were noted over the mountains and adjacent high valleys and plains of southeast Colorado. broken windows and power outages) was experienced over western portions of Colorado Springs in El Paso County.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
Strong and damaging winds...exceeding 85 mph at times...were noted over the mountains and adjacent high valleys and plains of southeast Colorado. The most widespread damage (including but not limited to roofs...trees...broken windows and power outages) was experienced over western portions of Colorado Springs in El Paso County. In addition, three semi-trailer trucks overturned near the Pueblo-Huerfano County line, but the drivers where not injured. A truck also overturned in Colorado Springs.
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 19, 3:51 PM MST, 6 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 351 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND MONDAY) ...WINTER STORM CONTINUES ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE... ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS... THE ONSLAUGHT OF PACIFIC MOISTURE SLAMMING INTO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE CONTINUES. AT 151 PM...MONARCH SKI AREA REPORTED 14 INCHES OF NEW SNOW IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. WOLF CREEK SKI AREA HASN'T REPORTED THIS AFTERNOON...BUT BY THE LOOKS OF THE WEB CAM...IT'S COMING DOWN IN BUCKETS. ONCE YOU COME DOWN FROM THE DIVIDE...THE SNOWFALL LESSENS CONSIDERABLY. THE LEADVILLE CAM HAS BEEN INDICATING INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW...BUT ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. ALSO...BEING OF PACIFIC ORIGIN...THE AIRMASS AT LEADVILLE'S ELEVATION...APPROXIMATELY 9500 FEET...IS QUITE MILD FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING IT IS SNOWING. AT 230 PM...THE TEMPERATURE AT THE LEADVILLE ASOS WAS A RELATIVELY MILD 28 DEGREES. THE LEADVILLE WEB CAM IS SHOWING WET ROADS...IN SUPPORT OF THE MILD TEMPERATURES INDICATED BY ASOS. SO...THE COMBINATION OF BEING DOWNSLOPE FROM THE DIVIDE AND THE MILD PACIFIC AIR...IS HELPING TO SUPPRESS SNOWFALL TOTALS LOWER DOWN THE SLOPE. BUT...FARTHER UP THE SLOPE...ABOVE 10000 FEET...IT'S PILING UP RAPIDLY. MODEL PROJECTIONS FOR THESE AREAS ARE SHOWING ANOTHER 1 TO 2 FEET OF ADDITIONAL SNOW IN THESE AREAS BY MONDAY EVENING. WESTERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH GUSTING OVER 40 MPH AT TIMES WILL COMBINE WITH THE SNOW TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS DUE TO HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATION...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. FARTHER EAST...THE CONCERN IS NOT THE SNOW...BUT THE WIND. LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY...A STRONG PACIFIC JET STREAM WILL PASS OVER COLORADO...BRINGING HIGH AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS TO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS FROM THE PALMER DIVIDE ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. MODEL CROSS SECTIONS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A HIGH PROBABILITY OF STRONG WINDS IN THIS CORRIDOR. IN GENERAL...GUSTS OF 60 TO 80 MPH ARE EXPECTED. HOWEVER...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT AREAS ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RAMPART RANGE...AND OTHER WIND PRONE AREAS WHERE THE WIND TENDS TO CHANNEL...COULD SEE GUSTS OVER 80 MPH...POSSIBLY UP TO AROUND 90 MPH. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE MAY CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE...TREE DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS...SUCH AS HOLIDAY DECORATIONS OR LAWN FURNITURE...SHOULD BE SECURED. THESE WINDS WILL ALSO POSE A HAZARD TO TRAVEL...ESPECIALLY ALONG NORTH SOUTH RUNNING HIGHWAYS... WHERE CROSSWINDS WILL BE THE STRONGEST. THE WIND IS EXPECTED TO LAST INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS BEFORE DECREASING. AGAIN...THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR THE STRONG WINDS IS ALONG AND RIGHT NEAR THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS. THE FARTHER EAST YOU GO FROM THE MOUNTAINS...THE LESS LIKELY YOU WILL BE TO SEE HIGH WINDS. WINDS ARE A TRICKY THING TO FORECAST...