A prolonged winter event brought widespread snow to the mountains and high valleys of southern Colorado. Winter Storm Warnings were issued for the higher elevations of the Continental Divide and the southern Sangre de Cristo mountains.
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.
A prolonged winter event brought widespread snow to the mountains and high valleys of southern Colorado. Winter Storm Warnings were issued for the higher elevations of the Continental Divide and the southern Sangre de Cristo mountains. However, the lengthy period of light snow prompted Winter Weather Advisories for many other areas. Some snow amounts were...7 inches north-northwest of Aguilar (Huerfano County)...9 to 11 inches around Beulah and Rye (Pueblo County) and Monument (El Paso County)...15 to 18 inches west of Westcliffe (Custer County) and on Monarch Pass (Chaffee County)...and 45 inches 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 Feb 19, 4:02 AM MST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 402 AM MST FRI FEB 19 2010 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...UNSETTLED WEATHER FOR THIS PERIOD... CURRENTLY... A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH THE REGION AND SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY ACROSS THE REGION. THE SHORT WAVE WHICH PUSHED THE FRONT THROUGH WAS ALONG THE CO/KS BORDER AND WAS CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST. LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WAVE WERE STILL MOVING EAST ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE. A BROAD OMEGA BLOCK WAS NOTED OVER WESTERN CANADA. THE ASSOCIATED POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH AT MID LVLS WAS FROM E MT AND EXTENDED WSW ACROSS N CALIF. IT IS THIS TROUGH...AND ASSOCIATED SHORT WAVED EMBEDDED IN IT...WHICH WILL AFFECT OUR WX DURING THIS PD. TODAY AND TONIGHT... A WINTER STORM WARNING AND ASSOCIATED ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO THE MTNS/VALLEYS ALONG THE CONTDVD. SIMULATIONS HAVE COME IN A BIT MORE WETTER AND EXPECT STEADY SNOWS TO PICK UP ALONG THE CONTDVD LATER THIS MORNING AND LAST THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS SNOW WILL BE ENHANCED BY ANOTHER SHORT WAVE IN THE POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. LATEST O6Z RUNS OF BOTH THE GFS AND NAM SHOW THE PRECIP MOVING OUT ONTO THE PLAINS AS EARLY AS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO THE NIGHT. THE FORCING FOR THE PRECIP WILL MAINLY BE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50 AND DREW THE POP GRIDDS ACCORDINGLY. AS FOR SNOWFALL IN THIS FCST PD...WE SHOULD SEE AT LEAST A FOOT ACROSS THE SAN JUANS AND 8-12" ACROSS THE C MTNS. THE TOP OF THE SANGRES SHOULD SEE 3-6". LOWER ELEVATIONS...INCLUDING THE VALLEYS AND PLAINS N OF HIGHWAY 50 SHOULD SEE 1 TO 3 INCHES. TONIGHT WILL BE CLOUDY ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION SO MIN TEMPS WILL BE MODIFIED BY THE CLOUD COVER. /HODANISH .LONG TERM... (SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ...CENTRAL MOUNTAINS RECEIVE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL... ...COLD AND UNSETTLED OVER THE PLAINS... LATEST MODELS HAVE SETTLED DOWN A BIT FOR THE EXTENDED PROGS. SOLUTIONS ARE A BIT COLDER AND WETTER...SO HAVE RAISED POPS PARTICULARLY IN THE MEDIUM RANGE...THROUGH MONDAY...AND LOWERED TEMPS AS WELL. LATEST MOS GUIDANCE IS WELL BELOW AVG FOR THIS PERIOD AND TEMPS MAY HAVE TO BE TRENDED DOWNWARD IF CURRENT TREND CONTINUES. CORE OF MINUS 15-16 DEG AIR AT H7 MOVES OVER THE AREA SUN INTO MON...AND THE ASSOCIATED FRONT WILL BRING THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIP TO THE PLAINS FOR SAT NIGHT WITH THE INITIAL FRONT AND AGAIN SUN NIGHT AS COLD AIR IS REINFORCED OVER THE PLAINS. COLD AIR STICKS AROUND THROUGH TUE...AND DEPENDING ON SNOW COVERAGE MAY NOT GET ABOVE FREEZING FOR MUCH OF THE PLAINS DURING THIS PERIOD. FOR THE MOUNTAINS...AN EASY CALL AS THE DIVIDE LIKELY TO PICK UP FROM ONE TO TWO FEET OF SNOW BY SUNDAY MORNING. HEAVIEST SNOW SHOULD FALL OVER THE SAN JUANS BY EARLY SAT...WITH HEAVY SNOW SHIFTING TO THE NORTHERN RANGES LATE SAT MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. A BIT OF A BREAK IN THE STEADY TO HEAVY SNOWFALL SUN MORN...SO WILL END THE WARNING THEN...BUT AS MAIN TROUGH MOVES THROUGH SUN NIGHT INTO MON...MAY