and the eastern mountains and southeast plains of southern Colorado. and snow drifts noted as high as 18 feet.
Every event with a place to put it; 31 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.
Heavy snow and blizzard conditions impacted the western mountains...and the eastern mountains and southeast plains of southern Colorado. Wind gusts exceeded 55 mph...snow amounts reached up to 48 inches...and snow drifts noted as high as 18 feet. The following are the highest snow totals and snow drifts reported with this event...10 to 14 inches near the Air Force Academy (El Paso County)...Maysville (Chaffee County) and northwest Baca County...17 to 20 inches in and around Monument and Black Forest (El Paso County)...Rye (Pueblo County)...Woodland Park (Teller County)...and Fort Lyon (Bent County)...22 inches east of Colorado City (Pueblo County)...near 2 feet in Walsenburg (Huerfano County) and Fowler (Otero county)...in addition...Fowler had snow drifts up to 6 feet...31 inches in Walsh (Baca County)...La Junta (Otero County) and Lamar (Prowers County)...with 6 to 8 foot snow drifts common in both La Junta and Lamar...32 inches in La Veta (Huerfano County)...33 inches in Sheridan Lake (Kiowa County)...with snow drifts up to 18 feet deep...36 inches in Trinidad (Las Animas County)...40 inches just northwest of Aguilar (Las Animas County)...48 inches in Cuchara (Huerfano County). Many counties across the eastern plains received FEMA monies for snow removal and other recover efforts. In was estimated that at least 35,000 head of cattle perished during and after the episode. No good estimate of losses and costs was available at the completion of this report...but likely totalled well over $3 million.
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 Dec 28, 5:42 AM MST, 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 542 AM MST THU DEC 28 2006 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) MAIN CONCERNS ARE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AND WHAT TO DO WITH THE CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH THE EXACT DETAILS OF HOW MUCH SNOW THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING TO THE AREA. THE UPR LOW IS CURRENTLY OVR AZ AND IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY MOVE INTO NM. THE FORECAST POSITION OF THE UPR LOW CENTER ON THE NAM IS A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH THAN WHAT IS HAS HAD THE LAST FEW DAYS...AND THE GFS HAS IT OVR SWRN NM AT 12Z FRI. THE GFS HAS BEEN MORE CONSISTENT AS HAS THE ECMWF THAN THE NAM...SO I TEND TO THINK THE GFS MAY BE A LITTLE BETTER. WILL HAVE GOOD UPR LIFT OVR THE FORECAST AREA TODAY AND THIS EVENING...THEN DECREASING SOME LATE TONIGHT. SHOULD ALSO BE FAIRLY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON OVR SRN AREAS. LATER THIS MORNING EASTERLY LOW AND MID LEVEL FLOW DEVELOP OVR THE AREA TO GIVE A GOOD UPSLOPE IN SOME AREAS...INCLUDING THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...AND ALONG THE ERN MTS. THE MSTR LAYER WL DEEPEN OVR THE WRN AREAS THIS MORNING...AND THEN OVER THE ERN AREAS THIS AFTERNOON...AND THUS WL SEE SNOW SPREADING ACRS THE AREA. THE BEST SNOW CHANCES OVR THE I-25 CORRIDOR WILL LIKELY START IN THE EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON AND THEN CONTINUE TONIGHT. THE NAM HAS A FEW SEPARATE WAVES OF PCPN MOVING UP FROM THE SOUTH ACRS THE ERN PLAINS AND MTS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE GFS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT...IT HAS ON WAVE OF HEAVIER PCPN MOVING OVR THE SERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN FOR TONIGHT HAS THE HEAVIER PCPN FOCUSED NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE MID LEVEL FLOW GOES FROM EAST THIS AFTERNOON TO MORE NORTHEAST TONIGHT. THIS FLOW WITH THE DEEP MSTR LAYER SHOULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SNOWS OVR THE SANGRES AND WET MTS...PIKE PEAK AND TELLER COUNTY...THE SRN FOOTHILLS AND NRN EL PASO COUNTY...AND THUS WL ISSUE WARNINGS FOR THESE AREAS. AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE SNOW AMOUNTS WL NOT BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR WARNING CRITERIA OVR MOST OF PUEBLO COUNTY (WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE FAR SRN PORTIONS)...AND PROBABLY NOT OVR SRN EL PASO COUNTY...SO WL ONLY GO ADVISORY FOR THESE AREAS...AS WELL AS FREMONT COUNTY. THE MODELS DO NOT HAVE ALL THAT MUCH FOR ACCUMULATIONS OVR THE CENTRAL AND SW MTS...WITH SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY TODAY THEY COULD GET SOME QUICK ACCUMULATIONS AND INSTINCT SAYS THAT WARNINGS FOR THESE AREAS IS PROBABLY THE WAY TO GO. AT THIS TIME IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WILL SEE MUCH FOR ACCUMULATION...EXCEPT RIGHT NR THE MTS AND FOR NOW WL LEAVE THEM HIGHLIGHT FREE. WITH A LATER PCPN START OVR THE FAR SERN PLAINS...AND THERE BEING SOME