Heavy snow was noted over the eastern Sawatch Range, Mosquito Range, and eastern San Juan and La Garita Mountains. Over a foot of snow was measured near the summit of Monarch Pass in Chaffee County, and northeast of Leadville.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 was noted over the eastern Sawatch Range, Mosquito Range, and eastern San Juan and La Garita Mountains. Over a foot of snow was measured near the summit of Monarch Pass in Chaffee County, and northeast of Leadville. Twenty two inches of snow was observed near the summit of Wolf Creek Pass.
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, 5:01 AM MST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 501 AM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 .SHORT TERM... CURRENTLY...AREA OBSERVATIONS AND WEBCAMS CONTINUE TO INDICATE AREAS OF DENSE FOG OVER EASTERN FREMONT...PUEBLO AND SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTIES EARLY THIS MORNING. VISIBILITIES HAVE BEEN RUNNING AROUND A QUARTER TO HALF MILE ALONG HIGHWAY 50 FROM CANYON CITY TO PUEBLO AND NORTHER OF PUEBLO ON I-25 TO NEAR FOUNTAIN. THE DENSE FOG WILL BRING REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING WILL PRODUCE SLICK SPOTS ON AREA ROAD WAYS. EXPECT FOG TO BEGIN TO DISSIPATE THROUGH 7 AM AS UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS MOVE INTO THE REGION AND WESTERLY FLOW DEVELOPS IN THE LOWER LEVELS. RADAR IMAGERY THIS MORNING AND OBSERVATIONS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE HAVE HAD LIGHT SNOW FALLING ALL NIGHT. EXPECT THIS LIGHT SNOW TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNRISE FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. TODAY AND TONIGHT...A FLAT UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS FORECAST TO SHIFT EAST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY TONIGHT AS ENERGY OFF THE PACIFIC MOVES ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN AND INTO THE ROCKIES. THERE IS PLENTY OF MOISTURE EMBEDDED WITH THIS ENERGY AS IT MOVES INTO THE ROCKIES. SNOW LOOKS TO BE LIGHT TO MODERATE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY TODAY AND WILL INCREASE INTENSITY BY THIS EVENING AS THE DEEPER MOISTURE AND STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET MOVE INTO THE REGION. THIS PATTERN IS FORECAST TO PERSIST FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON WITH AROUND 4 TO 8 INCHES EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER HEADING INTO THIS EVENING AND SNOW WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ALONG THE DIVIDE WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW EXPECT OVERNIGHT. AN ADDITIONAL 10 TO 15 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ABOVE 10 KFT IN THE SAN JUAN RANGE AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. LESSER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED BELOW 10 KFT. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE STRONG JET MOVES INTO THE REGION. EXPECT WINDS OVERNIGHT TO GUST INTO THE 50 KT RANGE WITH LOCALLY STRONGER GUSTS POSSIBLE. THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL LEAD TO VERY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS OVER THE PASSES TONIGHT. SNOW WILL REMAIN CONFINED TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS. THE OTHER MAIN CONCERN TONIGHT WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS. MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN DEVELOPING STRONG WINDS ALONG THE LEE SLOPES OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. UPGRADED THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A WARNING AS CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO GROW IN THIS EVENT OCCURRING. THE LATEST NAM AND LOCAL WRF BOTH ARE INDICATING A CLASSIC SET UP FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RAMPART RANGE...AND ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES AND ADJACENT PLAINS OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAIN RANGES. BOTH MODELS PRODUCING A STRONG REVERSE SHEAR ENVIRONMENT AND CRITICAL LAYER ALONG WITH MOUNTAIN TOP INVERSIONS. THE MODELS ARE ALSO INDICATING THERMAL PACKING ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES. THE NAM AND WRF ARE DUCTING DOWN WINDS OVER 50 KTS WITH SOME LOCATIONS UP TO 80 KTS. THESE ARE A BIT STRONG FOR SUSTAINED WINDS...BUT GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. DOWNSLOPE WINDS ARE EXPECT TO DEVELOP AROUND 06Z TONIGHT AND PEAK FROM 09Z THROUGH AROUND 15Z. THOSE WITH OUTDOOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND ANYTHING THAT CAN BE BLOWN AROUND BY THE STRONG WINDS SHOULD MOVE THESE ITEMS INSIDE OR ANCHOR THEM DOWN. MOZLEY .LONG TERM... (MONDAY - SATURDAY) MAIN CONCERN THIS FCST PERIOD IS STRONG DYNAMICALLY FORCED WINDS ALONG THE EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE MTNS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PERIOD...AND A LONG DURATION SNOW EVENT FOR THE MTNS ALONG THE CONTDVD. AS PER SHORT TERM DISCUSSION...STRONG WINDS LIKELY TO BE ONGOING ALONG THE EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE MTNS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS TIME PERIOD (MONDAY MORNING). CROSS SECTIONS INDICATE DAMAGING WIND THREAT SHOULD END BY LATE MORNING AS REVERSE SHEAR DECREASES AND MTN TOP INVERSION LESSENS. ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL DECREASE...IT WILL STILL REMAIN VERY WINDY AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS..AND WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SECOND CONCERN WILL BE LONG DURATION SNOW EVENT. GIVEN MODEL SIMULATIONS HAVE UPGRADED WATCHES TO WARNINGS ACROSS THE CONTDVD. MAIN CHANGE WAS TO INCLUDE THE LEADVILLE AREA IN THE WARNING ALONG WITH THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAN JUAN MTN RANGE. SNOWFALL TOTALS WITH THIS EVENT SHOULD BE IN THE 3 TO 4+ FEET RANGE AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE. BASED ON LATEST GUIDANCE THE SNOW SHOULD FINALLY DECREASE ACROSS THE CONTDVD LATER THURSDAY AS THE TROUGH FINALLY MOVES THROUGH. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THE CURRENT WARNINGS ONLY LAST THROUGH 07Z ON WEDNESDAY...THESE WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED AS THE EVENT PROGRESSES. AS FOR THE PLAINS...IT IS LIKELY GOING TO REMAIN DRY AND ON THE SEASONABLE SIDE WRT TEMPERATURES. TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S AND 60S ON MONDAY WILL BE REPLACED WITH 40S AND 50S ON TUESDAY...AND THESE COOL TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN OVER THE PLAINS THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE ONLY CHANCE AS IT STANDS NOW OF SEEING SOME PRECIP ON THE PLAINS WILL BE WITH THE TROUGH PASSAGE THURSDAY MORNING. AT THIS TIME PRECIP WOULD MAINLY BE SHOWERY IN NATURES...HOWEVER LATEST 06Z GFS WHICH JUST CAME IN IS A BIT STRONGER WITH THIS SYSTEM ACROSS THE PLAINS. \/HODANISH && .AVIATION... SEVERAL AVIATION CONCERNS. FREEZING FOG IS CURRENTLY IMPACTING KALS AND KPUB EARLY THIS MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE LIFR CONDITIONS DUE TO VIS AND CIGS THROUGH 15Z. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS AFTER 15Z AT ALL TERMINALS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. LOW STRATUS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN TONIGHT AND IMPACT ALL TERMINALS HOWEVER CURRENTLY THINK WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH AT THE SURFACE TO KEEP FOG FROM DEVELOPING. CIGS LOOK TO DROP TO NEAR IFR WITH THIS STRATUS AT ALL TERMINALS BY 02Z AND PERSIST THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THE OTHER MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS AT KPUB AND KCOS. THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS AT KCOS BEGINNING AFTER 06Z WITH THE GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF STRONG WINDS BY 11Z. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 KTS ARE POSSIBLE AND COULD BE MUCH HIGHER HEADING INTO MONDAY MORNING. STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 15Z MONDAY AT KPUB. MOZLEY && .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. DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR COZ083-085- 086. && 88/34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 908 PM MST SAT DEC 18 2010 COZ058>089-093>099-200415- 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- 908 PM MST SAT DEC 18 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT MODERATE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE... WITH GENERALLY 3 TO 5 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL SNOW POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ALONG AND WEST OF THE DIVIDE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 10000 FEET. STRONG WEST WINDS GUSTING AT TIMES TO 50 MPH WILL RESULT IN REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SNOW WILL BE ONGOING SUNDAY MORNING AND WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW WILL PERSIST ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THROUGH TUESDAY WHERE 1 TO 3 FEET OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ABOVE 10000 FEET WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. STRONG WINDS...IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...WILL ALSO IMPACT LOCATIONS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING PRODUCING REDUCED VISIBILITIES ALONG WITH VERY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. SNOW WILL DECREASE IN INTENSITY BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON WITH LIGHT SNOW CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT ALONG THE DIVIDE. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE ROCKIES ON THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AFTERNOON ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS...WEST OF INTERSTATE 25. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS ARE LIKELY TONIGHT ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. 28/28
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
118 AM MST SUN DEC 19 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0116 AM SNOW 2 NE LEADVILLE 39.27N 106.27W
12/19/2010 M4.7 INCH LAKE CO PUBLIC
24 HOUR MEASUREMENT FROM MIDNIGHT...07 UTC
&&
SHODANISThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter storm. 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: 275108, 275114, 275107, 275109, 275110, 275111.