A Spring storm produced heavy snow in the southwest mountains, with over 8 inches across the higher terrain.
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 Spring storm produced heavy snow in the southwest mountains, with over 8 inches across the higher terrain.
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 Apr 14, 2:23 PM MST, 11 hours 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
323 PM MDT TUE APR 14 2009
.SHORT TERM...
(TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY)
CURRENTLY...EXTENSIVE HIGH LEVEL CLOUDINESS AHEAD OF DEVELOPING
WESTERN U.S. UPPER LOW TEMPERING WARMING SOMEWHAT....THOUGH DEEPER
MIXING LAST HOUR HAS ALLOWED TEMPS AND WINDS TO INCREASE OVER THE
FAR EAST AND ALONG THE NM BORDER. RADAR MOSAIC SUGGESTS A FEW
SHOWERS/SPRINKLES OVER THE MOUNTAINS...WITH BEST COVERAGE MAINLY
NORTH OF I-70. HAVE YET TO SEE A LIGHTNING STRIKE OUT OF ANY
ACTIVITY OVER THE STATE...AS INSTABILITY ISNT DEEP ENOUGH TO
SUSTAIN CONVECTION.
TONIGHT...FEW SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY THIS
EVENING...WITH BEST CHANCE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. REMOVED
MENTION OF THUNDER...AS INSTABILITY IS WEAK. STEADIER SNOW BEGINS
OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS MAINLY AFTER SUNRISE AS UPPER LOW IS
VERY SLOW TO MOVE EAST...SO WILL HOLD OFF ON STARTING THE WINTER
STORM WARNING UNTIL 12Z. CLOUDS AND BREEZES SHOULD KEEP MIN TEMPS
FAIRLY MILD...WITH MOST LOWER ELEVATIONS (PLAINS AND VALLEYS)
STAYING ABOVE FREEZING.
WEDNESDAY...UPPER LOW SLOWLY OOZES EASTWARD ACROSS THE GREAT
BASIN...WITH INCREASINGLY DIFFLUENT SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER
COLORADO. WILL UPGRADE THE WINTER STORM WATCH TO A WARNING OVER THE
SAN JUANS/LA GARITAS...WITH MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPING.
SATELLITE SUGGESTS AT LEAST SOME MARGINAL SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE WITH
THIS SYSTEM...WHICH MAY ENHANCE SNOWFALL RATES. WILL SEE SOME SNOW
OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS BY AFTERNOON...BUT WITH FLOW REMAINING
SOUTHERLY...OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT IS LACKING AND WILL REFRAIN FROM
ANY HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS POINT. FARTHER EAST...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
RETURN BEGINS OVER THE PLAINS AS STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS
DEVELOP...ALLOWING DEWPOINTS TO CREEP UPWARD INTO THE 40S ALONG THE
KANSAS BORDER BY LATE AFTERNOON. LIFTED INDICES ACROSS THE AREA
SOLIDLY BELOW ZERO...WITH SOME POCKETS OF MINUS 4C OVER THE PLAINS.
CAPES STILL NOT LARGE...THOUGH A FEW LOCATIONS ON THE PLAINS CLIMB
ABOVE 500 J/KG BY 00Z. 0-6KM SHEARS START ON THE LOW SIDE (30-40
KNOTS) THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN SLOWLY INCREASE TOWARD 50
KNOTS AFTER 00Z. MODELS ALL BREAK OUT PRECIP OVER MUCH OF THE AREA
IN THE AFTERNOON...THUS LOW POPS FOR TSRA LOOK WARRANTED. SEVERE
THREAT LOOKS FAIRLY LOW...GIVEN MARGINAL CAPE AND SHEAR. BREEZY TO
WINDY MOST AREAS BY AFTERNOON AS PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS...WITH
DEEP MIXING PRODUCING ANOTHER DAY OF WARM MAX TEMPS. --ETP
.LONG TERM...
(WED NITE - TUESDAY)
**** SIGNIFICANT STORM LIKELY TO AFFECT AREA ****
.... CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER THURSDAY AFTERNOON OVER EASTERN
PLAINS WITH LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE...
.... HEAVY WET SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS THE E FACING SLOPES OF THE
S MTNS AND I-25 CORRIDOR...INCLUDING ALL OF COLORADO SPRINGS
AND POSSIBLY PUEBLO....
.... HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE EASTERN PLAINS...
SIMULATIONS THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON CONTINUE
TO SHOW A SIGNIFICANT STORM WILL AFFECT THE REGION DURING THE
FIRST HALF OF THIS PERIOD. THIS STORM COULD BRING SEVERE WEATHER
TO THE EASTERN PLAINS...HEAVY WET SNOWS TO THE MTNS AND I-25
CORRIDOR AND POTENTIALLY HEAVY RAINS TO PARTS OF THE E PLAINS.
BY 12Z THURSDAY...LOW WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE 4 CORNERS.
WELL DEFINED DRY LINE WILL BE SET UP OVER THE FAR EASTERN
PLAINS...AND WITH COLDER AIR MOVING IN ALOFT PROBABILITY OF SVR
CONVECTION WILL BE GREATER. THIS ASSUMPTION IS BASED ON THE
DRYLINE REMAINING IN COLORADO (AND THIS SHOULD HAPPEN GIVEN THE
UPPER LOW WILL STILL LIKELY BE OVER THE 4 CORNERS REGION DUE TO
ITS SLOW MOVEMENT). IF IT REMAINS OVER THE FCST AREA...THEN
INSTABILITY WILL BECOME RATHER LARGE EAST OF THE BOUNDARY. STRONG
SHEAR WILL BE IN PLACE AND WE WILL HAVE A LOW END TORNADO THREAT
OVER THE FAR E PLAINS. SPC HAS FAR EASTERN SE CO PLAINS OUTLOOKED
IN DAY3 PRODUCT. AS FOR SNOW...BEST CHANCE WILL BE OVER THE C
MTNS. QPF FIELDS ALONG WITH OROGRAPHIC FORCING DID NOT LOOK ALL
THAT IMPRESSIVE...SO DID NOT ISSUE ANY HIGHLIGHTS FOR NOW. WE WILL
EVENTUALLY NEED WINTER WX HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE C MTNS.
BY 12Z FRIDAY...LOW IS FCST TO BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CO/NM
BORDER. SOME GUIDANCE HAS IT OVER FAR NW NM WHILE OTHER S HAVE IT
OVER FAR NE NM. IN EITEHR CASE...WINDS AS 700 WILL SHIFT TO THE NE
BY LATER FRIDAY MORNING AND THIS WILL ALLOW PRECIP TO DEVELOP OVER
THE S MTNS/ADJ I-25 CORRIDOR. THIS PRECIP WILL SPREAD OUT ONTO THE
EASTERN PLAINS AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. THIS PRECIP COULD BECOME
QUITE HEAVY.
THERE IS SOME DISCREPENCY WITH THE 500 MB LOW TRACK DURING FRIDAY.
GFS MOVES THE SYSTEM TO EXTRM SE CO BY 00Z SAT...THE EC HAS IT N OF
KLHX...THE 12Z NAM HAS IT OVER EXTRM NE NM WHILE THE NEW 18Z NAM
ALSO HAS IT OVER NE NM (GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN HAS IT MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST OVER SE CO). ALL OF THESE TRACKS INDICATE THAT THE
PALMER DIVIDE ALONG WITH THE OTHER S MTNS WILL GET HAMMERED BY
THIS EVENT (THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY TRUE IF THE NAM DOES VERIFY).
EXAMINATION OF 700 MB WIND FIELDS OFF THE NAM AND GFS SHOW 40-55
KNT NE WINDS ALONG WITH COLD AIR DAMMING ALONG THE S MTNS. IF THIS
COMES TO FRUITION...VERY HEAVY WET SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE PIKES PEAK REGION...AND THE E FACING SLOPES OF THE WET AND
SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. THIS HEAVY SNOW...IF THE NAM IS
CORRECT...IS FCST TO OCCUR IN COLORADO SPRINGS PROPER...AND
POSSIBLY EVEN PUEBLO DEPENDING ON HOW FAR E THE COLD AIR DAMMING
EXTENDS OUT ON THE PLAINS. IT IS POSSIBLE THIS COULD BE THE
HEAVIEST SNOW THAT THE CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS RECIEVES THIS
YEAR.
HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THE PLAINS...ESPECIALLY N OF HIGHWAY
50...ON FRIDAY AND INTO FRIDAY NIGHT AND POSSIBLY SATURDAY. QPF
GUDIANCE WAS SHOWING 2-4 OF PRECIP OVER A WIDE AREA. IT HAS BEEN
VERY DRY OF LATE...BUT I AM A BIT CONCERNED THAT WE COULD HAVE SOME
HYDROLOGICAL ISSUES IF THE RAIN COMES IN QUICK AND HEAVY ENOUGH.
WITHOUT SAYING...THESE COMPUTER SIMULATIONS ARE A BIT DIFFERNT
THEN WHAT GUIDANCE WAS SHOWING THIS TIME YDAY (ESPECIALLY AT 700
MB)...AS YDAYS RUN HAD A LARGE BUT FILLING 700 MB LOW OVER THE
AREA DURING THE FRIDAY TIME PD. AS MENTIONED TO ME DURING THE
MORNING SHIFT CHANGE...IT IS LIKELY THAT THE SUBTROPICAL JET IS
HAVING MORE OF AN INFLUENCE WITH THIS SYSTEM. IN ADDITION...IT IS
ALSO KNOWN THAT THE MODELS WEAKEN CUTOFFS TOO QUICKLY...AND THIS
MAY BE THE CASE IN THIS SITUATION.
I SHOULD MENTION THAT THE CURRENT DIGITAL DATABASE THAT I WILL BE
SENDING OUT AT 3 PM HAS MARGINAL BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL OF
EL PASO COUNTY FOR FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY
OF THE TRACK...I DID NOT ISSUE ANY WINTER WX HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE
PLAINS. /HODANISH
&&
.AVIATION...
ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT...WITH STEADIER
PRECIP DEVELOPING OVER THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS TOWARD MORNING. TAF
SITES WILL REMAIN VFR THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH WINDS
DIMINISHING THIS EVENING. ON WEDNESDAY...SNOW ALONG THE
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD IFR
CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SAN JUANS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
ARE POSSIBLE OVER MOST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...THOUGH
MOST STORMS WILL BE HIGH BASED...WITH A THREAT OF GUSTY AND
ERRATIC WINDS. SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE AND BECOME GUSTY...OVER
20 KNOTS MOST AREAS...BY LATE MORNING.
&&
.PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM WEDNESDAY TO 6 AM MDT THURSDAY
FOR COZ066-068.
&&
10/34HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 803 PM MDT TUE APR 14 2009 COZ058>089-093>099-151415- 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- 803 PM MDT TUE APR 14 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A MAJOR EARLY SPRING STORM IS FORECAST TO AFFECT THE REGION STARTING WEDNESDAY AND LAST INTO SATURDAY. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING SEVERE WEATHER...VERY HEAVY SNOW AND HEAVY RAINS TO THE REGION. FOR WEDNESDAY...HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 8 AND 16 INCHES. OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS...CONDITIONS WILL BECOME FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS. ONE OR TWO OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL. FOR THURSDAY...WIDESPREAD STEADY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE. ON THE EASTERN PLAINS...A WELL DEFINED DRY LINE WILL DEVELOP. THIS DRYLINE WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. DUE TO THE STRONG LOW LEVEL SHEAR AND INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...A TORNADO OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. ON FRIDAY...AS THE MAJOR LOW PUSHES OUT ONTO THE PLAINS...THE WINDS IN THE LOW LEVELS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST. HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR BY MID MORNING...AND PUSH OUT ONTO THE EASTERN PLAINS BY EARLY AFTERNOON. AT THIS TIME...THE SNOW RAIN LINE MAY BE AS LOW AS 5500 FEET. THIS MEANS THAT HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA...AND SNOW MAY OCCUR IN PUEBLO. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW...STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK REGION. IF THE COMPUTER SIMULATIONS RUN TUESDAY AFTERNOON ARE CORRECT...THEN THIS COULD BE THE HEAVIEST SNOW FALL TO OCCUR IN THE PIKES PEAK REGION THIS YEAR. ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY...THE HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE GREATER I-25 CORRIDOR IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THE EASTERN PLAINS EAST OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY OF THE TRACK OF THIS STORM...HOWEVER...DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SEVERITY OF THIS MAJOR WEATHER SYSTEM...ALL PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS MEETING REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. 27/06
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 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2009
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: 166602, 166603.