An upper level disturbance brought abundant moisture to the higher elevations of the central mountains, yielding over 8 inches of snow.
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance brought abundant moisture to the higher elevations of the central mountains, yielding over 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 Mar 22, 3:09 PM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 409 PM MDT SUN MAR 22 2009 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND MONDAY) MAIN CONCERN IS WINDS. CURRENTLY...CAA ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG SHORT WAVE IS MOVING INTO NW CO ATTM. CLOUDS ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING THIS REGION AND CG STRIKES ARE STARTING TO INCREASE OVER THE GREAT BASIN. OVER OUR REGION...SOME THICK HI CLOUDS HAVE REMAINED OVER THE FAR E PLAINS A BIT LONGER THAN I THOUGHT THEY WOULD...HOWEVER TEMPS STILL ROCKETED UP INTO THE UPPER 70S (KLAA 77 @ 2 PM). RH VALUES ARE BELOW 15% IN THE RED FLAGE WARNING AREA...BUT WINDS HAVE BEEN A BIT LACKLUSTER SO FAR. STRONGEST WINDS HAVE BEEN ALONG THE RATON MESA. TONIGHT...VERY DYNAMIC SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TOWARDS AREA. UNFORTUNATELY FOR MOST OF OUR REGION...THE DYNAMICAL FORCING WHICH WILL PRODUCE THE NEEDED LIFT FOR PRECIP WILL MAINLY BE TO THE N OF OUR REGION. HOWEVER...SUFFICIENT FORCING (BOTH DYNAMIC AND OROGRAPHIC) FOR HEAVY SNOWS ALONG THE CONTDVD WILL OCCUR...AND EXPECT SNOWS TO QUICKLY PICK UP THIS EVENING ACROSS THE ABOVE MENTIONED REGION. THE HEAVIEST SNOWS ACROSS THE SW MTNS WILL OCCUR TONIGHT AND WILL TAPER OFF TOMORROW. HOWEVER...LAGGING TROUGHIENESS OVER THE SW CONUS WILL LIKELY KEEP SOME SNOW GOING...ESPECIALLY OVER THE W SLOPES OF THE SW MTNS. FOR THE C MTNS...PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW AND WIND WILL KEEP UP THROUGH THE NIGHT. AS FOR THE PLAINS TONIGHT...WINDS WILL BE MAIN CONCERN. STRONGEST PART OF MID LVL JET WILL COME ACROSS TONIGHT...SO EXPECT SFC WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF HUERFANO/W LAS ANIMAS COUNTY...WILL KEEP UP THROUGH THE NIGHT. TEMPS ONCE AGAIN WILL BE MILD TONIGHT AND EXPECT LOWS IN THE 30S AND 40S. MONDAY...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE INCREASING WINDS OVER THE PLAINS. INTENSE SFC LOW WILL BE OVER FAR NE CO AND WILL MOVE ONLY SLOWLY NE THROUGH THE DAY. WITH LAPSE RATES AOA 8-9 C/KM OVER OUR AREA...GOOD MIXING WILL OCCUR. CAA WILL BE ONGOING THROUGHOUT THE DAY...BUT WITH INTENSE DOWNSLOPE...TEMPS SHOULD BE RATHER MILD WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S MOST AREAS. GIVEN THE MAX TEMPS AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS...WENT WITH ANOTHER FIRE WX WATCH FOR TOMORROW. ALTHOUGH I AM CONFIDENT WINDS WILL REACH CRITERIA (>25 KNOTS)...RH VALUES MAY BE PROBLEMATIC AND NOT REACH THE 15% CRITERIA. IT IS THIS REASON THAT I WENT WITH A WATCH AND NOT A WARNING. FOR THE MTNS...SNOWS SHOULD BE CONTINUING ACROSS THE C MTNS IN THE NW FLOW. EXPECT AT LEAST A FOOT OR MORE ACROSS THE NW SLOPES OF THE C MTNS. AS MENTIONED ABOVE...SNOW MAY CONTINUE OVER THE SW MTNS THROUGH THE DAY AS 2NDRY TROUGH LAGS BEHIND. LAPSE RATES CONTINUE IN THE 7-8C RANGE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND DUE WESTERLY FLOW SHOULD ALLOW THE SNOW TO CONTINUE. /HODANISH .LONG TERM... (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) A RATHER ACTIVE PATTERN IN STILL ANTICIPATED FOR THE CWA DURING THE LONG TERM(ESPECIALLY BY LATE WEEK) WITH POPS AND TEMPERATURES THE PRIMARY METEOROLOGICAL ISSUES. LATEST COMPUTER MODELS SUGGEST THAT CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER NORTH-CENTRAL NEBRASKA AT 06Z MONDAY WILL SHIFT INTO MINNESOTA BY 06Z WEDNESDAY. CWA SHOULD NOTE GENERALLY COOL NORTHWEST TO ZONAL UPPER FLOW IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH GENERALLY LIGHT HIGHER ELEVATION SNOWS ANTICIPATED DURING THIS TIME-FRAME. GUSTY WINDS AT TIMES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY FAR EASTERN SECTIONS FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY EVENING. TEMPERATURES RUNNING SLIGHTLY BELOW LATE MARCH CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES ALSO ANTICIPATED FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. LONGER TERM MODELS FROM 12Z-18Z/22ND HAVE DIFFERING SOLUTIONS IN REGARDS TO TRACK OF NEXT SYSTEM THAT IMPACTS CWA. 12Z/22ND GFS PROJECTS THAT UPPER SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN IDAHO WEDNESDAY EVENING MOVES ACROSS COLORADO AS AN OPEN UPPER WAVE