A late winter event spread snow across the eastern mountains and adjacent plains and high valleys. also in Huerfano County.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 late winter event spread snow across the eastern mountains and adjacent plains and high valleys. The most notable amounts were 10 inches at La Veta in Huerfano County...and 16 inches at Cuchara...also in Huerfano 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 Apr 30, 1:21 PM MST, 11 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 221 PM MDT SAT APR 30 2005 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND SUNDAY) ...CLOUDY AND COOL WX TO CONTINUE THIS FCST PERIOD... CURRENTLY...FRONT PRETTY MUCH ON TRACK...AND WAS CROSSING THE PALMER DVD EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. RADAR MOSAIC WAS SHOWING PRECIP BREAKING OUT OVER NE CO AND OVER PARTS OF THE PALMER.. LOTS OF SHOWERS ALSO NOTED OVER THE W PART OF THE CENTENNIAL STATE. SAT PIX SHOW AREA N OF PALMER DVD SOCKED IN W/CLOUDS. MET DISCUSSION...ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF SHORT WAVES IN NW FLOW PATTERN WILL AFFECT THE REGION THIS PERIOD. CANADIAN HIGH PRESSUR MOVING SOUTH WILL ENHANCE THE UPSLOPE BY TOMORROW. WITH ATMOS SAT AND FORCING NOT ALL THAT STRONG...EXPECT GENERALLY LIGHT PRECIP OVER A LARGE AREA OF THE REGION. TONIGHT...FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH...WITH CLOUDS AND PRECIP QUICKLY DEVELOPING AFTER FRONT GOES BY. PRECIP SHOULD HAVE ALREAY BROKEN OUT OVER AREAS N OF US-50 BY 00Z THIS EVENING. ANTICIPATE BY MID TO LATE EVENING ALL OF THE FCST AREA WILL BE CLOUDY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS. BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL BE C MTNS AND AREAS N OF US-50...WITH THE PRECIP THREAT INCREASING OVER THE FAR E AND FAR S PLAINS AS THE NIGHTTIME PROGRESSES. AS FOR SNOWFALL...AREAS N AND E OF DOWNTOWN COS WILL ONCE AGAIN SEE SOME ACCUM SNOWS WITH 1-3 ACROSS N EL PASO AND 2-4 OVER TELLER. LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. ROADWAYS WILL BECOME ICY AND SLICK AS IT HAS BEEN QUITE COOL THE LAST FEW DAYS. GENERLLY 2-4 WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE REMAINDER OF THE MTN AREAS...WITH THE SJU MTNS SEEING THE LEAST AMOUNT. FOG WILL BE A CONCERN AND WILL BE LOCALLY THIICK IN AREAS MAINLY ABOVE 6500. TOMORROW...WILL NOT BE A GOOD DAY TO BE IN THE GARDEN. ANTICIPATE COOL AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND C MTNS. LEAST AMOUNT OF CLOUDS MAY BE OVER KIOWA COUNTY REGION AND SLV...OTHERWISE EXPECT OVERCAST CONDITIONS. FOG WILL BE A CONCERN ONCE AGAIN MAINLY ABOVE 6500. /HODANISH .LONG TERM... (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) MAIN CHALLENGES CONTINUE TO BE RAIN/SNOW CHANCES...AND AMOUNTS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW EVENT STILL BEING ADVERTISED BY MODELS AT LEAST THROUGH MONDAY. WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL IMPACT CWFA...THE FIRST ROTATING AROUND THE HUDSON BAY LOW...THEN A RIPPLE INCOMING FROM THE GREAT BASIN. DEEP MOISTURE WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY EVENING...WITH WEAK UPSLOPE FLOW ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. AS WESTERN RIPPLE MOVES IN...QG FORCING CAUSES AN INCREASE IN THE WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. ALL MODELS INDICATE BEST LIFT SLIDES IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF OUR AREA MONDAY MORNING. GOING FORECAST OF SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK GOOD...WITH ONLY SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS MADE. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL LIKELY BE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNTS ACROSS THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. WILL NOT ISSUE ANY HIGHLIGHTS AT THE MOMENT AS AMOUNTS ARE JUST UNDER ADVISORY CRITERIA (WITH A PROLONGED EVENT) AND IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH PERIODS. ACROSS THE ADJACENT EASTERN PLAINS...MOST PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL EL PASO COUNTY...AND IN WESTERN PUEBLO...HUERFANO AND WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES. THE PUEBLO AREA WILL HAVE WET BULB ZERO READINGS A COUPLE THOUSAND FEET AGL...BUT WITH ANY HEAVIER CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY...THE MOST LIKELY PRECIPITATION TYPE WOULD BE SNOW WITH SOME ACCUMULATION ON COOLER SURFACES. WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS FORECAST TO BE A COUPLE THOUSAND FEET AGL OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS ON MONDAY AS WELL...SO ANY HEAVIER SHOWERS WOULD PROBABLY REACH THE GROUND AS SNOW...BUT WOULD EXPECT LITTLE ACCUMULATION...AND AGAIN ON COOLER SURFACES. MODELS GENERALLY SHOW FOCUS OF PRECIPITATION SLIPS SOUTH ON TUESDAY WITH A HINT OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IN THE FAR SOUTHERN MOUNTAIN RANGES...WHICH ARE IN THE SNOW GRIDS. YESTERDAY...MODELS SHOWED TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY...BUT TODAY...RIDGE SLIDING IN WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF DIURNAL PRECIPITATION. FURTHER RIDGING AND WARMING...ALOFT AND SURFACE...IS FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH TEMPERATURES REACHING OR EXCEEDING NORMALS. WILL KEEP DAILY SLIGHT CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION BECAUSE OF TRAPPED MOISTURE IN RIDGE...STEEP LAPSE RATES...AND DIFFICULTY IN TRACKING MINOR SHORTWAVES THROUGH RIDGE. -TLM- && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 34/13
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 630 AM MDT SAT APR 30 2005 COZ058>089-093>099-011300- 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- 630 AM MDT SAT APR 30 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. POCKETS OF LIGHT SNOW AND FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE ACROSS EL PASO COUNTY EARLY THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. BY THIS AFTERNOON...THE NEXT IN A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES WILL START TO AFFECT SOUTHERN COLORADO. IT WILL SPREAD SNOW SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE CENTRAL COLORADO MOUNTAINS. BY LATE AFTERNOON...THOSE SNOW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REACH EAST TO THE I-25 CORRIDOR. THE MAIN THREATS WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL BE LIGHTNING...AND HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER. A FEW OF THE SNOW SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE A QUICK INCH OF SNOW. TONIGHT...SNOW SHOWERS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY WIDESPREAD ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO...WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY...TELLER COUNTY...AND THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. A FEW AREAS OF PIKES PEAK AND THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS COULD SEE OVER 4 INCHES OF NEW SNOW BY SUNDAY MORNING. LESS THAN AN INCH OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY AND MONDAY...AS PERSISTENT COOL LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE FLOW ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO IS COMBINED WITH OCCASIONAL UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCES MOVING ACROSS STATE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN AREAS...WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY THROUGH THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE MAIN THREATS FROM ANY STORMS WHICH DO DEVELOP WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 2005
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: 5448827, 5448828.