HAVE TO EXTEND EITHER ADVISORY OR WARNING THROUGH TROUGH PASSAGE MON NIGHT. EASTERN MOUNTAINS MAY ALSO NEED HEADLINES FOR SUN NIGHT AS THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE REGION TUE INTO WED MORNING...AND SHOULD STAY DRY WITH CLEARING CONDITIONS. MORNINGS LIKELY TO BE COLD TUE-WED PARTICULARLY FOR VALLEYS WITH SNOW COVER. ANOTHER WEAK WAVE MOVES THROUGH WEED NIGHT AND WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SNOW FOR THE DVD THROUGH THU. ROSE && .AVIATION... SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. FOR KCOS...EXPECT VFR TO MVFR THIS MORNING BECOMING VFR BY LATE MORNING. AS SNOW MOVES EAST OUT OF THE MTNS...CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...AND EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS BY THIS EVENING AND LASTING INTO THE NIGHT. IT WILL LIKELY SNOW WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. KPUB SHOULD SEE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT TODAY WITH CIGS LOWERING AFTER 00Z. WE WILL ALSO SEE A CHANCE OF SOME SNOW BUT DO NOT EXPECT ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS ATTM. MAIN CONCERN WILL BE LOW CIGS THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. KALS WILL SEE SOME FOG AND LOW CLOUDS THIS MORNING BUT THEY TOO SHOULD BREAK OUT FOR AWHILE LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. EXPECT CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE BY MID EVENING WITH LOW CIGS...SNOW AND FOG. FOR THE CONTDVD...MTNS OBSCURED THROUGH THE PD. STEADY SNOW SHOULD BEGIN FALLING BY LATE MORNING AND LAST UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. /HODANISH && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ059-061-064-065-067. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ058-060-066-068. && 34/44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 714 AM MST THU FEB 18 2010 COZ058>089-093>099-191415- 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- 714 AM MST THU FEB 18 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OUT OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES TODAY AND ACROSS COLORADO TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL SPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW OVER MAINLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF COLORADO FROM THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY FRIDAY. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN THE 3 TO 6 INCH RANGE ARE FORECAST FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AROUND LEADVILLE...WHILE OVER THE PIKES PEAK REGION SNOWFALL IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE IS FORECAST...MAINLY ACROSS TELLER COUNTY AND THE PALMER DIVIDE. LIGHTER SNOW AMOUNTS OF AN INCH OR LESS ARE ANTICIPATED ELSEWHERE ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SERIES OF STORMS WILL BRING PACIFIC MOISTURE TO THE REGION DURING THIS PERIOD. THE FIRST SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...AND IS EXPECTED TO BRING MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND LIGHTER ACCUMULATIONS TO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE DIVIDE ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 4 TO 8 INCH RANGE. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL FROM THIS STORM WILL ALSO BE OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN RANGES...PARTICULARLY THE SAN JUANS. LIGHTER ACCUMULATIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE AND POSSIBLY PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS ON SUNDAY. A THIRD SYSTEM...SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...WILL AGAIN BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS. THIS SYSTEM STANDS A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE AT BRINGING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE EASTERN RANGES AND POSSIBLY THE PLAINS BY MONDAY MORNING. CONFIDENCE IS LOW FOR THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THESE LATER STORMS...SO INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE LATEST FORECASTS...PARTICULARLY FOR THE MOUNTAIN PASSES SUCH AS WOLF CREEK AND MONARCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. 10/44
The 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, February 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: 217722, 217721, 217719, 217720, 217787, 217788.