A strong upper level disturbance produced significant amounts of snow across the southeastern mountains and the southern I-25 Corridor. and an impressive 34 inches in and near Cuchara (Huerfano 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 upper level disturbance produced significant amounts of snow across the southeastern mountains and the southern I-25 Corridor. Seven to 10 inches of snow fell around Walsenburg (Huerfano County) and locally in the Monument area (northern El Paso County)...12 to 15 inches in and near Colorado City...Aguilar...Trinidad and Beulah (Las Animas County and Pueblo County)...18 to 19 inches in Rye and La Veta (Pueblo County and Huerfano County)...25 inches on the north slopes of the Spanish Peaks (Huerfano County)...and an impressive 34 inches in and near Cuchara (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 Dec 8, 6:00 AM MST, 8 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 600 AM MST MON DEC 8 2008 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...WINTER STORM TO IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO TODAY AND TONIGHT... THINGS APPEAR TO BE PROGRESSING PRETTY MUCH AS EXPECTED WITH REGARD TO THE INCOMING STORM. A SUBTROPICAL WAVE IS TRAVERSING ACROSS ARIZONA AT THIS HOUR...WHILE A POTENT SHORTWAVE IS DIGGING SOUTHEAST INTO UTAH...DUG BY A 130+ KNOT UPPER LEVEL JET DIVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. WE ARE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE SOME LIFT AND MOISTURE WITH THE 2 APPROACHING SYSTEMS. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THERE IS RAIN AND SNOW ON THE WESTERN SLOPE...WITH RAIN REPORTED AT DURANGO...CORTEZ AND MONTROSE DURING THE NIGHT...AND SNOW REPORTED AT TELLURIDE. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW CENTER CROSSING ARIZONA DURING THE NIGHT. RADARS ARE INDICATING SOME VIRGA FALLING FROM THE SKY OVER THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS...ALONG THE FRONT RANGE AND OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS. SURFACE PRESSURES HAVE BEEN FALLING OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH A 997MB LOW CENTER SITUATED OVER THE SOUTHEAST COLORADO PLAINS BETWEEN LA JUNTA...TRINIDAD AND SPRINGFIELD. THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS PRETTY LOW ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO THIS MORNING...LOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN IN QUITE A WHILE. THE ALTIMETER READING HERE IN PUEBLO WAS AT 29.56 INCHES AND FALLING AT KPUB AROUND 12Z. THE 2 SYSTEMS COMING AT US WILL HELP TO CONTINUE LOWERING SURFACE PRESSURE ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. THEN...AS THE UTAH SYSTEM CROSSES SALT LAKE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...COLD AIR WILL BEGIN TO SPILL SOUTH ACROSS THE PALMER DIVIDE...INTO SOUTHEAST COLORADO. THROUGH THE EVENING...THE UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE 4 CORNERS REGION...WITH COLD AIR CONTINUING TO SURGE SOUTH THROUGH EASTERN COLORADO. BY TUESDAY MORNING...THE SNOW SHOULD BE JUST ABOUT OVER AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES SOUTH THROUGH NEW MEXICO. SNOW AMOUNTS ARE ALWAYS TOUGH. BUT...IN GENERAL...THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND THE ADJACENT PLAINS SOUTH OF PUEBLO SHOULD DO THE BEST WITH THIS STORM. THIS AREA SHOULD SEE GENERAL ACCUMULATIONS IN THE 6 TO 12 INCH RANGE WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 16 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE FAVORED NORTHEAST FACING SLOPES OF SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS. THE PALMER DIVIDE AND TELLER COUNTY MAY ALSO DO PRETTY WELL WITH THIS STORM...ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE FOCUS APPEARS TO BE SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER WITH THIS PARTICULAR SYSTEM. THE PALMER DIVIDE WILL LIKELY SEE AMOUNTS IN THE 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE BY TUESDAY MORNING. THE MOUNTAIN RANGES ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE (THE EASTERN SAWATCH...EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITAS) AS WELL AS THE MOSQUITO RANGE IN EASTERN LAKE COUNTY WILL ALSO SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION BY TUESDAY MORNING...MOSTLY IN THE 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE...BUT LOCALLY UP TO 12 INCHES. ELSEWHERE... ACCUMULATIONS GENERALLY LOOK TO BE IN THE 1 TO 4 INCH RANGE. THERE ARE 2 OBSTACLES THAT WILL MOST LIKELY PREVENT HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN COLORADO SPRINGS AND PUEBLO. THE FIRST OBSTACLE IS THE TEMPERATURE. SOUTHERN COLORADO WILL START OUT PRETTY MILD THIS MORNING...BEFORE THE COLD AIR ARRIVES DURING THE AFTERNOON. SO...THE INITIAL PRECIPITATION AT COLORADO SPRINGS AND PUEBLO...AND ELSEWHERE BELOW 6500 FEET...WILL BE RAIN OR A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND WET SNOW. THIS TAKES THE EDGE OFF OF THE ACCUMULATION POTENTIAL. THE OTHER LIMITING FACTOR IS THE NORTHERLY COMPONENT TO THE WIND. NORTH WINDS CREATES DOWNSLOPE FLOW OFF OF THE PALMER DIVIDE...WHICH DRYS OUT THE BOUNDARY LAYER AND EVAPORATES THE SNOW. THE MODELS DO INDICATE A BRIEF WINDOW DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING HOURS WHERE SURFACE WINDS GO EASTERLY ENOUGH FOR SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW IN THESE 2 AREAS...BUT THEN SURFACE WINDS TURN NORTHERLY