Colorado, 2008

Winter Storm in Colorado, November 29 to 30, 2008

November 29 to 30, 2008 · NWS PUB · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A storm system generated impressive snow amounts over northern El Paso County. Isolated heavier snow amounts were also seen in the Walsenburg and Trinidad areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.

A storm system generated impressive snow amounts over northern El Paso County. Isolated heavier snow amounts were also seen in the Walsenburg and Trinidad areas. Snow amounts in northern El Paso County totaled up to 21 inches in one part of the Black Forest...with more typical amounts from 10 to 15 inches in Palmer Lake...Monument...Air Force Academy...Black Forest...and Peyton areas.

What forecasters said that day

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 Nov 29, 3:43 PM MST, 6 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 29, 3:43 PM MST, 6 hours 17 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
343 PM MST SAT NOV 29 2008

.SHORT TERM...
(TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)

MAIN CONCERN IS THE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS
AND ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE.  WHILE PRECIPITATION INTENSITIES DO NOT
LOOK GREAT...THE COMBINATION OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL...WIND
AND DURATION ARE ENOUGH TO WARRANT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR
SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING.  NO GREAT DYNAMICS TO WORK WITH...BUT THE STRONG JET
OVERHEAD WILL PROVIDE A PERIOD OF PROLONGED OROGRAPHIC LIFT.
COUPLED WITH DECENT INSTABILITY AND WEAK DYNAMIC SUPPORT...WILL BE
ENOUGH TO SQUEEZE OUT AN INCH OR TWO EVERY 6 HOURS WHICH WOULD LEAD
TO ABOUT 4-10 INCHES TOTAL ACCUMULATION THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING.
THIS...COUPLED WITH BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH...POSSIBLY
GUSTING OVER 50 MPH AT TIMES ON SUNDAY...WILL LEAD TO AREAS OF
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES.

ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE...MOISTURE AND DEEP FORCING ARE
LACKING...BUT AGAIN THERE IS SOME PERSISTENT OROGRAPHIC ASCENT AND
WEAK DYNAMICS TO WORK WITH.  1 TO 4 INCHES NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION
BY SUNDAY EVENING.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED.
PRECIPITATION BANDING HAS LOOKED MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN IT IS AT TIMES
ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON.  SAW A BRIEF RAIN SHOWER
AT KLAA EARLIER...BUT THATS IT.  IN GENERAL...MOISTURE IS LACKING.
TEMPERATURE DEWPOINT SPREADS ARE RUNNING 10 DEGREES OR BETTER ACROSS
THE PLAINS.  SO...EVEN THOUGH THE RADAR IS GETTING SOME RETURNS OFF
ELEVATED PRECIPITATION...LITTLE OF THAT IS REACHING THE GROUND.
ALTHOUGH THE PROSPECTS FOR PRECIPITATION REACHING THE GROUND MAY
INCREASE A LITTLE OVERNIGHT WITH HIGHER RHS...SHOULD STILL BE
MOSTLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS IF ANY AT ALL.  WILL NEED TO WATCH THE
PLAINS FROM SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS INTO EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY
WHERE THE TERRAIN TURNS UPSLOPE.  PERHAPS THIS AREA HAS THE BEST
SHOT AT SOME ACCUMULATION. TEMPERATURES ARE A LITTLE BORDERLINE FOR
RAIN VS SNOW ACROSS THE PLAINS BUT WILL PROBABLY BE MOSTLY WET SNOW
AS WE MOVE INTO THE NIGHT TIME HOURS.

WITH A STRONG UPPER JET PASSING OVERHEAD...WINDS COULD BE PRETTY
BRISK ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS TOMORROW.  RIGHT NOW...LOOKS
LIKE SUSTAINED VALUES FROM THE NORTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH...WITH GUSTS
OVER 50 MPH POSSIBLE AT TIMES.  COULD EVEN BE SOME SUSTAINED WINDS
OVER 30 MPH.  I THINK WELL REMAIN BELOW WARNING LEVELS...BUT COULD
GET A FEW SPORADIC GUSTS THAT ARE CLOSE...ESPECIALLY ON THE PLAINS.

