Heavy snow occurred over the Eastern San Juan Mountains. The higher elevations picked up in excess of 8 inches of snow.
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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.
Heavy snow occurred over the Eastern San Juan Mountains. The higher elevations picked up in excess of 8 inches of snow.
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 Jan 24, 3:19 AM MST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 319 AM MST THU JAN 24 2008 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...SNOW/BLOWING SNOW CONTINENTAL HIGHER TERRAIN NEXT 24 HOURS... ...VERY CHALLENGING HIGH TEMPERATURE COS AND PUB TODAY... CURRENTLY...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND RUC MODEL UPPER AIR ANALYSES SHOWED THE CLOSED LOW STILL SPINNING OVER CA WITH CHUNKS OF MIDDLE/UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE EJECTING ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. ALSO...SUBTROPICAL JET STREAM AND MOISTURE REMAINS WILL SOUTH OF CO STREAMING OUT OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN THROUGH NORTHERN OLD MEXICO INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. A FEW MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WERE ABOUT TO MOVE THROUGH AZ WITH SOME OF THE TROPICAL MOISTURE POSSIBLY COMING WITH IT AND HEADING TOWARDS SOUTHWEST CO. REGIONAL RADAR HAD BANDS OF ECHOES MOVING THROUGH WESTERN NM AND WESTERN CO. LIGHT SNOW HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN THE WOLF CREEK AWOS DOT SENSOR WHICH IT IS PROBABLY SNOWING ON THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAIN PEAKS. THE LIVE DOT WOLF CREEK WEBCAM IS NOT SHOWING MUCH YET...SO ANY SNOWFALL IS ABOVE THE PASS AROUND THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS. A SCATTERED-BROKEN MIDDECK WAS MOVING INTO THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND PERIODIC BOUTS OF HIGH CLOUDS ACROSS SOUTHEAST CO. A STUBBORN IFR-MVFR STRATUS DECK THAT FORMED LAST EVENING WAS AROUND COLORADO SPRINGS/AIR FORCE ACADEMY LIKELY DUE TO WEAK SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW AND THE SURFACE-PBL LAYER COOLING/CONDENSING. A FEW SNOW FLURRIES WERE REPORTED AROUND THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY. TODAY AND TONIGHT...INCREASING SOUTHWEST-WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT STILL ON TRACK FOR THE CENTRAL ROCKIES...AND THIS SEEMS REASONABLE PER HIGH TERRAIN DOT AWOS SENSOR BECOMING BRISK-WINDY ALREADY. THE CURRENT MODERATE-HEAVY SNOW STILL LOOKS DOABLE FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...ESPECIALLY THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS GIVEN THE FAVORABLE OROGRAPHIC WIND COMPONENT. THIS SHOULD PRIMARILY BE AN OROGRAPHIC DRIVEN QPF/SNOW EVENT FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...BUT A FEW MINOR SHORTWAVE TROUGHS EMBEDDED IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW COULD HELP ENHANCE QPF/SNOW AMOUNTS. BRISK-WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AROUND THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE HIGHER TERRAIN. EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...PRECIPITATION CHANCES DWINDLE QUICKLY...EXCEPT FOR THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS HIGHER TERRAIN. TODAYS HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE...ESPECIALLY FOR THE SOUTHERN PALMER DIVIDE AND LOWER AR RIVER VALLEY AROUND PUEBLO. A LOT OF THE WARMING WILL DEPEND UPON THE DEGREE OF CLOUD COVER AND AMOUNT OF INSOLATION THAT CAN OCCUR. THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SHOULD PROMOTE MIDLEVEL TEMPERATURES WARMING AND WILL INTENSIFY THE INVERSION ALOFT. HIGH RESOLUTION BUFKIT SOUNDING DATA SHOWS THE FAIRLY STRONG INVERSION DEVELOPING OVER COLORADO SPRINGS AND PUEBLO THROUGH THE DAY. THE SOUNDING DATA SUGGESTS THE STRATUS REMAINING OVER COLORADO SPRINGS THROUGH THE DAY AND THIS COULD BE REASONABLE GIVEN THE RELATIVELY LIGHT SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW PROJECTED FOR THE SOUTHERN PALMER DIVIDE. COS METAR COULD BE AROUND 30F WHILE IT IS CLOSE TO 40F ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO SPRINGS/LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF PIKES PEAK. THERE MIGHT EVEN BE SOME SPOTTY LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES AROUND THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY/COLORADO SPRINGS THIS MORNING. ALSO...PUEBLO COULD POSSIBLY CONTINUE A LIGHT WIND WITH THE COLD AIR TRAPPED. IF THE CLOUD