San Isabel and Rye.
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.
Deep...moist northeast upslope flow produced areas of heavy snow including 6 inches near Colorado City...Cuchara and Buena Vista...and around 8 inches at Beulah...San Isabel and Rye.
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 Mar 16, 2:01 PM MST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 301 PM MDT SUN MAR 16 2008 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND TOMORROW) ...EXTREMELY COMPLEX WX NEXT 24H... CURRENTLY...PRECIP BEGINNING TO BREAK OUT ACROSS AREA WITH A MIX OF SNOW...FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN. MOST OF THE FREEZING PRECIP ACROSS EL PASO COUNTY. NOT MUCH GOING ON ACROSS THE MTNS ATTM. TEMPS ACROSS THE PLAINS HAVE REMAINED QUITE COOL...WITH MANY AREAS AT OR BELOW FREEZING WITH A WARM POCKET EXISTING FROM KTAD-KLHX (40-50F). EXTREMELY COMPLEX PATTERN OVER THE AREA ATTM WITH FREEZING RAIN...RAIN AND SNOW FALLING. LATEST GUIDANCE INDICATES A DOUBLE WHAMMY WITH THIS SYSTEM AS PRECIP WILL BE INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE EVENING. IT MAY LET UP FOR AWHILE LATER TONIGHT AND THEN REDEVELOP AS THE 700 MB LOW (WHICH IS FCST TO TRACK OVER RIGHT OVER THE REGION) MOVES TO OUR EAST. ONCE IT DOES MOVE TO OUR EAST...THE STRONGER N WINDS WILL DEVELOP AND THAT IS WHEN THE BLOWING SNOW WILL LIKELY HIT THE PALMER DIVIDE AND PIKES PEAK REGION. AS FOR THE PLAINS...TEMPS NOW AT FREEZING. I DO BELIEVE TEMPS WILL VERY SLOWLY INCREASE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS WITH LOWS HOVERING AROUND 35. MY MAIN CONCERN IS IF ANY INTENSE PRECIP DEVELOPS THE PRECIP COULD GO OVER TO A VARIETY...INCLUDING FREEZING RAIN AND EVEN HEAVY SNOW IF TSRA DEVELOP (WHICH IT COULD DO GIVEN THE INTENSE WAA WHICH IS FCST TO BE OVER THE AREA TONIGHT. FOR NOW I HAVE A MIX OUT THERE. I ALSO DO NOT HAVE ANY HILITES BUT IF THINGS REALLY PICK UP PRECIP-WISE WE MAY NEED SOME FREEZING PRECIP HILITES. AS FOR THE MTNS TONIGHT...STRONG INTENSE +VV AND LAPSE RATES SHOULD ALLOW FOR PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW OVER THE MTNS...SO BELIEVE CURRENT HILITES SHOULD WORK OUT. I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE VERY VARIABLE SNOWFALL GIVEN THE CONVECTION. SPEAKING OF CONVECTION...I WOULD NOT RULE OUT A TSRA ANYWHERE IN THE CWA TONIGHT AS THIS THING GOES BY. FOR TOMORROW...THINGS WILL GET REALLY ACTIVE ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK REGION AS THE 700 LOW MOVES EAST. CURRENT GUIDANCE HAS THIS THING LIFTING OUT PRETTY QUICKLY AND NOT INTENSIFYING...SO I DO NOT EXPECT IT TO GET TOO BAD (I.E. NOT A BLIZZARD). FOR NOW I HAVE THE STORM ENDING AROUND NOON TOMORROW...BUT THIS MAY BE A BIT PREMATURE. I WILL ALLOW LATER SHIFTS TO ADJUST. ONE THING I AM CONCERNED ABOUT FOR LATER TOMORROW IS THE DRY SLOT WHICH MAY REALLY SHUT THINGS DOWN BY LATE MORNING. WE WILL SEE. HODANISH .LONG TERM... (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) MUCH OF FOCUS TODAY HAS BEEN ON SHORT TERM WEATHER...SO DISCUSSION WILL BE BRIEF. UPPER TROF MOVES BY MONDAY NIGHT WITH PRECIPITATION WANING ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE EVENING HOURS. CLEARING SKIES MON NIGHT SETS UP THE AREA FOR A COLD NIGHT...ESP OVER AREAS WITH FRESH SNOWPACK. FLOW ALOFT GRADUALLY BECOMES MORE ZONAL THROUGH MID WEEK WITH PERIODIC SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW. TIMING OF THESE WILL BE DIFFICULT...WITH GFS INDICATING ONE MOVING ACROSS NRN CO WED NIGHT...THEN ANOTHER ON THURS. THESE WILL MAINLY BRING BOUTS OF SNOW TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH A RETURN OF MILDER TEMPS WILL BE THE MAIN WEATHER STORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. THE NEXT UPPER TROF MAY MOVE THROUGH DURING THE FRIDAY NIGHT/SAT TIME FRAME. 12Z GFS HAS COME IN MUCH STRONGER WITH THIS TROF DIGGING ACROSS CO IN NW FLOW ALOFT. ECMWF IS WEAKER AND SLOWER...BUT ALSO DIGS THE SYSTEM SOUTHWARD ON A SLIGHTLY MORE EASTWARD TRACK THROUGH THE PLAINS. GIVEN UNCERTAINTIES...WILL MAKE FEW CHANGES TO EXTENDED...THOUGH MAY BUMP UP POPS A BIT ACROSS THE PLAINS FOR SAT/SAT NIGHT. -KT && .AVIATION...MAJOR IMPACT EVENT FOR KCOS AND LESSER FOR KPUB. KCOS WILL LIKELY SEE IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THIS EVENT. SUSTAINED UPSLOPE WILL KEEP VERY LOW CLOUDS OVER THE KCOS AREA INTO LATE TONIGHT. ONCE WINDS SHIFT AROUND TO NORTH...THEY WILL INCREASE TO 20-30 KNOTS FROM THE NORTH. CIGS MAY COME UP A BIT...BUT THEN THE SNOW WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN. IT MAY NOT BE UNTIL TOMORROW AFTERNOON UNTIL THINGS CLEAR OUT FOR KCOS. FOR KPUB...