZ058>089-093>099-261259- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 700 AM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AFTER 1100 AM...THEN MOVE OFF INTO THE ADJACENT PLAINS BETWEEN 1200 PM AND 200 PM. THE AREA MOST LIKELY TO SEE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. ABUNDANT LEVEL MOISTURE...COMBINED WITH AFTERNOON HEATING WILL ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE. WIND SHEAR WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL GREATER THAN 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER...WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THREE AREAS HAVING A CONSIDERABLE CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG A LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY. THESE AREAS ARE...A LINE FROM COLORADO SPRINGS TO JUST NORTH OF PUEBLO TO LA JUNTA...A LINE FROM WALSENBURG TO TRINIDAD...AND A LINE ACROSS EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY TO JUST EAST OF LAMAR. THESE AREAS...OR ZONES OF LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE...COULD BE LEAD TO POSSIBLE SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS INCLUDING THE SAN LUIS AND UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEYS...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE SOMEWHAT LIMITED...THUS THE MAIN THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THIS AREA WILL BE WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON MONDAY. SUFFICIENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL BE PRESENT FOR ONE OR TWO STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. FOR TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...SCATTERED TO ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY...WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY AFTER 1200 PM ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS OF COLORADO. METZE/KT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding and road washouts occurred near the four corners area of the Hayman Fire burn scar.
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, May 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: 5355132.