A strong uppel level system generated heavy snow over the southeast mountains and adjacent terrain. and across the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 strong uppel level system generated heavy snow over the southeast mountains and adjacent terrain. Some of the higher reported snow amounts include...6 inches near Trinidad (Las Animas County)...10 to 11 inches of snow at Rye (Pueblo County)and La Veta (Huerfano County)...and across the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
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 21, 3:32 PM MST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 332 PM MST FRI DEC 21 2007 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND SATURDAY) ...SNOW ENDING IN WESTERN MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING... ...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW FOR MUCH OF EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS... CURRENTLY...FRONT JUST PASS THROUGH KPUB AT 21Z...WHILE SOUTH OF KPUB THE WEATHER REMAINS BREEZY AND MILD WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S TO 50S NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. SOME LIGHT SNOW HAS BEGUN OVER MONUMENT HILL AS REPORTED BY SPOTTERS AND WEBCAMS. IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...WEBCAMS SUGGEST SNOW HAS BECOME LIGHTER. .TONIGHT...COMPACT UPPER LOW SPINNING OVER WESTERN COLORADO WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST AND PASS ACROSS CENTRAL NEW MEXICO OVERNIGHT. WITH SOME COOLER CLOUD TOPS MOVING NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHWEST COLORADO...THE ADVISORY FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 03Z...AS SCHEDULED. WHILE THE HEAVIEST NOW IS LIKELY OVER...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE. FOR THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND EASTWARD...FORECAST IS CHALLENGING GIVEN THE COMPACT NATURE OF THE SYSTEM. 700MB FLOW OF 20 TO 40 KNOTS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE EVENING AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. MAIN QUESTION IS THE ORIENTATION OF THE FLOW FROM 700MB AND BELOW. THE UPPER LOW TRACK LOOKS TO BE FAR ENOUGH SOUTHWEST THAT THE LOWER LEVEL FLOW WILL BE FROM THE NNE TO NE DURING THE EVENING AND GRADUALLY TURN NORTHERLY DURING THE NIGHT. THE FLOW WILL HAVE ENOUGH OF AN EASTERLY COMPONENT TO BRING WARNING CRITERIA SNOW TO THE WET MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...AND THE WARNINGS FOR THESE REGIONS HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED. THE BEST OROGRAPHICS WILL OCCUR UNTIL MIDNIGHT WITH 700MB OF 20 TO 40 KNOTS...WITH LIGHTER SNOW OVERNIGHT. TO FURTHER NORTH...PIKES PEAK AND RAMPART RANGE WILL HAVE LESS OROGRAPHICS AND MAINTAINED ADVISORY FOR THESE REGIONS. THE DEEP NORTHERLY FLOW IS ALSO FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. MODEL QPF GENERALLY SHOW A BAND OF HIGHER AMOUNTS IN THESE REGION...WITH SNOWFALL TOTAL APPROACHING OR EXCEEDING 6 INCHES. WITH THE GUSTY WINDS...HAVE UPGRADED THE ADVISORY TO A WARNING FOR THIS REGION. ON THE PLAINS...WIND...OROGRAPHICS AND SOME DYNAMICS MAKE THE FORECAST MORE COMPLICATED. THE 12Z GFS...SREF AND RUC SUGGEST A FAIRLY NARROW BAND OF FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER DURING THE EVENING. THERE WAS A BAND OF SIGNIFICANT ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE WITH THIS AREA...BUT THIS BAND WAS LESS EVIDENT ON THE 18Z NAM. THIS REGION OF UPGLIDE MAY CREATE A REGION OF HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS. OTHERWISE...MODEL QPF FIELDS SHOW A STRONG OROGRAPHIC INFLUENCE WITH BEST ACCUMULATIONS SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER. GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE SNOW. THE BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SHOW A REGION OF 40 TO 50 KNOT WINDS ALOFT LOWERING DURING THE NIGHT. IF THESE WINDS WERE TO REACH THE SURFACE...THEN WINDS WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY STRONG FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...IF THERE IS SUFFICIENT SNOWFALL. LOOKING AT THE FORECAST SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND PROJECTED PATH OF THE SURFACE LOW...THE REALLY STRONG WINDS WILL NOT REACH THE SURFACE. STILL WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR A BLIZZARD HIGHLIGHT. TO GET VERY STRONG WINDS...THERE SHOULD BE A STRONGER AND SLOWER MOVING SURFACE LOW TO THE SOUTH OR EAST. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL APPROACH ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT THE THREAT FOR SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING WARRANTS THE ADVISORY. .SATURDAY...SYSTEM MOVES TO EAST WITH CLEARING DURING THE MORNING. SOME SNOW MAY LINGER AFTER 12Z ON THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS. WINDS ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO BE STRONG...BUT WITH THE SURFACE LOW MOVING EAST...THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN FOR BREEZY CONDITIONS ON THE PLAINS. AIR ALOFT IS COLD WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO APPROACH FREEZING ON THE PLAINS. --PGW-- .LONG TERM... (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ...ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES... ...TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN BELOW AVERAGE THROUGH NEXT WEEK... ...MODERATE IMPACT WEATHER SYSTEM POSSIBLE FOR CHRISTMAS... SUNDAY AND MONDAY...ANOTHER QUICK MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...THEN OUT OF CO BY MONDAY. GREATEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WOULD BE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS. MOISTURE CONTENT NOT ALL THAT GREAT...BUT WITH RELATIVELY COLD TEMPERATURES FLUFFY 1-4 INCHES WOULD BE POSSIBLE...AGAIN MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS/HIGH VALLEYS. MAXIMUM/MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW LATE DEC AVERAGES. CHRISTMAS DAY...MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST A LITTLE STRONGER WEATHER SYSTEM FOR LATE CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY. THE WEATHER SYSTEM DROPS INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES LATE CHRISTMAS EVE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW SPREADING INTO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND THEN ACROSS ALL OF CO ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THE WEATHER SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED WEATHER MAY MOVE OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE 12Z/21 ECMWF IS A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH WITH THE 500MB LOW TRACK...BUT THERE MIGHT BE ENOUGH ISENTROPIC ASCENT ON THE NORTHERN FRINGE OF THE SYSTEM TO SUPPORT CLOUDS/PRECIPITATION. ASSUMING THE GFS QPF IS CORRECT...THERMAL STRUCTURE(COLD AIR ALOFT) WOULD SUPPORT SNOW RATIOS OF 20-1 WITH VERY FLUFFY SNOW AND APPROXIMATELY 3-8 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS/HIGH VALLEYS AND 1-3 INCHES ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND SOUTHEAST CO PLAINS DURING CHRISTMAS DAY. MIGHT NEED AN ADVISORY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY...JUST FOR THE HIGH TRAVEL DAY...BUT STILL A LONG WAY OFF. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE BELOW LATE DEC AVERAGES. WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...CERTAINLY AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES WITH WEATHER DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES EVERY OTHER DAY OR SO. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE BELOW LATE DEC AVERAGES. EACH WEATHER SYSTEM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THAT STRONG...JUST NUISANCE...OR VERY LOW IMPACT...WEATHER. METZE && .AVIATION... GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT OVER THE PLAINS AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS...INCLUDING KPUB AND KCOS. KCOS WILL BE SHADOWED BY NORTHERLY WINDS...AND ANTICIPATE A PERIOD OF SNOW WITH LOWER CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES. FURTHER TO THE NORTH...EXPECT LOWER CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES IN THE SNOW. KPUB WILL ALSO BE SHADOWED BY THE NORTHERLY FLOW...WITH LOWER CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WITH PERIODS OF SNOW. CONDITIONS WILL BE WORSE TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST AS WELL AS OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. KALS MAY GET A PERIOD OF SNOW WITH SOME MVFR CONDITIONS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST SATURDAY FOR COZ072-073-078-086-093-094-097>099. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ058>061-066-068. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST SATURDAY FOR COZ074-075-079-080-087-088. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM MST SATURDAY FOR COZ081-082-084. && 06/17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 242 PM MST FRI DEC 21 2007 COZ058>089-093>099-221400- 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- 242 PM MST FRI DEC 21 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE SPREADING ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS COLORADO TONIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE WET MOUNTAINS...SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...AND THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS AROUND WALSENBURG AND TRINIDAD WHERE 3 TO 13 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS...INCLUDING THE SAN LUIS AND UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEYS TONIGHT. ACROSS TELLER COUNTY...ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 4 INCHES WILL BE LIKELY TONIGHT. ACROSS EL PASO COUNTY...THERE WILL BE 1 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS ACROSS NORTHERN COLORADO SPRINGS AND NORTHWARD TOWARDS THE PALMER DIVIDE. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE PALMER DIVIDE TONIGHT. ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEAST COLORADO PLAINS...1 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW CAUSING HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY ALONG WEST TO EAST ROADWAYS LIKE HIGHWAY 50. ACROSS PUEBLO COUNTY...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AROUND 1 INCH OR LESS WITH BE LIKELY ACROSS NORTHERN PUEBLO COUNTY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50...AND 2 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS SOUTHERN PUEBLO COUNTY TOWARDS THE WET MOUNTAINS AND COLORADO CITY WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A SERIES OF WEATHER SYSTEMS COULD BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO MUCH OF SOUTHERN COLORADO ON SUNDAY...THEN AGAIN LATE CHRISTMAS EVE AND LASTING THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL THEN CROSS THE STATE ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO. METZE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
312 PM MST FRI DEC 21 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0312 PM SNOW 3 NE FLORISSANT 38.99N 105.26W
12/21/2007 M1.8 INCH TELLER CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JCERUThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2007
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: 70087, 70089, 70090, 70085, 70086, 70091.