caused by a combination of mountain waves and gradient winds struck much of the mountainous areas and adjacent plains. Many areas had winds just under high wind warning criteria.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 high wind event...caused by a combination of mountain waves and gradient winds struck much of the mountainous areas and adjacent plains. Many areas had winds just under high wind warning criteria.
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 11, 2:53 AM MST, 9 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 353 AM MDT TUE MAY 11 2004 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) 90KT UPPER JET CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL UT/NW ARIZONA THIS MORNING AHEAD OF UPPER TROF MOVING INTO ID/WRN MT. LARGE AREA OF PRESSURE FALLS OCCURRING ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN COLORADO... EXTENDING NORTHWARD THROUGH EASTERN WY/MT AND THE DAKOTAS. WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF FCST AREA HAVE REMAINED BREEZY OVERNIGHT AS FLOW ALOFT INCREASES AS SFC LOW CONTINUES TO GRADUALLY DEEPEN JUST EAST OF KPUB. FOR TODAY...UPPER TROF WILL SHIFT EASTWARD INTO NRN US ROCKIES WHILE MORE ENERGY DIGS SOUTHWARD...CARVING OUT BASE OF TROF ACROSS GREAT BASIN BY 12Z SUN. WINDS ALOFT INCREASE TODAY WITH H7 WINDS SUSTAINED AT 25 TO 30 KTS...AND H5 WINDS INCREASE TO 40-60KTS. DRY LINE ACROSS SE PLAINS WILL SHIFT TO NEAR THE CO/KS BORDER BY MID AFTN...AND DEEP DRY AIR EVIDENT IN KDRA 00Z SOUNDING WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA IN THE AFTN. ALL THIS WILL LEAD TO WARM...DRY...AND WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA AROUND 25 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH (OR GREATER OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.) HAINES INDICES WILL RISE TO AROUND 6 BY AFTN. THUS... WILL BE UPGRADING FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO BELOW 8500 FEET TO A RED FLAG WARNING. SPC HAS MOST OF THE WRN HALF OF THE FCST AREA OUTLOOKED UNDER EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. HAVE NUDGED WIND GRIDS UP SOME MORE...ALONG WITH THE WIND GUST GRIDS. COULD EVEN BE SOME LOCAL WIND GUSTS CLOSE TO 60 MPH FOR THE WRN PORTIONS OF THE FCST AREA THIS AFTN. WITH DRY AIR OVER AREA...ONLY HOPE FOR PCPN CHANCES WILL BE FOR THE FAR EASTERN BORDER AREAS IN VCNTY OF DRY LINE...THOUGH THINK BEST SHOT WILL BE JUST OVER THE CO/KS BORDER. HAVE TRIMMED WESTERN EXTENT OF POPS ACROSS THIS AREA. ONLY OTHER AREA IS ALONG/WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WHERE SOME MID/HIGH BASED MOISTURE MOVES IN LATER THIS AFTN. ONLY ENOUGH FOR HIGH BASED VIRGA...AND PERHAPS A DRY THUNDERSTORM OR TWO. TONIGHT...AS A SHORTWAVE IN MEAN TROF EJECTS NORTHWARD ACROSS NRN CO/WY...A SFC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NRN SECTIONS OF THE FCST AREA TOWARDS 12Z. ATMOSPHERE SHOULD STAY RELATIVELY MIXED BEFORE THEN LEADING TO WARM OVERNIGHT LOWS. HAVE GONE ABOVE GUIDANCE FOR MINS AS MOST AREAS WILL STAY WARM AHEAD OF FRONTAL PASSAGE. WILL KEEP 20 POPS FOR WRN/NRN FRINGES OF FCST AREA TONIGHT WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH SHORTWAVE. DONT THINK IT WILL AMOUNT TO MUCH THOUGH. MOST AREAS WILL SEE POOR NIGHT TIME RELATIVE HUMIDITY RECOVERIES...THOUGH WINDS SHOULD DECREASE BELOW RED FLAG CRITERIA BY MID EVENING. -KT THANKS TO SURROUNDING SITES FOR COORDINATION. .LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) WED AN UPR TROF WL BE OVR ERN UT/WRN CO WITH SW FLOW ALOFT OVR THE FORECAST AREA AND AN AREA OF QG LIFT. AN AREA OF MID-LVL MSTR WL MOVE ACRS THE AREA DURING THE DAY AND IN THE EVENING HOURS AND COMBINED WITH THE UPR LIFT AND LAPSE RATES OF 8-9C/KM SHOULD LEAD TO SCT SHOWERS/TSTMS. CURRENT POPS STILL LOOK GOOD. THE ETA SHOWS A FRONT COMING THRU DURING THE MORNING HRS WITH ANOTHER SURGE COMING INTO THE SE CO PLAINS IN THE EVENING HRS. THE GFS ALSO HAS THIS FRONT COMING IN DURING THE EVENING HRS. WL SHAVE A FEW DEGREES OFF THE MAX TEMPS. FOR THU THE UPR TROF WL BE OVR CO WITH THE ETA MOVING IT ACRS THE AREA FASTER THAN THE GFS. THE ETA TAKES THE BEST LIFT TO THE EAST OF THE AREA BY AFTERNOON. 20 AND 30 POPS ACRS THE AREA STILL BLENDS WELL WITH MOST OF THE SURROUNDING AREAS SO WL LEAVE THESE ALONE. WL COOL MAX TEMPS A COUPLE DEGREES TO BE CLOSER TO GUIDANCE. FRI AND SAT IT STILL LOOKS LIKE WE WL SEE DRIER WRLY FLOW OVR THE AREA SO WL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY. COULD SEE A FRONT MOVE INTO THE SE PLAINS SAT EVENING. A COUPLE WEAK SHRTWVS MAY MOVE ACRS THE AREA SUN AND MON...BUT MSTR LOOKS LIMITED SO WL LEAVE THE FORECAST DRY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...RED FLAG WARNING ALL FIRE WEATHER ZONES BELOW 8500 FEET (ZONES 220>237) 2100 MDT TODAY. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 700 AM MDT TUE MAY 11 2004 COZ058>089-093>099-121300- 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 TUE MAY 11 2004 ...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO BELOW 8500 FEET FROM 1000 AM TO 900 PM TODAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO TODAY...WITH SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH BY THIS AFTERNOON. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS...WITH LOCAL GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...AFTERNOON WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 45 MPH. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON...AND COMBINED WITH DRY FUELS FROM THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF WARM...DRY WEATHER...HIGH FIRE DANGER WILL EXIST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BELOW 8500 FEET ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. PEOPLE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION NOT TO START WILD FIRES...AS EXTREME RATES OF FIRE SPREAD WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER 200 PM ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST COLORADO. ONE OR TWO THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE NEAR THE COLORADO KANSAS BORDER...WITH HAIL UP TO AROUND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING THE PRIMARY THREATS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER 2 PM FOR PROWERS AND BACA AND EASTERN KIOWA COUNTIES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 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, May 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: 5398234, 5398235, 5398231, 5398232, 5398233, 5398236, 5398237, 5398238, 5398239, 5398240.