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE FOG AND LOW CLOUDS. THE DOWNSLOPE TOMORROW MORNING SHOULD CLEAR THINGS OUT SOMEWHAT WITH MVFR CONDITIONS BY MID MORNING. KALS...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE GUSTY SYNOPTIC WINDS AND CONVECTIVE RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS UNTIL THE LOW MOVES THROUGH. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 12 PM MDT MONDAY FOR COZ058>060-066-068. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM MDT MONDAY FOR COZ072-073- 076>084. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 12 PM MDT MONDAY FOR COZ074- 075-085>087. && 34/31
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1204 PM MDT SUN MAR 16 2008 COZ058>089-093>099-171815- 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- 1204 PM MDT SUN MAR 16 2008 ...WINTER STORM TO BRING HEAVY SNOW TO PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AS A WINTER STORM APPROACHES THE AREA BRINGING INCREASING MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. EVEN A RUMBLE OF THUNDER WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE MORE INTENSE SNOW SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING...PRODUCING SNOWFALL RATES OF UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR IN LOCAL AREAS. HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THIS AREA THROUGH THE MORNING ON MONDAY. FOG AND PATCHY DRIZZLE AND FREEZING DRIZZLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS WILL GIVE WAY TO INCREASING RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO AROUND 5000 FEET OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING THROUGH AROUND MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS. A BRIEF LULL IN THE RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR AFTER MIDNIGHT AS DRIER AIR BRIEFLY MOVES OVER THE REGION. ONE OR TWO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS BACA COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE HAIL TO NEAR 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER...AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AGAIN ACROSS THE REGION EARLY MONDAY MORNING...WITH THE FOCUS FOR THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACROSS PIKES PEAK ...NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY...THE WET MOUNTAINS...AND FREMONT COUNTY. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS BY MID DAY ON MONDAY WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. PIKES PEAK AND TELLER COUNTY...NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY...FREMONT COUNTY...THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...AND THE WET MOUNTAINS AND WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY WILL SEE 6 TO 12 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTHEAST FACING SLOPES. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY...PUEBLO COUNTY...HUERFANO COUNTY...AND THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS WILL BE HIGHLY VARIABLE WITH ACCUMULATIONS RANGING FROM AROUND AN INCH ON GRASSY SURFACES AT TIMES ACROSS EASTERN PUEBLO COUNTY INCLUDING THE CITY OF PUEBLO...TO AROUND 2 TO 6 INCHES NEAR THE MOUNTAINS FOR LOCATIONS SUCH AS COLORADO SPRINGS...WALSENBURG...AND TRINIDAD. THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS WILL PRIMARILY OCCUR ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN WEST OF INTERSTATE 25. THE SNOW WILL CLEAR OUT OF THE AREA BY MONDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER WINTER STORM COULD IMPACT THE REGION NEXT FRIDAY OR SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY OVER THE MOUNTAINS TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS BACA COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON.
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, March 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: 87287, 87288.