A weather system produced areas of heavy snow in combination with gusty winds across sections of Lake and Chaffee counties. and 12 inches of snow was noted at Climax in Lake 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 weather system produced areas of heavy snow in combination with gusty winds across sections of Lake and Chaffee counties. Over 8 inches of snow fell in the highest elevations...and 12 inches of snow was noted at Climax 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 Feb 7, 4:27 AM MST, 6 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 427 AM MST THU FEB 7 2008 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW WILL AFFECT C MTN REGION LATER THIS MORNING THORUGH TONIGHT... CURRENTLY...NOT MUCH GOING ON ACROSS THE CWA. TEMPS COLD ONCE AGAIN WITH MANY AREAS IN TEH TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS...WITH THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WELL BELOW ZERP (-18F @ 3AM). KLXV HAD A LITTLE SNOW EARLIER BUT THIS ENDED. SAT PIX SHOW GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES OVER THE REGION...BUT THIS WILL NOT LAST AS A POTENT SHORT WAVE IS MOVING IN FROM THE PAC NW. TODAY...FIRST...MODIFIED THE HILITES FOR THE C MTNS. NOT MUCH IS GOING ON OVER THIS REGION ATTM AND THIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE MORNING HOURS. SO...FOR THIS REASON CANCELLED THE HILITES THAT WE HAD GOING FOR THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...THE SYSTEM COMING IN IS QUITE POTENT AND WILL HAVE LOTS OF WIND DRIVEN HEAVY SNOW WITH IT. FOR THIS REASON...ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE C MTNS AND A S/BS HILITE FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF LAKE COUNTY AND LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE C MTNS. WINDS ARE GOING TO HOWL WITH THIS SYSTEM AND EXPECT WIDESPREAD 30-50 KNT VALUES ACROSS THE C MTN REGION WITH THIS SYSTEM LATER TODAY. I ANTICIPATE MANY PASSES ACROSS THE C MTNS TO BE CLOSED DUE TO WINDS AND THREAT OF AVALANCHES. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED IN THE C MTNS LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT. AS FOR THE PLAINS...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE BREEZY/GUSTY WEST WINDS. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ON THE E FACING SLOPSE OF THE S MTNS AND ADJ PLAINS WITH LESSER VALUES FARTHER EAST. TEMPS TODAY SHOULD NOT BE TOO BAD WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 40S. TONIGHT...IT WILL CONTINUE TO HOWL ACROSS ALL OF THE MTNS (G40-60 MPH) WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOWS CONTINUING OVER THE C MTN REGION. WINDS WILL ALSO PICK UP SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE ADJ E PLAINS BY EARLY EVENING WITH WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS AFTER THE FRONT GOES BY. THESE WINDS WILL ONLY GRADUALLY DECREASE LATER TONIGHT BUT SHOULD KEEP UP. THIS WILL TEND TO KEEP MIN TEMPS UP A BIT TONIGHT BUT WITH THE WIND CHILL IT WILL BE QUITE MISERABLE TO BE OUTSIDE TONIGHT. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT I DID NOT SEE ANY HIGH WIND SIGNATURES IN THE FCST SOUNDINGS...SO WINDS SHOULD NOT EXCEED HIGH WIND CRITERIA ON THE E FACING SLOPES OF THE S MTNS. AS FOR THE C MTN REGION...HEAVY SNOWS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AT LEAST MIDNIGHT AND THEN BEGIN TO GRADUALLY SLACKEN. WE MAY ALSO SEE SOME SNOW SHOWERS ON THE PLAINS TONIGHT AND INCLUDED SOME LOW END POPS FOR THE PLAINS TONIGHT. .LONG TERM... (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) LONG TERM CONCERNS INCLUDE WINDS AND TEMPERATURES. FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE REGION CONTINUES AS 150+KT POLAR JET CORE TRANSLATES ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDY TO VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN WITH H7 AND H5 WINDS ACROSS THE AREA PROGGED BETWEEN 40-50KTS AND 60-80KTS RESPECTIVELY. STRONG OROGRAPHICS AND CAA WILL KEEP LIGHT SNOW LIKELY ACROSS THE CENTRAL MTS WITH AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW LIKELY ACROSS THE REST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN. ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...SHOULD SEE GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 35 MPH MIXING DOWN ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. LATEST MODELS INDICATING A BETTER POSSIBILITY OF STRONG MT WAVE WINDS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RAMPART RANGE AND THE SOUTHEAST MTS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT/EARLY SAT MORNING WITH A DEVELOPING MT TOP STABLE LAYER AND REVERSE SHEAR ALOFT. WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR POTENTIAL HIGHLIGHTS...THOUGH HAVE GUSTS TO BETWEEN 55 AND 75 MPH IN THE CURRENT GRIDS ATTM. HAVE STAYED NEAR THE WARMER GUIDANCE FOR TEMPS. HAVE GONE SLIGHTLY BELOW THE COOLEST GUIDANCE FOR ALS...THOUGH THERE MAY BE ENOUGH WINDS TO HELP MIX OUT THE COLD AIR WHICH HAS PERSISTED ACROSS THE VALLEY. SATURDAY-SUNDAY...MODERATING AND WARMER WESTERLY FLOW CONTINUES TO BE PROGGED ACROSS THE REGION WITH H7 TEMPS WARMING TO BETWEEN -4C AND +2C ACROSS THE AREA BY SUNDAY. LATEST ECWMF STILL PROGGING SHALLOW ARCTIC SURGE POSSIBLY ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS AND LOWER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY SAT NIGHT/SUNDAY WITH A CANADIAN SFC HIGH BUILDING ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS...WHERE AS THE GFS AND NAM ARE KEEPING THE PLAINS IN DOWNSLOPE FLOW WITH CENTER OF THE HIGH FURTHER EAST. AT ANY RATE...HAVE KEPT CURRENT FORECAST IN TACT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF COOL AIR POOLING IN THE LOWER ARK VALLEY. MONDAY-WEDNESDAY...NO CHANGES THROUGH THIS PERIOD AS MODELS KEEP OSCILLATING ON THE STRENGTH OF EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH THE LATEST RUNS INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LATEST GFS IS MORE IN LINE WITH THE ECMWF ON THE STRONGER SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...BRINGING A BETTER CHANCE OF SNOW THE REGION. -MW && .AVIATION...MAIN CONCNERN WILL BE THE WINDS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PACIFIC FRONT SHOULD CROSS THE 3 TAF SITES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AND EXPECT WINDS IN THE GUSTING IN THE 25 TO 35 KT RANGE...ESPECIALLY AT KCOS. VIS AND CIGS SHOULD REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WITH THE STRONG JET MOVING OVERHEAD...ANTICIPATE LOTS OF SVR TURBULENCE ALOFT THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ059-061. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ058-060. && 34/23
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 639 AM MST THU FEB 7 2008 COZ058>089-093>099-081400- 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- 639 AM MST THU FEB 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE NIGHT. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 3 AND 6 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS TO 8 TO 15 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINDS SPEEDS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE MOUNTAINS ACROSS SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO MOUNTAIN RANGES THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF SNOWFALL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ACROSS THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO MOUNTAIN RANGES AND VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS FOR HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES AND BACK COUNTRY. WIND GUSTS OF 55 TO 75 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PIKES PEAK AND THE RAMPART RANGE...THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...AND THE WET MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN MONDAY AND AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND EASTERN PLAINS MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY TODAY AND TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 958 AM MST THU FEB 7 2008 COZ069>075-078>080-086>088-072300- 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- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CENTER...DEL NORTE...ALAMOSA... MONTE VISTA...MANASSA...LA JARA...ANTONITO...SANFORD...SAN LUIS... FORT GARLAND...BLANCA...LA VETA PASS...PONCHA PASS... BLANCA PEAK...CUCHARA...STONEWALL...WESTON...SPANISH PEAKS... SILVER CLIFF...WESTCLIFFE...RYE...GREENHORN MTN...PUEBLO... WALSENBURG...TRINIDAD 958 AM MST THU FEB 7 2008 ...EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL BETWEEN LA VETA AND WALSENBURG... THE COMBINATION OF WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND LOOSE SNOW ON THE GROUND...WILL CREATE NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FROM BLOWING SNOW BETWEEN LA VETA AND WALSENBURG TODAY. WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS ALONG HIGHWAY 160...BETWEEN LA VETA AND WALSENBURG...INDICATED VISIBILITIES LESS THAN 1 MILE TO NEAR ZERO IN BLOWING SNOW. ALSO...HIGHWAY 160 BETWEEN LA VETA AND WALSENBURG IS VERY ICY. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING THROUGH LA VETA PASS TODAY...THEN EXPECTED VERY LOCALIZED AND SIGNIFICANT BLOWING SNOW PRODUCING POOR VISIBILITIES AND ICY ROADS BETWEEN LA VETA AND WALSENBURG. METZE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 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, February 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: 82844, 82845.