COVER THICKENS UP AND WINDS REMAIN RELATIVELY LIGHT...THEN COS AND PUB COULD ONLY GET INTO THE 20S INSTEAD OF THE 30S. THE 06Z/24 12KM NAM-WRF HAS COS AND PUB 3-HOURLY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 24F COS AND 28F PUB. TOUGH CALL. LOCATIONS THAT SEE THE WIND PICKING UP AND CLOSER TO THE INVERSION...NEAR THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF I-25 CORRIDOR...SHOULD SEE TEMPERATURES WARM NICELY WITH THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WIND. METZE .LONG TERM... (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ...SNOW FOR THE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY MORNING...THEN AGAIN STARTING SUNDAY... FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...NAM AND GFS MODELS ARE CONSISTENT IN KEEPING THE UPPER LOW JUST OFF THE CA COAST THROUGH SAT. AFTER THE INITIAL DISTURBANCE EXITS THE REGION FRI MORNING...TEMPORARY RIDGING TAKES PLACE AND PROVIDES A BRIEF BREAK WITH DRY CONDITIONS AND WARMER TEMPS. THEREFORE...ONGOING HAZARD GRID LOOKS REASONABLE WITH SIG SNOWS ENDING BY MIDDAY FRIDAY...BUT WARMED TEMPS FOR THE CWA FRI AFTN AND SAT...AS WELL AS CUT BACK POPS A BIT. ISOLATED THREAT WILL PERSIST FOR THE CENT MTS...OTHERWISE EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS. SUNDAY AND MONDAY...LATE SAT NIGHT AND OVERNIGHT INTO SUN THE UPPER LOW IS FORECAST TO OPEN UP AND MOVE ONSHORE...PUSHING THE MOISTURE PLUME UP ACROSS AZ AND THE 4 CORNERS INTO COLORADO. NAM IS ABOUT 6 TO 12 HRS QUICKER IN THE ONSET OF PCPN ACROSS THE CONTDVD SUN MORNING...BUT BY MIDDAY SUNDAY ALL THE MODELS INDICATE A PCPN BULLSEYE FOR THE SW MTS. THIS CONTINUES THROUGH MONDAY...AND ACTUALLY GFS SHOWS THE 170 KT UPPER JET LAYING RIGHT ACROSS THE SW MTS EARLY MON MORNING. IF THIS TREND CONTINUES IN THE MODEL SOLUTIONS...HIGHLIGHTS WILL NEED TO BE ISSUED ONCE AGAIN FOR AT LEAST THE CONTDVD. MILD...BREEZY AND ESSENTIALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR THE E PLAINS. LATE MON NIGHT THE TROUGH AXIS PASSES EAST ACROSS THE CWA...WITH COLDER NW FLOW THEN SETTLING IN. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...NW FLOW FOR THE FORECAST AREA INITIALLY... THEN TRANSITIONING TO A MORE WESTERLY FLOW WITH A HINT OF ANOTHER DISTURBANCE ALOFT FOR WED. THIS FAR OUT...SEE NO NEED TO STRAY FROM THE ONGOING PATTERN OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS FOR THE MTS...ESPECIALLY THE CONTDVD...WHILE WARMER AND MAINLY DRY FOR THE PLAINS. MOORE && .AVIATION... PER SHORT TERM DISCUSSION...FOR ALS..VFR CEILINGS WITH SNOW SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 12Z/25. FOR COS...MVFR CEILINGS WILL LIKELY PERSIST...WITH A FEW FLURRIES 6-7SM -SN AND RELATIVELY LIGHT SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE WINDS...THROUGH 00Z/25 AND BECOMING VFR AFTER 00Z/25. FOR PUB...VFR CEILINGS AND RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 12Z/25. METZE && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ068. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ060-066-067. && 17/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 345 PM MST WED JAN 23 2008 COZ058>089-093>099-242245- 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- 345 PM MST WED JAN 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A VERY STRONG SUBTROPICAL JET STREAM AND WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH COLORADO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING MOIST SOUTHWEST WINDS TO THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WITH SNOWFALL IN EXCESS OF A FOOT BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...INCLUDING WOLF CREEK PASS. LIGHTER AMOUNTS...IN THE 4 TO 10 INCH RANGE...ARE FORECAST FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...INCLUDING THE MONARCH PASS AREA. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH THIS STORM. WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD BECOME HAZARDOUS FOR TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES AND BACK COUNTRY FROM LATE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER POTENTIAL SNOW MAKER...MAINLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN FOR MUCH OF THE MOUNTAINS OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD BAGAIN BECOME HAZARDOUS FOR TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES AND BACK COUNTRY FROM LATE SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 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, January 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: 76432.