An upper level storm system moving across northern New Mexico and an arctic front moving south across Colorado generated areas of heavy snow across southern Colorado. Snowfall in excess of 8 inches occurred across the eastern San Juan and La Garita mountains, as well as the 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.
An upper level storm system moving across northern New Mexico and an arctic front moving south across Colorado generated areas of heavy snow across southern Colorado. Snowfall in excess of 8 inches occurred across the eastern San Juan and La Garita mountains, as well as the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Cuchara, in Huerfano County, reported 19 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 Feb 6, 3:35 PM MST, 9 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 335 PM MST SAT FEB 6 2010 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND SUNDAY) ...WINTER STORM SYSTEM TO AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH MONDAY... CURRENTLY...UPPER TROUGH WAS STARTING TO MOVE ONSHORE ACROSS THE WEST COAST SAT AFTN...WHILE A WEAK FLAT RIDGE OVER COLORADO WAS DOING LITTLE TO RESTRICT CLOUD COVER. LOW CLOUDS AND PATCHY FOG OVER THE LOWER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY WAS SLOW TO DISSIPATE TODAY...AND IN SOME AREAS NEVER REALLY BROKE UP. THIS KEPT TEMPS COOL IN SOME PLACES...WITH THE STRETCH FROM PUB TO LHX STAYING RIGHT AROUND 30F...AND AREAS ALL AROUND WARMED INTO THE UPPER 30S TO UPPER 40S. TONIGHT...THE UPPER LOW MOVES WEST ACROSS S CA AND NV TONIGHT...PRODUCING A HEALTHY FEED OF MOISTURE ACROSS THE 4 CORNERS AND INTO SW COLORADO. GFS AND NAM MODELS ARE VERY SIMILAR IN THE TRACKING OF THE LOW...BUT NAM IS ABOUT 6 HRS SLOWER WITH THE ONSET OF PCPN FOR THE SW MTS. INHERITED WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE LA GARITAS AND E SAN JUANS AS WELL AS PATCHY ADVISORIES FOR AREAS LAONG THE CONTDVD. DECIDED TO FILL IN REMAINING AREAS ALONG THE DIVIDE WITH ADVISORIES...AS WELL AS HOLDING OFF ON ADJUSTING THE START TIME. CURRENT START IS AT MIDNIGHT...AND THOUGH IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO GET GOING...FELT THAT CHANGING NOW MIGHT BE MORE CONFUSING THAN HELPFUL. TOMORROW...NAM AND GFS MODELS CONTINUE TO AGREE ON MOVING THE UPPER LOW WEST ACROSS NORTHERN AZ THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW...THOUGH THE NAM PAINTS A SLIGHTLY STRONGER CLOSED LOW CENTER. SNOW SHOULD BE ONGING IN FULL FORCE ACROSS THE CWA THROUGH THE DAY AS THE MOISTURE TAP COMBINES WITH A SFC COLD FRONT OVER THE E PLAINS SUN MORNING...AND DEEP EASTERLY FLOW. THEREFORE...SPREAD ADVISORIES ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA STARTING WITH THE SLV AT 12Z...ADVISORIES FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CENT MTS...RAMPART RANGE AND PALMER DIVIDE AT 18Z...AND UPGRADED THE WATCH FOR THE SANGRES TO A WARNING AT 18Z. THE REMAINDER OF THE PLAINS AND WETS THEN GO INTO EFFECT AT 21Z...TRYING TO CAPTURE TO EASTERLY PROGRESSION OF THE UPPER SYSTEM. CURRENTLY IT LOOKS LIKE THE AREAS THAT WILL SEE THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OVERALL WILL BE THE SW MTS...THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS...THE WETS AND THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE E PLAINS BETWEEN 14-18Z...SO THE MAX TEMP FOR THE DAY SHOULD OCCUR PRIOR TO NOON. ONE FINAL NOTE FOR BOTH TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR AREAS OF FOG AND PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE ACROSS THE PLAINS AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND LASTING UNTIL POSSIBLY SUNDAY MIDDAY...AND THIS HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE WX GRIDS. MOORE .LONG TERM... (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY) BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL SINK SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA SUN EVENING AS UPPER LOW EJECTS INTO NRN NM. SHOULD BE A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD EVENT...WITH DEEP EASTERLY FLOW...STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT AND BROAD QG ASCENT ACROSS MOST OF SOUTHERN COLORADO THROUGH AT LEAST 06Z. MAIN BAROCLINIC BAND AND HEAVIEST SNOW MAY SHIFT SOUTH INTO NM/NRN TEX PANH AFTER 06Z...THOUGH MODELS HAVE BEEN JUMPING AROUND SOMEWHAT WITH POSITION OF THIS FEATURE. STILL ENOUGH LIFT BEHIND THIS BAND TO PRODUCE LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SNOW OVER MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH SUNRISE MONDAY. DOESN'T APPEAR WIND WILL BE TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM AS MOST AREAS STAY BELOW 20 MPH...THOUGH SUPPOSE SOME DRIFTING WILL OCCUR IN OPEN AREAS. ON MON...COLDER AIR POURS SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS AS UPPER TROUGH LIFTS INTO OKLAHOMA AND NORTHERN STREAM LOW DIGS INTO THE MIDWEST. MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT IN KEEPING LIGHT SNOW GOING FOR MUCH OF THE DAY MON INTO MON NIGHT