AGAIN BY MIDNIGHT. SO...NOT A VERY LONG WINDOW FOR GOOD SNOW ACCUMULATION. THIS IS THE WAY IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW. THINGS COULD CERTAINLY CHANGE ON SHORT NOTICE SO STAY TUNED TO THE FORECAST. LW .LONG TERM... (TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) TUESDAY...LATEST GFS AND NAM MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TO SWEEP THE UPPER TROUGH TO THE SE TOWARDS THE TX PANHANDLE TUES MORNING...QUICKLY BRINGING PCPN TO A CLOSE FOR MUCH OF THE AREA BY MIDDAY. THE MODELS DO HINT AT PERHAPS SOME LINGERING PCPN OVER THE SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN EDGES OF THE CWA...SO KEPT ISOLATED POPS THERE JUST IN CASE. REGARDLESS...BY THE EVE COLD N-NW FLOW WILL BE FIRMLY IN PLACE ACROSS THE STATE. AS EXPECTED...MAX TEMPS FOR TUESARE FORECAST TO BE ONLY IN THE 20S AND 30S...THEN CLEARING SKIES THAT NIGHT WILL DROP TEMPS OVERNIGHT INTO THE TEEMS TO SINGLE DIGITS. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...NW FLOW ALOFT WEAKENS SLIGHTLY ON WED...WITH ISOLATED PCPN OVER THE CENTRAL MTS A POSSIBILITY. LATEST GUIDANCE HAS MAX TEMPS WARMING INTO THE 50S...BUT DEPENDING ON SNOW COVER THIS MAY BE FAR TOO OPTIMISTIC. PAINTED MID TO UPPER 40S MOST AREAS...BUT MAY HAVE TO COOL MAX T GRID CONSIDERABLY. FOR THURSDAY...MODELS STILL INDICATE THAT AN UPPER SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED SFC COLD FRONT DROPS DOWN ACROSS THE N ROCKIES AND E COLORADO BY THE AFTN. DECIDED TO INTRODUCE SOME POPS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA THU THROUGH MIDNIGHT...BUT KEPT THEM ISOLATED AT THIS TIME TO WAIT FOR SOME RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...NW FLOW ALOFT TRANSITIONS TO A MORE WESTERLY DIRECTION FRI AND SAT...THEN SW AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM DROPS DOWN ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN ON SUN. THIS FAR OUT THERE ARE TOO MANY VARIOUS SOLUTION FOR THE TRACK OF THE SYSTEM...SO MADE NO ADJUSTMENTS TO THE GRIDS. HOWEVER...IF CURRENT SOLUTION HOLDS TRUE...THEN AN INCREASE IN MAX TEMPS FOR FRI AND SAT...AND AN INCREASE IN POPS SUN...MAY BE WARRANTED. STAY TUNED. MOORE && .AVIATION...WINTER STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD IFR AND SCATTERED LIFR CONDITIONS IN SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON CONTINUING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS...WITH IMPROVEMENT BY TUESDAY MORNING. THESE CONDITIONS WILL AFFECT THE KCOS TAF SITE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. ELSEWHERE...GENERALLY MVFR OR LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS IN RAIN/SNOW EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. LW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ072>075-078>080-087-088. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ058-060-066-068. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ076-077-081>086. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ094. && 50/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 707 AM MST MON DEC 8 2008 COZ058>089-093>099-091415- 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- 707 AM MST MON DEC 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW OR SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ALMOST EVERYWHERE ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO...BEGINNING IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN AREAS THIS MORNING AND SPREADING TO THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE SNOW TO PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...WITH NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT TIMES. IN GENERAL...THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND THE ADJACENT PLAINS SOUTH OF PUEBLO SHOULD DO THE BEST WITH THIS STORM. THIS AREA SHOULD SEE GENERAL ACCUMULATIONS IN THE 6 TO 12 INCH RANGE WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 16 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE FAVORED NORTHEAST FACING SLOPES OF SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS. THE PALMER DIVIDE AND TELLER COUNTY WILL LIKELY SEE AMOUNTS IN THE 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE BY TUESDAY MORNING. THE MOUNTAIN RANGES ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...INCLUDING THE EASTERN SAWATCH...THE EASTERN SAN JUAN...THE LA GARITA AND THE MOSQUITO RANGES WILL GENERALLY SEE 5 TO 10 INCHES BY TUESDAY MORNING WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO 12 INCHES. ELSEWHERE...ACCUMULATIONS GENERALLY LOOK TO BE IN THE 2 TO 5 INCH RANGE...EXCEPT OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS WHERE ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD GENERALLY REMAIN UNDER 2 INCHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND THE RATON MESA TUESDAY MORNING...AS THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM CONTINUES MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE REGION. ANOTHER UPPER DISTURBANCE IS SCHEDULED TO MOVE ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE IS THE CHANCE FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...BUT AMOUNTS AT THIS TIME ARE STILL IN QUESTION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. 50/27
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2008
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: 146035, 146036, 146039, 146037, 146038, 146040, 146041, 146042, 146043.