A strong early spring storm moving from the Four Corners region into northeast Colorado brought copious amounts of snow. around Trinidad in Las Animas county...
Every event with a place to put it; 24 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 strong early spring storm moving from the Four Corners region into northeast Colorado brought copious amounts of snow. Some of the higher snow totals include the following...6 to 10 inches northwest of Canon City in Fremont county...at Antonito in Conejos county...in the Black Forest area of northern El Paso county...around Florissant in Teller county...around Kim in eastern Las Animas county...and in the Creede area of Mineral county...12 to 18 inches at Buena Vista in Chaffee county...near Divide in Teller county...around Woodland Park in Teller county...around Trinidad in Las Animas county... around Westcliffe in Custer county...around Del Norte in Rio Grande county...and at Maysville in Chaffee county... 2 feet around Beulah and Rye in Pueblo county...west and northwest of Westcliffe in Custer county...31 inches at La Veta...and in the Walsenburg area in Huerfano county...34 inches inundated the area 6 miles north-northwest of Aguilar...and the highest reported snow amount at Cuchara in Huerfano county with 38 inches. Several of the locations that received in excess of 24 inches of snow...also had water equivalents in excess of 3 inches. There were numerous power outages in the heaviest snow areas...including the Wet Mountain Valley around Westcliffe where power was lost from 12 hours to 4 days. At the height of the outage...around 6000 customers were without electricity.
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 Apr 22, 2:13 PM MST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 313 PM MDT THU APR 22 2004 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND FRIDAY) BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN THE SHORT TERM IS THE IMPACT OF THE WINTER STORM NOW SPREADING INTO COLORADO. CURRENTLY...UPPER LOW HAS DROPPED INTO SOUTHERN UTAH AND CONVECTION HAS BROKEN OUT OVER THE SOUTHWEST CORNER. WOLF CREEK PASS REPORTED HEAVY SNOW BEGAN AROUND 1230 PM. ONE INCH OF NEW SNOW ON THE GROUND AT DIVIDE IN TELLER COUNTY WITH TEMPS ACROSS THAT REGION AT OR BELOW 32. LIGHT SNOW/RAIN SPREADING ACROSS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND NEARBY PLAINS IS JUST THE FIRST WAVE OF PRECIP WITH THIS EVENT. TONIGHT...MODELS CONVERGED ON A MAJOR STORM SCENARIO FOR SOUTHERN COLORADO WITH UPPER LOW MOVING TO 4-CORNERS BY 00Z AND REMAINING IN THAT AREA THROUGH FRIDAY. DEEP ISENTROPIC LIFT DEVELOPS OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS AND PUMPS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE OVER THE SOUTHWARD MOVING COLD SURFACE DOME. MEANWHILE 700 MB LOW SETS UP OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO WITH COOL POOL OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS AND WELL DEFINED DIVQ CENTER OVER THE SAME AREA. DEEP EAST TO NORTHEAST FLOW DEVELOPS TO PUSH THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE UP THE TERRAIN AND SPILL IT INTO THE SAN LUIS VALLEY. ALL OF THIS JUSTIFIES THE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF QPF SHOWN BY THE MODELS. COOLED THE HOURLY TEMPERATURES QUICKER THAN PREVIOUS RUN THINKING THAT THE ONSET OF PRECIP WILL PULL THEM DOWN AND LET EVERYTHING CHANGE TO SNOW OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY A LITTLE SOONER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. RAISED SNOW AMOUNTS SOME TO REFLECT THE FASTER TURN OVER AND SPREAD SNOW ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PIKES PEAK REGION WILL BE MEASURED IN FEET BY MIDDAY FRIDAY. IF MODEL PROJECTIONS ARE EVEN CLOSE WE WILL SEE 12 HOUR PRECIP AMOUNTS OVER ONE INCH ACROSS MUCH OF OUR CWFA. STILL THINK THAT THE HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY ESPECIALLY MONUMENT TO THE RAMPART RANGE. LIKE WISE THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. WILL UPGRADE THE WINTER STORM WARNING TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR FOR TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. PUEBLO MAY BE THE LAST TO SWITCH OVER FROM RAIN TO SNOW BUT EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN AFTER MIDNIGHT. IN WESTERN PUEBLO COUNTY...5000 FEET AND HIGHER WILL SWITCH OVER SOONER THAN THE CITY OF PUEBLO. WINDS WILL BE A BIG PROBLEM AND ALTHOUGH THE SNOW IS WET AND HEAVY THERE WILL STILL BE PERIODS OF BLOWING SNOW ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING AT THE HIGHER LEVELS. FRIDAY...SNOW CONTINUES ACROSS ALL OF THE CWFA BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS, AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES REMAIN NEARLY STEADY. THOSE WHO HAVE SWITCHED TO SNOW WILL LIKELY STAY WITH SNOW. UPPER LOW BEGINS TO LIFT OUT ACROSS SOUTHEAST COLORADO LATE IN THE DAY. .LONG TERM... (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY) MAIN CONCERNS TIMING OF SNOW ENDING FRI NIGHT AND SAT AS WINTER STORM SYSTEM MOVES EAST...WITH POSSIBLE FLOODING POTENTIAL THROUGH THE EARLY WEEK AS TEMPS WARM WITH BUILDING UPPER RIDGE. