Strong winds buffeted portions of southern Colorado during the late morning hours. and 73 mph at the Air Force Academy.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
Strong winds buffeted portions of southern Colorado during the late morning hours. The highest reported wind gusts in El Paso county include the following...59 mph at Fort Carson...61 mph at Chipita Park...68 mph in the Colorado Springs metro area...and 73 mph at the Air Force Academy. An isolated gust to 105 mph occurred in a wind prone area...7 miles west of Westcliffe in Custer county.
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 Mar 6, 3:55 AM MST, 5 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 355 AM MST SAT MAR 6 2004 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) THE MAIN CONCERN FOR TODAY IS THE WIND. TIGHT W TO NW GRADIENT WL BE OVR THE AREA TODAY WITH A MT TOP STABLE LAYER THRU THE MORNING HRS. AUTOMATED SENSORS AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY HAVE ALREADY REPORTED AROUND 50 KT GUSTS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE OVR NRN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA WHERE THE GRADIENT WL BE THE STRONGEST...BUT THE REST OF THE AREA WILL ALSO BE QUITE WINDY TODAY. SOME ISOLATED LOCATIONS OUTSIDE THE HIGH WIND WARNING AREA...MAY ALSO HAVE DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS...BUT THE AREA WL NOT BE WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO WARRANT A WARNING. 600MB WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 70 KTS THRU MUCH OF THE DAY AND 700MB WINDS AROUND 40 KTS. THIS AFTERNOON WE LOSE THE MT TOP STABLE LAYER AND THUS WE WL LOSE THE REALLY HIGH WIND POTENTIAL...BUT IT WL STILL BE QUITE WINDY. TO BE SAFE...WL LEAVE THE HIGH WIND WARNING IN PLACE FOR WRN EL PASO COUNTY AND THE PIKES PEAK TELLER COUNTY AREA UNTIL 5 PM...BUT IF THE WINDS DO DECREASE BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA THIS AFTERNOON IT MAY NEED TO BE CANCELLED A LITTLE EARLIER. WL LEAVE SOME LOW POPS IN FOR THE CENTRAL MTS TODAY AS IT STILL LOOKS LIKE THIS COULD OCCUR. WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY WL MEAN MILD TEMPS THAT WL GENERALLY BE A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL. THE GRADIENT OVR THE AREA DECREASES TONIGHT WITH THE WINDS TO DECREASING AS WELL. WL STAY CLOSE TO GUIDANCE LOWS FOR TONIGHT. .LONG TERM... (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) MAIN LONG TERM CONCERNS CONTINUE TO BE WHEN TO RE-INTRODUCE POPS WITH PROGRESSIVE PATTERN SETTING UP BY MIDWEEK. SUN AND MON...WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT DECREASES THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY AS STRONG JET CORE AND ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST. PASSING SYSTEM SENDS WEAK BACK DOOR COOL FRONT ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS LATE SAT NIGHT...WITH LOW LEVEL EASTERLY UPSLOPE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY...AND HAVE LOWERED CURRENT GRIDDED HIGH TEMPS A TAD WHICH IS CLOSER TO GUIDANCE TEMPS. UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN BUILDS INTO WESTERN COLORADO MONDAY...KEEPING WEAK NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE REGION. WITH H7 TEMPS WARMING TO BETWEEN 0C AND +2C WITH AMPLE SUNSHINE AND A MAINLY DIURNAL WIND REGIME...SHOULD SEE TEMPS WARMING TO AT OR ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS ON MONDAY. TUE-FRI...LATEST MODELS CONTINUE TO FLATTENING UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE STATE TUE...AS PAC NW SHORT WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER OF STATES. WITH INCREASING WESTERLY FLOW AND LEE TROUGHING ACROSS THE PLAINS...TUE LOOKS TO BE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK...WITH TEMPS INTO THE LOWER 60S ACROSS THE PLAINS. MODELS TRENDING A TAD FASTER AND FURTHER SOUTH WITH THIS SYSTEM AS SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES TUE NIGHT AND INTO THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS WEDNESDAY...SENDING A COLD ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO ATTM. MODELS PRINTING OUT SOME QPF ACROSS THE AREA WED WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE AND SOME WEAK LIFT WITH PASSING WAVE...HOWEVER WILL KEEP FORECAST DRY FOR NOW...AS TIMING AND STRENGTH OF SYSTEM IN DOUBT. MODELS FORECASTING RATHER PROGRESSIVE PATTERN...WITH SHORT LIVED RIDGING ACROSS THE AREA THU...WITH ANOTHER PAC NW SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE GREAT BASIN...AND ACROSS THE STATE FRI. CURRENT FORECAST RE- INTRODUCED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE AREA THU AND CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY. IF CURRENT GUIDANCE IS ON TRACK...THU LOOKS TO BE DRY WITH CURRENT SLIGHT CHANCE POPS STILL OK ON FRIDAY WITH POSSIBLE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE STATE. AGAIN...WITH TIMING OF SYSTEMS IN RATHER PROGRESSIVE PATTERN IN DOUBT...HAVE OPTED TO LEAVE CURRENT FORECAST AS IS IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY FLIP FLOPS...WITH TEMPS AT OR ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD. -MW .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM TODAY FOR TELLER AND WRN EL PASO COUNTIES (ZONES 81/82/84/85). &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 645 AM MST SAT MAR 6 2004 COZ058>089-093>099-071400- 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- 645 AM MST SAT MAR 6 2004 ..A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM TODAY FOR TELLER COUNTY...PIKES PEAK AND WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 45 MPH WILL OCCUR OVER MUCH OF TELLER COUNTY AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF EL PASO COUNTY TODAY...WITH DAMAGING GUSTS OF 60 TO 70 MPH. OVER PIKES PEAK WINDS WILL BE 40 TO 65 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 80 MPH. THE WINDS WILL THEN DECREASE BY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA WILL BE LIKELY TODAY OVER TELLER COUNTY AND WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind. 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, March 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: 5388673, 5388674, 5388675, 5388676, 5388757, 5388758, 5388759.