A winter storm system generated heavy snow accumulations across portions of southern Colorado. and Wet mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 winter storm system generated heavy snow accumulations across portions of southern Colorado. General amounts in excess of 8 inches occurred across the eastern San Juan...La Garita...Sangre de Cristo...and Wet mountains. Isolated snow amounts of 6 to 8 inches occurred in and around Black Forest and the Air Force Academy (El Paso County). Widespread snow amounts of 6 to 8 inches included Thatcher...Trinchera...and Kim (Las Animas County) and Sheridan Lake (Kiowa County)...9 to 12 inches at Rye (Pueblo County)...14 inches at Beulah (Pueblo County)...16 inches at Cuchara (Huerfano County)...and finally...20 inches around the summit 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 Nov 13, 7:30 PM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 730 PM MST FRI NOV 13 2009 .UPDATE... UPDATED TO EXTEND WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES FOR WESTERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH TONIGHT. SHOULD STILL BE A BRIEF LULL IN THE ACTION ON SATURDAY...EXCEPT FOR THE EASTERN SAN JUANS WERE SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP SNOWFALL GOING THROUGH THE DAY. THEN SNOWFALL WILL INTENSIFY AGAIN AND SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT AS NEXT STORM SYSTEM DROPS INTO THE 4 CORNERS REGION AND MOVES EASTWARD. LATEST NAM SEEMS TO HAVE JOGGED THE UPPER LOW TRACK BACK TO THE SOUTH...WHICH LENDS CONFIDENCE IN THE PROBABILITY FOR ANOTHER HEAVY SNOW EVENT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. THUS HAVE ADDED LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTY TO THE WATCH FOR THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND I-25 CORRIDOR AS BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOWED ISENTROPIC LIFT SPREADING UP INTO THIS AREA SATURDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH SUNDAY. AS SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS NEW MEXICO INTO THE TX/OK PANHANDLES SHOULD SEE SNOW SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. EXACT LOCATION OF HEAVIER SNOW IS STILL SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN FOR THIS AREA...BUT IT IS HIGHLY POSSIBLE THAT NRN SLOPES OF THE RATON RIDGE WILL SEE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS...WITH ANOTHER AXIS OF HEAVY SNOW UNDER DEVELOPING TROWAL ACROSS THE PLAINS. SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE WATCHES GOING FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND THREAT IS POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE EASTERN PLAINS AS WELL...SEEMS PRUDENT TO GO AHEAD AND HOIST THE WATCH FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. STAY TUNED ON THIS DEVELOPING WINTER STORM. -KT && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 244 PM MST FRI NOV 13 2009/ SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND TOMORROW) ..MAIN CONCERN IS SNOW AMOUNTS FOR AREAS GENERALLY ABOVE 6500 FEET WITH FIRST SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE REGION... CURRENTLY... FIRST SHORT WAVE IS BRINGING PLENTY OF SNOW TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG THE CONTDVD. RADAR COMPOSITE IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE OVER THE STATE OF COLORADO...WITH QUITE A FEW CG STRIKES ACROSS THE MTNS. SOME ECHOES ARE STARTING TO DEVELOP OVER THE PALMER DVD N OF EL PASO COUNTY. SOME ECHOES ARE ALSO NOTED OVER THE SANGRES. FIRST COLD FRONT WAS SLOWLY MOVING SOUTH AND WAS LOCATED ALONG THE CO/NM BORDER JUST N OF THE CO/NM LINE. ONLY STATION WHICH STILL HAD A WESTERLY WIND WAS KTAD...AND THEY WERE THE WARMEST LOCATION ACROSS THE CWA. A 2ND COLD FRONT WAS NOTED AROUND THE CO/WY BORDER AND IT WAS PROGRESSING SOUTHWARD. TONIGHT... SIMULATIONS SHOWING 1ST FRONT DOWN ALONG THE CO/NM BORDER IS ACTUALLY FCST TO MOVE BACK N...MAINLY OVER LAS ANIMAS COUNTY. IN THE MEANTIME...THE 2ND FRONT WILL QUICKLY MOVE SOUTH AND SHOULD MOVE INTO EL PASO COUNTY AOA 02Z. THIS FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH AND SHOULD EXTEND FROM SOUTH OF PUEBLO TO KSPD BY 06Z. PRECIP ACROSS THE PALMER DVD SHOULD QUICKLY INCREASE THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. WE COULD SEE ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS N EL PASO COUNTY BEFORE SUNRISE...WITH 2-4 ACROSS TELLER COUNTY. ACROSS THE CONTDVD MOUNTAINS...SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SAN JUANS THROUGH THE PD. FOR THIS REASON...I HAVE SIMPLY EXTENDED THE WARNING THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY AND BEYOND. FARTHER NORTH ACROSS THE C MTNS...SNOW WILL ALSO CONTINUE...BUT IT SHOULD LET UP A BIT AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. TOMORROW... WE SHOULD SEE A LET UP IN PRECIP ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. EXCEPTION WILL BE ALONG THE CONTDVD WHERE IT WILL SNOW....WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNT ACROSS THE SAN JUANS. BY LATER IN THE AFTERNOON...PRECIP WILL ONCE AGAIN START TO PICK UP ACROSS ALL OF THE MTNS AND HIGH VALLEYS...