A strong weather disturbance and moisture interacted with the central mountains to generate over a foot of snow in most higher elevation locations, including Monarch Ski Area in southwest Chaffee County and the Leadville area in Lake County.
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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 weather disturbance and moisture interacted with the central mountains to generate over a foot of snow in most higher elevation locations, including Monarch Ski Area in southwest Chaffee County and the Leadville area in Lake 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 Nov 13, 4:01 AM MST, 5 hours 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 401 AM MST MON NOV 13 2006 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...STRONG WINDS AND SNOW MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS... CURRENTLY...BRISK W-NW FLOW ALOFT WAS SWEEPING ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN AND ROCKIES EARLY THIS MORNING. CONSIDERABLE MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WERE INVADING FROM THE WEST AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING 170 KT JET AND LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE U.S...AS PER LATEST IR SATELLITE IMAGERY. LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT PROVIDED THE LLVL MOISTURE FOR SOME LOW CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING...WITH LOW CEILINGS WAVERING AT KCOS AND KPUB. TODAY AND TONIGHT...THE UPPER JET EDGES INTO THE STATE THIS MORNING...THEN MOVES ACROSS COLORADO THROUGH THE NIGHT. CROSS SECTIONS SUPPORT STRONG MT TOP WINDS AS THE GRADIENT TIGHTENS...WITH SOME GUSTS MAKING IT DOWN ONTO THE ADJACENT PLAINS. ONGOING FORECAST INTRODUCED POPS FOR THE MTS THIS AFTN THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH FAVORED AREAS BEING LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES AND ALONG THE CONTDVD. THIS STILL LOOKS GOOD...BUT CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGERY HINTS AT A POSSIBLE EARLIER START TO THE PCPN SO INTRODUCED ISOLATED POPS ALONG THE CONTDVD THIS AM. WINTER STORM WATCH LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BET AS WELL WITH THE EXPECTED GUSTY WINDS AND SUFFICIENT MOISTURE. AFTER UPDATING QPF AND SNOW AMOUNTS...DECIDED TO INCLUDE ZONES 59 AND 61 IN THE WATCH AREA AS WELL WHICH INCLUDES LEADVILLE. FINALLY...SHOULD BE A MOSTLY CLOUDY TO OVERCAST DAY FOR MUCH OF THE AREA STRETCHING FROM THE CONTDVD TO THE I25 CORRIDOR...SO HAD TO INCREASE SKY COVER IN PORTIONS OF THESE AREAS. MOORE .LONG TERM... (TUESDAY THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY) STRONG UPPER JET PLOWS INTO WESTERN COLORADO TUESDAY MORNING...WITH LEE SIDE CYCLOGENESIS SOMEWHERE OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS EARLY IN THE DAY. STARTING TO SEE MORE 50 KNOT FLAGS AT 700 MB OVER THE PLAINS IN THE LATEST MODEL RUNS...WITH INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS AREAWIDE DURING THE DAY. PROBLEM IS SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT...WHICH IS RATHER BAGGY THROUGH 18Z AS SURFACE LOW SPINS UP...THEN INCREASES BY 00Z WED AS LOW PULLS EAST INTO THE PLAINS. SUSPECT WINDOW FOR HIGH WINDS OVER THE EASTERN SLOPES AND PLAINS WILL BE FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN GET A FEW SHOWERS GOING AND TRANSPORT SOME OF THE HIGHER WINDS ALOFT DOWNWARD. EXCEPTION TO THIS SCENARIO MIGHT BE THE SOUTHERN SANGRES AND I-25 CORRIDOR SOUTH OF KPUB...WHERE WESTERLY GAP FLOW THROUGH LA VETA PASS COULD CRANK UP WINDS EARLIER IN THE DAY. STILL ENOUGH UNCERTAINTY TO PRECLUDE A 3RD/4TH PERIOD HIGH WIND WATCH...THOUGH DAY SHIFT WILL NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THINGS. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY...WITH SPILL OVER RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE EAST. BUMPED UP SNOW AMOUNTS AROUND LEADVILLE AND IN THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS GIVEN IMPRESSIVE UPPER JET. SHOULD SEE THINGS TAPER OFF TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH TEMPS COOLING OFF TO NEAR SEASONAL NORMS WEDS. MADE VERY FEW CHANGES BEYOND WEDNESDAY AS FLAT UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE AREA WITH STRONG ZONAL FLOW OVER THE NRN ROCKIES. STILL LOOKS LIKE WARM TEMPS WILL BE THE RULE FOR THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...THOUGH 06Z GFS HINTS AT WEAK FRONT DROPPING SOUTH OVER THE AREA SATURDAY AS JET SAGS SOUTH. DIDNT BITE YET ON ANY POPS FOR EITHER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS 00Z GFS WAS FARTHER NORTH WITH THE JET. --PETERSEN && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR COZ058>061. && 27/10
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 655 AM MST MON NOV 13 2006 COZ058>089-093>099-141400- 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- 655 AM MST MON NOV 13 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR LAKE COUNTY...WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FEET...AND THE EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO FALL LATE THIS MORNING AND LAST THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE HEAVIEST TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WESTERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH WILL RESULT IN WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 10 TO 20 INCHES ACROSS THE WATCH AREA...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS EXPECTED OVER THE LA GARITA AND EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL ON WEST AND NORTHWEST FACING SLOPES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON...WITH WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW PRODUCING WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES. LIGHTER SNOWS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS TUESDAY...WHILE SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL SPREAD OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND GUSTS OF 55 MPH POSSIBLE OVER THE PLAINS. PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY COME TO AN END TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH WINDS ALSO WEAKENING BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES...THE LA GARITA MOUNTAINS...AND EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm. 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, November 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: 4461, 4467, 4469, 4463.