UNCERTAINTIES STILL...WL LEAVE THE WATCH IN EFFECT STARTING TONIGHT AND LET THE DAY SHIFT DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THAT. .LONG TERM... FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY COMPLEX METEOROLOGICAL SITUATION CONTINUES FROM FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND AS A CLOSED LOW IS PROJECTED TO SHIFT FROM CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AT 12Z FRIDAY INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE BY 12Z SATURDAY AND THEN INTO SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS BY 12Z SUNDAY. THIS UPPER SYSTEM IS THEN EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO ILLINOIS BY MONDAY. IT APPEARS THAT THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD SNOW FOR THE LONG TERM OVER THE WESTERN 2/3RDS OF THE CWFA IS FROM FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY MORNING. OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS...THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD SNOW RUNS FROM FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY. CONSIDERED EXTENDING EXISTING WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS...BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW AS SEVERAL MODEL RUN ITERATIONS STILL TO COME. TEMPERATURES TO RUN BELOW CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES FROM FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW AND COLD TEMPERATURES...EXPECT GUSTY WINDS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS...PRIMARILY FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING. IMPROVING METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY AS A BRIEF UPPER RIDGE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS THEN PROGGED TO MOVE FROM SOUTHERN ARIZONA INTO THE TEXAS BIG BEND REGION BY NEXT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...PRODUCING GENERALLY INCREASING CLOUD COVER BUT LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE CWFA...WITH THE MAIN PRECIPITATION PAINTED OVER EASTERN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO. TEMPERATURES SHOULD RUN AROUND CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES FROM MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. FINALLY...GRADIENT WINDS SHOULD BE WELL-BEHAVED MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. THANKS SURROUNDING OFFICES FOR COORDINATION/COLLABORATION. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT FOR COZ089-093>099. SNOW ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ059-062- 064-076-077-083. HEAVY SNOW WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ058- 060-061-063-065>068-072>075-078>080-087-088. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ085-086. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ081-082-084. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 859 PM MST WED DEC 27 2006 COZ058>089-093>099-290400- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- 859 PM MST WED DEC 27 2006 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT FOR THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AND FOR THE WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE AND THE EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS... ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR... ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE SOUTHEAST COLORADO PLAINS... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT OVER THE SAN JUAN...LA GARITA...SAWATCH...AND MOSQUITO MOUNTAIN RANGES. SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...GENERALLY UNDER 2 INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...AND ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS SNOWFALL WILL BE CAUSED BY A STORM SYSTEM THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS NEW MEXICO THROUGH FRIDAY...AND WILL THEN MOVE OVER THE WESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND INTO WESTERN KANSAS THROUGH SATURDAY. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...AND CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY NIGHT OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST COLORADO PLAINS...CAUSING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...WHICH COULD RESULT IN NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY AT TIMES. AS THIS WEATHER SYSTEM GETS CLOSER TO THE AREA...WINTER WEATHER WARNING OR ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...SO BE SURE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECAST PRODUCTS. TRAVEL COULD BECOME DIFFICULT IN MANY AREAS LATE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 winter storm, 8 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2006
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: 7746, 7744, 7745, 7747, 7734, 7735, 7738, 7740, 7748, 7736, 7737, 7739, 7741, 7742, 7743, 7753, 7749, 7751, 7759, 7761, 7763, 7755, 7757, 7750, 7752, 7754, 7756, 7758, 7760, 7762, 7764.