THURSDAY AND THEN INTO WISCONSIN BY 12Z SATURDAY...WHILE 12Z/22ND ECMWF HAS CLOSED LOW OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA BY 00Z FRIDAY BEFORE THIS CLOSED LOW MOVES INTO NORTHEASTERN COLORADO BY 12Z SATURDAY. FINALLY...18Z/22ND DGEX SUGGESTS THAT CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER NORTHERN NEVADA AT 06Z THURSDAY MOVES INTO WEST-CENTRAL COLORADO BY 00Z FRIDAY AND THEN INTO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO BY 12Z FRIDAY BEFORE MOVING INTO WESTERN OKLAHOMA BY 00Z SATURDAY. AT THIS TIME...AM LEANING TOWARDS THE DGEX SOLUTION...WHICH HAS TO POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SNOW TO THE EASTERN/SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR SINCE EARLY JANUARY OF 2009(THANKS IN PART TO THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW IN COMBINATION WITH HEALTHY 700 MB 30 TO 50 KNOT NORTHEAST WINDS FROM THURSDAY EVENING INTO FRIDAY MORNING. FOR NOW...HAVE INCREASED POPS FROM LATE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. WFO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SYSTEM CLOSELY. TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY PROJECTED TO RUN WELL BELOW LATE MARCH CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES. FINALLY...MORE TRANQUIL AND WARMER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL OVER THE REGION FROM SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY AS GENERALLY DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT RETURNS. && .AVIATION... THIS AVAITION AFD IS PRIMARILY FOR THE 3 TAF SITES...KCOS..KPUB AND KALS WHICH ARE IN THE NWS PUEBLO FCST AREA. VFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED NEXT 24 HOURS AT ALL 3 TAF SITES. THE MAIN CONCERN THIS PERIOD IS WINDS. EXPECTED BLIZZARD WELL TO THE N OF THE REGION WILL CAUSE STRONG NW WINDS OVER THE REGION TOMORROW. AT KCOS AND KPUB...WINDS TO SHIFT TO A MORE W TO NW COMPONENT SHORTLY BEFORE SUNRISE AND BECOMING GUSTY IN THE 25 TO 35 KNOT RANGE. WINDS SHOULD KEEP UP THROUGH THE DAYLIGHT HOURS TOMORROW. STRONGER WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER THE FAR E PLAINS TOMORROW. IT WILL BE DRY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ221-222- 225>237. FIRE WEATHER WATCH MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR COZ227>233-235-237. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT MONDAY FOR COZ058-060. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT MONDAY FOR COZ066-068. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 644 AM MDT SUN MAR 22 2009 COZ058>089-093>099-231245- 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- 644 AM MDT SUN MAR 22 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND EARLY THIS EVENING OVER THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS. WIND GUSTS IN THESE AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 25 TO 35 MPH AND RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH THE DRY VEGETATION WILL CREATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR ERRATIC FIRE BEHAVIOR AND RAPID RATES OF FIRE SPREAD IF A FIRE SHOULD START. SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE MOUNTAINS...AND POSSIBLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS FROM ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. IF STORMS DEVELOP NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER...THEY COULD ALSO PRODUCE HAIL AROUND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER. TONIGHT SNOW WILL INCREASE OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE BY MONDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY...WITH AN ADDITIONAL 4 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. ANOTHER QUICK MOVING UPPER DISTURBANCE IS FORECAST FOR TUESDAY NIGHT...POSSIBLY BRINGING MORE ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES. FURTHER OUT...A MORE SIGNIFICANT UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM COULD SWING ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS BY MIDWEEK...BRINGING MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND A BETTER CHANCE FOR SNOW FOR THE ENTIRE STATE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS MEETING REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING OVER KIOWA...PROWERS...AND BACA COUNTIES...AND WILL BE LIKELY OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TONIGHT. 28/27
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, March 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: 160662, 160663.