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF MOUNTAINS AND HILLS INTERFERING WITH THE FLOW. SOME AREAS MAY GET BLASTED WHILE OTHERS GET SHADOWED. SO ALTHOUGH NOT EVERYONE IN THE WARNING AREA WILL SEE DAMAGING WINDS...OTHERS LIKELY WILL. CONSEQUENTLY...IT IS SAFEST TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST. OUTSIDE OF THE WARNING AREA...PROBABLY TO ABOUT AS FAR EAST AS LA JUNTA...IT COULD GET WINDY AS WELL...BUT LIKELY REMAINING BELOW WARNING LEVELS. GUSTS TO 40 OR EVEN 50 MPH MAY BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. ON A FINAL NOTE...ALTHOUGH WE MIXED OUT PRETTY GOOD TODAY AND THE AIRMASS HAS WARMED CONSIDERABLY...THERE IS STILL SOME POTENTIAL FOR PATCHY FOG DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE ARKANSAS RIVER DRAINAGE FROM PUEBLO EASTWARD TONIGHT. THE POTENTIAL IS NOT AS GREAT AS IN RECENT NIGHTS NOR IS THE EXPECTED COVERAGE...BUT MODEL SURFACE RH FIELDS ARE STILL SHOWING A TENDENCY FOR SATURATION OVER THE PLAINS EAST OF PUEBLO...WHICH MAY RESULT IN PATCHY FOG. THE SAN LUIS VALLEY COULD ALSO SEE FOG AGAIN TONIGHT. ACCORDING TO WEB CAMS...ALAMOSA JUST RECENTLY BROKE OUT OF THE FOG AND LOW CLOUDS. THERE WAS STILL HOAR FROST ON THE TREES UP UNTIL AN HOUR OR SO AGO. TEMPERATURES THERE ARE STILL IN THE MID 30S WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 30S. SO...A GOOD CHANCE THEY'LL FOG UP AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET. .LONG TERM... (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE NEARLY CONTINUOUS FEED OF MOISTURE WITH W-SW FLOW ALOFT INTO WESTERN COLORADO REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK. ONGOING WINTER WX HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE CONTDVD WHICH REMAINS THE FOCUS AREA ARE IN PLACE THROUGH TUE NIGHT...BUT WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO BE EXTENDED ANOTHER DAY AS MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL MEASURED IN FEET OVER THIS LONG DUREATION EVENT. STRONG WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY MORNING ARE FORECAST TO BE ON THE WANE MON NIGHT AND TUE BUT STILL REMAIN BRISK. THOUGH THE SLV WILL BE SURROUNDED BY CLOUD COVER AND MT SNOW...ANY PCPN FOR THE VALLEY SHOULD BE ISOLATED IN COVERAGE. AS FOR THE E MTS AND EASTERN PLAINS...NO RELIEF FROM THE ONGOING DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. LIGHT EASTERLY SFC WINDS OVER THE FAR EAST WILL KEEP TEMPS SLIGHTLY COOLER...BUT AFTN MAX TEMPS ARE FORECAST TO BE IN THE 40S TO AROUND 50 F THROUGH WED. THURSDAY...THE UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM JUST OFF THE WEST COAST WILL ELONGATE AND START TO MOVE ONSHORE BY LATE WED...THEN TRACK ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OVERNIGHT AS AN OPEN WAVE BEFORE STRENGTHENING AND MOVING ACROSS COLORADO AS A CLOSED SYSTEM. CURRENTLY IT LOOKS LIKE THIS SYSTEM WILL TRACK INITIALLY ACROSS THE NW CORNER OF THE STATE BEFORE HEADING E-SE...BUT THE EXACT TRACK FOR NOW IS OF COURSE UNKNOWN. A SHIFT 100 MILES IN EITHER DIRECTION WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN REALIZED CONDITIONS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...BUT FOR RIGHT NOW THU WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF PERHAPS SOME PCPN FOR THE E PLAINS. GFS INDICATES THE ASSOCIATED SFC COLD FRONT WILL DROP DOWN THE E PLAINS LATE THU AFTN/EVE...SO KEPT MACX TEMPS THAT DAY IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S FOR THE PLAINS DUE TO PREFRONTAL WARM ADVECTION. