Chaffee and Mineral Counties. especially northern sections of El Paso County.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Heavy snow occurred...mainly over higher elevations of Lake...Chaffee and Mineral Counties. In addition to the snow...high winds were noted over portions of the I-25 corridor...especially northern sections of El Paso County. Some of the heavy snow amounts include over 8 inches across most of Lake County...16 inches on Monarch Pass (Chaffee County)...and 27 inches on the summite of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral 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 Dec 11, 3:36 PM MST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 336 PM MST FRI DEC 11 2009 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND SATURDAY) ...SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE NEXT 24 HOURS... UPPER DISTURBANCE VISIBLE IN SATELLITE PICTURES MOVING THROUGH UTAH AND ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON WILL MOVE THROUGH COLORADO THIS EVENING...EVENTUALLY KICKING OFF SOME SNOW SHOWERS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. RADAR SHOWS SOME LIGHT SHOWERS BEGINNING TO SPREAD INTO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE AT THIS TIME. THESE SHOULD WORK EASTWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND INCREASE WITH TIME. SYSTEM COMING THROUGH IS PRETTY FRAGMENTED AND MOISTURE DEFICIENT. SO...NOT EXPECTING A WHOLE LOT OF SNOWFALL OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. RIGHT NOW...LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 2-4 INCHES ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...ESPECIALLY THE HIGHER TERRAIN ABOVE 10000 FEET. LITTLE...IF ANY...OF THIS MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO MAKE IT FARTHER EAST. SO...GENERALLY DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY MILDER TODAY THAN YESTERDAY. SHORTLY AFTER NOON TODAY...THE TEMPERATURE AT THE PUEBLO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE ROSE ABOVE FREEZING FOR THE 1ST TIME IN THE PAST 5 DAYS. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE CASE UP AND DOWN THE I-25 CORRIDOR...AND OUT ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE AND RATON RIDGE WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE PRESENTLY RANGING FROM THE MID 30S TO MID 40S. THE UPPER ARKANSAS AND WET MOUNTAIN VALLEYS ARE ALSO ABOVE FREEZING...GENERALLY IN THE MID 30S TO MID 40S FROM THE BUENA VISTA AREA SOUTHWARD TO CANON CITY. THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...AND MOST OF THE PLAINS EAST OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR ARE STILL GENERALLY BELOW FREEZING. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO MODERATE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SO...TONIGHT WILL BE MILDER THAN LAST AND TOMORROW WILL DEFINITELY FEEL NICE. READINGS BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON SHOULD BE ABOVE FREEZING JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE EXCEPT OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. A FEW AREAS ACROSS THE PLAINS WILL APPROACH 50 DEGREES. LW .LONG TERM... (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...LONGWAVE TROUGH CONTINUES ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH A VERY HEALTHY MOISTURE FEED STREAMING INTO UTAH AND WESTERN CO. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WITH EMBEDDED DISTURBANCES HINTS AT BRISK AND GUSTY WINDS FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN AS WELL. MODELS ARE INDICATING THAT THERE WILL BE AT LEAST A 24 HR PERIOD OF SUSTSAINED LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTDVD. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MODEL QPF...THEN HALVING IT...THERE STILL IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION FOR THESE AREAS BEGINNING MIDNIGHT SAT NIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH SUN EVENING. THEREFORE...THIS POTENTIAL COUPLED WITH THE FORECAST WINDS...LED TO THE ISSUANCE OF A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THESE AREAS. EXACT SNOW AMOUNTS ARE STILL QUESTIONABLE...BUT THERE IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME TO FINE TUNE THE FORECAST GRIDS AND SEE WHAT SORT OF UPDATED HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE NEEDED. CURRENTLY...THE HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS ARE PROBABLE DURING THE DAY SUNDAY. AS FOR THE PLAINS...FEEL THAT THE PREDOMINANT DOWNSLOPE FLOW SHOULD WARM THINGS NICELY ON SUN AND KEEP IT DRY. AS FOR MONDAY...SFC COLD FRONT DROPS DOWN THE PALMER DVD NEAR MIDDAY...SO WHILE THE I25 CORRIDOR MIGHT SEE MAX TEMPS IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S...THE FAR EAST WILL PROBABLY COOL QUICKER AS THE COLD POOL SAGS IN. MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...COOLER TEMPS IN PLACE ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH TUESDAY DUE TO THE SFC FRONT DROPPING DOWN MIDDAY MONDAY. BY WED...NEARLY ZONAL FLOW SETTLES IN THEN TRANSITIONS TO A MORE NW DIRECTION ALOFT AS THE NEXT RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE DESERT SW. DRY AND GRADUAL WARMING EXPECTED WED THRU FRI. MOORE && .AVIATION... AREAS OF LIFR CIGS AND VSBYS CAN BE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY. FARTHER EAST...THERE COULD BE SOME ISOLATED MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. ELSEWHERE... CONDITIONS SHOULD REMAIN VFR THROUGH SATURDAY. LW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR COZ058>061-063-064-066-068. && 50/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 840 AM MST FRI DEC 11 2009 COZ058>089-093>099-121545- 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- 840 AM MST FRI DEC 11 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL MOVE INTO THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TONIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BY SATURDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE SATURDAY. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. A STRONGER STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING AND WILL BRING A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL TO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH MONDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND SAWATCH RANGE. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF A FOOT OR MORE...PARTICULARLY OVER SOUTHWESTERN SLOPES AND ELEVATIONS ABOVE 10000 FEET. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TONIGHT. 14/44/50
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm, 1 high wind. 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, December 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: 206671, 206669, 206673.