.LONG TERM...
(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)

TEMPS SHOULD REBOUND NICELY ON MON...AS THE UPPER RIDGE REBUILDS OVR
THE ROCKIES AND FLOW BEGINS TO BACK TO A MORE ZONAL DIRECTION. H7
TEMPS RISE TO THE 2-3 DEG RANGE OVR THE I-25 CORRIDOR...WHERE AFTERNOON
MAXES COULD FLIRT WITH 60 DEGREES F. WILL KEEP SOME LOW POPS OVR THE
NRN MTS EARLY MON...BUT THIS SHOULD CLEAR OUT BY THE AFTERNOON AND
CLEARING SKIES OVERNIGHT WILL LEAD TO A PRETTY CHILLY NIGHT AND MORN
IN THE MTS...ESPECIALLY THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE FRESH SNOW.

MAIN CONCERN IN THE EXTENDED WILL BE THE NEXT SYSTEM...WHICH ARRIVES
ON TUE. THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO BE A BIT DEEPER WITH THIS TROUGH...BUT
THERE IS REASONABLE AGREEMENT BETWN THE MODELS IN THE TIMING AND
STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM. HIGHEST POPS WILL BE OVER THE NRN MTN ZONES.
HAVE RAISED POPS ALONG WITH WFO GJT TO REFLECT A CHANCE OF SNOW OVR THE
NRN RANGES TUE NITE AND WED MORNING...AND POPS MAY HAVE TO BE RAISED
SOME MORE IN LATER FCST PACKAGES. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OVR THE
PLAINS TUE NITE...AND COULD BRING SOME LIGHT SHSN TO THE PALMER DVD
AND PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS. H7 FLOW LOOKS TO REMAIN FROM THE W OR
NW...SO AM NOT EXPECTING MUCH FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR AT THIS POINT.

SOME PRETTY COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MID-WEEK SYSTEM...MINUS
16 TO MINUS 20 DEG OVR NE CO...SO WILL SEE A COUPLE PRETTY CHILLY
DAYS FROM WED THRU THE END OF THE WEEK. THEN SHOULD SEE A GRADUAL
WARMING AS FLOW AGAIN SWINGS TO THE WEST. WILL CONTINUE LOW GRADE
POPS OVR THE DVD AND UPPER ARKANSAS...WHICH SHOULD SEE PERSISTENT
SHSN IN THE MOIST W-NW FLOW REGIME. ROSE

&&

.AVIATION...CONCERNS WOULD BE MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS ASSOCIATED WITH
ANY SNOW SHOWERS DRIFTING ACROSS KCOS.  KALS AND KPUB SHOULD MISS
THE SHOWERS.  LIFR CONDITIONS CAN CERTAINLY BE EXPECTED OVER THE
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE DUE TO SNOW SHOWERS.
WINDS WILL BE OF CONCERN TOMORROW IN ALL AREAS...WITH SUSTAINED
VALUES FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 15 TO 30 MPH...GUSTING OVER 50 MPH AT
TIMES. LW

&&

.PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST SUNDAY NIGHT FOR
COZ058>060.

&&

50/44
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 29, 12:51 PM MST, 9 hours 9 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1251 PM MST SAT NOV 29 2008

COZ058>089-093>099-302000-
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-
1251 PM MST SAT NOV 29 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST
CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND
ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE THROUGH TONIGHT. SCATTERED SNOW OR RAIN
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ELSEWHERE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS
THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...WITH TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO
10 INCHES EXPECTED. ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE...SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...WITH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF
1 TO 4 INCHES. SNOWFALL WILL END IN ALL AREAS BY MONDAY MORNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL
BE LIKELY THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ALONG
THE PALMER DIVIDE.

50/44

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft

When
November 29, 10:00 PM MST to November 30, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge / Rampart Range Below 7500 Ft forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.832, -104.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, November 2008

Sources

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: 142542.