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH UPPER LOW LIFTING OUT ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS FRIDAY EVENING AND WEAKENS TO AN UPPER TROUGH AS IT CONTINUES INTO THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS SATURDAY. EAST TO NORTHEAST FLOW AT H5 AND H7 BECOMES NORTH TO NORTHWEST LATE FRI NIGHT WITH SUBSIDENCE BEHIND SYSTEM QUICKLY SHUTTING DOWN SNOWS FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION. WITH GOOD UPPER SUPPORT MOVING ACROSS THE PLAINS FRI NIGHT...AND H5 AND H7 TEMPS AROUND -22C AND -6C RESPECTIVELY...WILL KEEP WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE EASTERN MTS AND I-25 CORRIDOR OUT THROUGH MIDNIGHT WITH ANOTHER 2-6 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EASTERN MTS AND 1-3 INCHES ACROSS THE PLAINS. WESTERN AND CENTRAL MTS SHOULD BE TAPERING OFF THROUGH THIS TIME PERIOD...BUT WILL KEEP CURRENT WARNINGS INTACT FOR NOW AND LET LATER SHIFTS RE-EVALUATE WITH NEW MODEL DATA. SKIES TO CLEAR FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY SATURDAY...WITH ISOLATED MORNING POPS ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS AS SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA AND ISOLATED POPS ACROSS THE CENTRAL MTS WITH ANY LEFT OVER MOISTURE BEING WRUNG OUT IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW. HAVE GONE WELL BELOW CURRENT GUIDANCE HIGHS SAT...WITH EXPECTED SNOW COVER AND COOL NW FLOW ALOFT AS H7 TEMPS ONLY WARM TO BETWEEN -2C AND -4C. SUN-TUE...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS GREAT BASIN SLOWLY BUILDS OVER THE STATE THROUGH TUE...WITH TEMPS SLOWLY WARMING THROUGH THE PERIOD. IF MODEL QPFS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OF LIQUID PRECIP ACROSS THE REGION FRI AND SAT PAN OUT...AS WELL AS UP TO 2 FEET OF SNOW ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WILL NEED TO KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON THE FLOOD POTENTIAL ACROSS THE REGION WITH RAPID RUNOFF AS H7 TEMPS WARM TO BETWEEN +4C AND +8C UNDER THE RIDGE BY MON. THINKING GFS IS TOO BULLISH BRINGING IN 40+ DEW PTS IN NW FLOW ACROSS THE PLAINS SUN...AND HAVE CUT BACK POPS TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND WILL KEEP ISOLATED LATE AFTERNOON EVENING MT POPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. WED-THU...GFS FLATTENS UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE REGION WED WITH WARM TEMPS AHEAD OF ANOTHER PAC NW SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA THU. CURRENT GRIDS HAVE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE AREA THU AND WILL NOT CHANGE FOR NOW...WITH TEMPS TRICKY ACROSS THE PLAINS ON THU DEPENDING ON TIMING OF FRONT. -MW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING 00Z FRI- 06Z SAT FOR ALL THE MOUNTAINS...UPR ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY...I-25 CORRIDOR(ZNS 59>68...72>88). WINTER STORM WARMING 69>71 SAN LUIS VALLEY 00Z FRI-06Z SAT. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 700 AM MDT THU APR 22 2004 COZ058>089-093>099-231400- 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- 700 AM MDT THU APR 22 2004 ...WINTER STORM WARNING 6 PM THIS EVENING UNTIL 12 AM SATURDAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS...NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY...THE UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY...WAUGH MOUNTAIN AND THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY 6 PM THIS EVENING UNTIL 12 AM SATURDAY FOR THE SAN LUIS VALLEY... ...WINTER STORM WATCH 6 PM THIS EVENING UNTIL 12 AM SATURDAY FOR EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY AND THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR FROM COLORADO SPRINGS TO NEW MEXICO... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW WILL BE SEEN OVER THE MOUNTAINS TODAY WITH GENERALLY LIGHT ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. HOWEVER...TONIGHT THE SNOW WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY. SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BEGIN FALLING TONIGHT OVER ALL THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY. ...A STRONG SPRING STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO FROM FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...DEPOSITING VERY WET AND HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL COLORADO. THIS SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED OVER THE I-25 CORRIDOR INTO PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE STORM TRACK AND THIS WILL INFLUENCE THE AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION THE REGION WILL SEE. AT THIS TIME...FAVORED NORTHEAST AND EAST SLOPE MOUNTAINS COULD EXPERIENCE 1 TO 2 FEET OR MORE OF SNOW WITH THIS EVENT. IN ADDITION...SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE I-25 CORRIDOR...ESPECIALLY FROM FRIDAY MORNING INTO FRIDAY EVENING. TRAVEL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME QUITE HAZARDOUS FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE WESTERN 2/3RDS OF THE REGION. PERSONS IN SOUTHERN COLORADO SHOULD CONTINUE PREPARATIONS FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS STORM AND ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS, WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY TONIGHT OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2004
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: 5391275, 5391277, 5391278, 5391279, 5391281, 5391282, 5391283, 5391284, 5391285, 5391286, 5391289, 5391290, 5391291, 5391292, 5391293, 5391294, 5391295, 5391296, 5391297, 5391280, 5391298, 5391276, 5391287, 5391288.