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SAN JUANS. THIS 2ND STORM APPEARS TO BE QUITE IMPRESSIVE FROM A CONVECTIVE VIEWPOINT. LAPSE RATES ARE FCST TO BE AOA 9C/KM OVER THE 4 CORNERS LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON...AND AS THESE LAPSE RATES PROGRESS EAST...SNOW SHOULD REALLY PICK UP ACROSS THE SAN JUANS LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON. /34 LONG TERM... (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ..SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM TO IMPACT SOUTH EASTERN COLORADO... MAIN FOCUS FOR THE LONG TERM WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM THAT WILL IMPACT THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. UPPER LOW WILL DROP INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION AND ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. WHILE CONFIDENCE IS GROWING IN THIS EVENT...THERE ARE STILL DIFFERENCES AMONG THE VARIOUS MODEL SOLUTIONS. CURRENTLY HAVE BLENDED WITH THE GFS AND ECMWF WHICH HAVE THE BEST ENSEMBLE SUPPORT IN REGARDS TO TRACK AND TIMING. SNOW WILL BE ONGOING OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS SATURDAY EVENING AND WILL SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES INTO NEW MEXICO. AS THE LOW MOVES TO OUR SOUTH...FLOW WILL TURN NORTHEASTERLY PROVIDING UPSLOPE FLOW. WHILE 700 MB FLOW IS NOT ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE...GFS ONLY UP TO AROUND 30 KTS...THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH OF AN EASTERLY COMPONENT TO AID IN PRECIPITATION GENERATION. UPSLOPE...FAVORABLE JET DYNAMICS AND ISENTROPIC LIFT IN THE MID LEVELS SHOULD PROVIDE A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOWFALL FOR PARTS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT. ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE AND I-25 CORRIDOR BEGINNING SUN/06Z WITH PRECIPITATION PEAKING AROUND SUN/12Z TO 18Z. GFS AND ECMWF HAVE FOCUSED QPF BULLS EYES ALONG THE SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE AND LEE SLOPES WITH NEARLY 1.5 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT FORECAST. SHOULD SEE RAIN CHANGE TO SNOW IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS PRETTY QUICKLY AFTER ONSET WITH ALL SNOW EXPECTED BY MIDNIGHT. CURRENT THINKING IS 1 TO 2 FEET IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND PIKES PEAK/RAMPART RANGES...5 TO 10 INCHES ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE AND AROUND 6 INCHES ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR. ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN IS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. MODELS DIFFER ON HOW FAST THEY WANT TO EJECT THE LOW INTO THE PLAINS. THE 12Z GFS WANTS TO HANG THE LOW IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA THROUGH MONDAY WHILE THE ECMWF TAKES IT MUCH FURTHER EAST INTO ARKANSAS. THE GFS SOLUTION WOULD PROVIDE INCREASED WRAP AROUND PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH MONDAY MORNING WHILE THE QUICKER ECMWF CLEARS PRECIPITATION OUT OF THE PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT. CURRENT THINKING IS THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL SEE SNOW MUCH OF SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. WINTER STORM WATCH MAY BE NEEDED AS CONFIDENCE IN TIMING AND TRACK GROWS. COOL NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DEVELOP ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW AS IT MOVES INTO THE PLAINS KEEPING COOL CONDITIONS OVER THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH MID WEEK. TRENDED TEMPERATURES DOWN SEVERAL DEGREES MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH EXPECTED SNOW COVER AND COOL FLOW ACROSS THE REGION. HIGHS WILL TOP OUT IN THE 40S ACROSS THE PLAINS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. SHORTWAVE RIDGE WILL MOVE INTO THE ROCKIES ON WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM THAT WILL IMPACT THE REGION LATE IN THE WEEK WITH WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAIN SNOWS. 