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES EAST...HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE DESERT SW FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. EARLY FRI THE FLOW ALOFT SHIFTS TO A COOL NW DIRECTION WITH PCPN DIMINISHING OVER THE CWA...AND LINGERING THE LATEST OVER THE CENT MTS. TEMPS ON FRI ARE EXPECTED BE IN THE LOWER 40S IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT AND COOL NW FLOW ALOFT...THEN A SLOW REBOUND FOR SAT AND SUN INTO THE UPPER 40S TO AROUND 50 F. HOWEVER...THIS MIGHT HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED LATER DOWNWARD IF THE LLVL SFC FLOW REMAINS EASTERLY AND CUTS WARMING. MOORE && .AVIATION... MAIN CONCERN TONIGHT IS FOR THE LLWS...ALL ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND ALSO BACK UP INTO THE HIGH VALLEYS. A VERY STRONG PACIFIC JETSTREAM WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT...WITH MANY AREAS ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND MANY HIGH VALLEY AREAS REMAINING DECOUPLED FROM THE STRONG FLOW ALOFT. WIND SHEAR GUIDANCE SUGGESTS POTENTIAL FOR 45 TO 65 KNOTS OF LLWS AT THE KCOS AND KPUB TAF SITES LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. THE GUIDANCE INDICATES UP TO 35 KNOTS OF LLWS FOR KALS DURING THIS TIME. SO...HAVE INTRODUCED HIGH LEVELS OF LLWS INTO ALL THREE TAF SITES FOR LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY. ADDITIONAL CONCERNS TONIGHT INCLUDE THE ONGOING WIDESPREAD HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THIS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH NO LETUP FOR SEVERAL DAYS. ANOTHER CONCERN TONIGHT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME PATCHY FOG IN THE LOWER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY...MAINLY TO THE EAST OF PUEBLO. FOG IS NOT CURRENTLY IN THE FORECAST FOR KCOS AND KPUB WITH THE IDEA THAT MIXING FROM THE INCOMING WINDS WILL KEEP IT OUT...BUT THIS MAY NEED REVISION AT KPUB AS IT WILL BE RIGHT ON THE EDGE. I DO HAVE IT IN THE FORECAST FOR KALS...THINKING THEY WILL DECOUPLE ENOUGH EARLY THIS EVENING TO ALLOW FOG TO FORM. LW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TUESDAY NIGHT FOR COZ058>060-066>068. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 2 PM MST MONDAY FOR COZ072>075-079>088. && 50/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 532 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 COZ058>089-093>099-210045- 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- 532 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS BY LATE TONIGHT. WINDS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GUST TO BETWEEN 80 AND 90 MPH...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RAMPART...AND THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAIN RANGES. PROPERTY DAMAGE...TREE DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE. THOSE WITH LOOSE OUTDOOR ITEMS...INCLUDING HOLIDAY DECORATIONS...SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS NOW TO BRING THEM INDOORS OR ANCHOR THEM BEFORE THE DAMAGING WINDS DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT. THE STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO POSE A TRAVEL HAZARD...ESPECIALLY ON NORTH SOUTH ORIENTED ROADWAYS...WHERE CROSSWINDS WILL BE THE STRONGEST. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. THE SNOW WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS...GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH...TO PRODUCE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS RESULTING FROM HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY STRONG...POTENTIALLY DAMAGING...DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT MONDAY MORNING ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS. SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE INTO THURSDAY MORNING. MULTIPLE DAY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 FEET AND LOCALLY UP TO 6 FEET ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY. THIS IS AN EXTREME...LONG DURATION SNOWFALL EVENT FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. PLEASE STAY ALERT TO THE LATEST FORECASTS AND WARNINGS FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEFORE ENGAGING IN TRAVEL PLANS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS ARE LIKELY THROUGH TONIGHT OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY LATE TONIGHT ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS. 28/28
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2010
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: 273873, 273874, 273875, 273876, 273880, 273877, 273878, 273884, 273879, 273881, 273882, 273883, 273885.