88 AVIATION... ..LOW CIGS AND FROZEN PRECIP POSSIBLE ACROSS KCOS AND KPUB NEXT 24 HOURS.... 2 WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL COMBINE TO BRING LOW CIGS AND RESTRICTED VIS DUE TO PRECIP/FOG FOR KCOS AND KPUB. COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS KCOS AOA 02-03Z. AFTER THIS FRONT GOES BY EXPECT CIGS TO RAPIDLY DECREASE FALLING INTO THE IFR CRITERIA AFTER 04Z. WE COULD ALSO SEE A PD OF SNOW WHICH WILL RESTRICT VIS THIS EVENING INTO TOMORROW MORNING. FOR KPUB...FRONT WILL COME ACROSS BETWEEN 05-06Z AND CIGS WILL COME DOWN TO MVFR AFTER THE FROPA. CIGS COULD GET INTO THE IFR CATEGORY LATE TONIGHT. THE LOW CIGS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE ACROSS KCOS AND KPUB THROUGH TOMORROW. ANOTHER MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION SAT NITE AND SUNDAY AND THIS COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT TO AIRPORT OPERATIONS AT BOTH KCOS AND POSSIBLY KPUB. FOR KALS...EXPECT SNOW SHOWER AND POSSIBLY PDS OF LOW CIGS WITH THE SHOWERS TONIGHT. WE COULD SEE AN EXTENDED PD OF SNOW/LOW CIGS ACROSS KALS TOMORROW NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. 34 && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR COZ089-093>099. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR COZ058>063-076-081-082-084. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR COZ072>075-077>080-083-085>088. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM MST SATURDAY FOR COZ058-066. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ068. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST SATURDAY FOR COZ060. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM SATURDAY TO 11 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ066. && 31/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 652 PM MST FRI NOV 13 2009 COZ058>089-093>099-150200- 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- 652 PM MST FRI NOV 13 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH TONIGHT. WEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SAWATCH RANGE AND EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SHOULD EXPERIENCE THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...WITH TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 8 TO 12 INCHES BY TOMORROW MORNING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES IS ALSO ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AND THE WEST FACING SLOPES OF THE MOSQUITO RANGE. TRAVEL OVER THE PASSES...PARTICULARLY WOLF CREEK AND MONARCH...IS EXPECTED TO BE HAZARDOUS AT TIMES TONIGHT DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. IN ADDITION...PORTIONS OF TELLER AND NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTIES COULD EXPERIENCE BETWEEN 1 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW BY TOMORROW MORNING. TRAVELERS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY HEAVY SNOW WILL LIKELY REDEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS DURING THE DAY SATURDAY AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM MOVES INTO THE GREAT BASIN. AN ADDITIONAL 8 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION IS LIKELY OVER HIGHER WEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THE CHANCE FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL THEN SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHERN COLORADO SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY EVENING...WITH SNOWFALL ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. THE EXACT TRACK AND STRENGTH OF THE WEATHER SYSTEM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY IS STILL UNCERTAIN AND WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH SNOW FALLS OVER THE AREA. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER MOST OF SOUTHERN COLORADO DURING THIS TIME-FRAME...WITH AREAS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE BY SUNDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS MEETING REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. 27/31
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
821 PM MST FRI NOV 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0802 PM SNOW WOLF CREEK PASS 37.48N 106.80W
11/13/2009 E8.0 INCH MINERAL CO DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
ESTIMATED BY SNOW PLOW DRIVER.
&&
KTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 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, November 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: 203058, 203059, 203060, 203061, 203063, 203064, 203065, 203066, 203067, 203069, 203071.