OVER THE AREA...AS SHALLOW UPSLOPE AND WEAK NRN STREAM TROUGH WRING OUT ANY AVAILABLE MOISTURE. COULD BE SOME BRIEF BLOWING/DRIFTING SNOW OVER THE PLAINS MON AFTERNOON WITH STRONG COLD ADVECTION...THOUGH SUSPECT IT WILL BE PATCHY AND BRIEF. WILL LET THE ADVISORY EXPIRE MIDDAY OVER THE PLAINS...BUT KEEP THE WARNING FOR THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND RATON MESA GOING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS UPSLOPE SHOULD FAVOR THESE AREAS. UPSLOPE FLOW FINALLY FADES AWAY TUESDAY OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS/PLAINS AS UPPER RIDGE BRIEFLY BUILDS OVER THE ROCKIES. SHOULD BE ABLE TO TURN OFF THE SNOW FOR A FEW HOURS TUE MORNING...THOUGH BREAK MAY BE PRETTY SHORT AS BOTH ECMWF AND GFS BRING ANOTHER TROUGH ONSHORE OVER THE WESTERN U.S. AND BEGIN TO GENERATE AT LEAST SOME LIGHT SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY TUE EVENING. TROUGH MOVES QUICKLY THROUGH THE AREA TUE NIGHT INTO WED...THOUGH AMPLITUDE REMAINS LOW AND SURFACE AND MID LEVEL FLOW STAYS MAINLY WESTERLY...WHICH SHOULD CONFINE MOST SNOW TO MOUNTAIN ZONES THROUGH WED EVENING. THUS BEGAN TO TRIM BACK POPS OVER THE PLAINS TUE INTO WED...THOUGH TOUGH TO REMOVE THEM ENTIRELY AS A FEW --SHSN COULD SPILL OVER THE MOUNTAINS. STILL AT LEAST TWO MORE SYSTEMS EMBEDDED IN THE FLOW FOR LATE WEEK...THOUGH AMPLITUDE AND TIMING ISSUES BEGIN TO APPEAR...ESPECIALLY BY SAT. FOR NOW...LEFT LOW POPS THROUGH THE PERIOD OVER THE MOUNTAINS...BUT KEPT PLAINS MOSTLY DRY AFTER THU...AND WILL AWAIT A DECISION ON WHICH WAVE AMPLIFIES BEFORE ADDING SNOW BACK MOST EASTERN ZONES. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WEEK WILL START FAIRLY COLD TUE...THEN GRADUALLY WARM TOWARD SEASONAL NORMALS BY WEEK'S END AS WESTERLY FLOW PUSHES COLDEST AIR EAST. --PETERSEN && .AVIATION...EXPECT IFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTDVD TONIGHT AS SNOWFALL BEGINS TO INCREASE. THE WINTRY MIX SHOULD MOVE INTO THE VICINITY OF KALS BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...THEN BOTH KCOS AND KPUB TOMORROW MORNING AFTER 12Z. A FREEZING FOG/DRIZZLE MIX IS POSSIBLE ALL ACROSS THE E PLAINS BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT AND LASTING THRU MIDDAY TOMORROW. SFC COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO DROP ACROSS THE PALMER DVD AROUND 12Z...THEN SURGE SOUTH AND REACH THE RATON MESA BETWEEN 18-21Z. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 PM SUNDAY TO 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR COZ083-085-086-089-093-095>098. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 AM SUNDAY TO 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR COZ058-059-062-063-076>078-081-082-084. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM SUNDAY TO 6 PM MST MONDAY FOR COZ079-080-087-088-094-099. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 AM SUNDAY TO 6 PM MST MONDAY FOR COZ072>075. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM SUNDAY TO 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR COZ069>071. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR COZ060-061-064-065-067. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR COZ066-068. && 27/10
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 340 PM MST SAT FEB 6 2010 COZ058>089-093>099-072245- 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- 340 PM MST SAT FEB 6 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON...AS A WEAK WEATHER DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE STATE. LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS...AND THE SAWATCH RANGE. A MORE POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE FOUR CORNERS REGION TONIGHT SPREADING MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW INTO THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE SAWATCH RANGE AFTER MIDNIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THESE REGIONS BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WITH ADDITIONAL SNOW EXPECTED TO OCCUR THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT...BUT ACCUMULATIONS WILL REMAIN SPOTTY AND GENERALLY UNDER 1 INCH. ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR AND ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS...SOME PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE...FLURRIES AND LOCALLY DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE...THOUGH SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE VERY MINOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER STORM WILL PROGRESS ACROSS ARIZONA INTO NEW MEXICO SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH SNOW SPREADING ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. HEAVY SNOW WILL BE ONGOING OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUANS SUNDAY MORNING AND WILL SPREAD EASTWARD INTO THE SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE...AND WET MOUNTAINS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING WITH UPSLOPE FLOW GENERATING SNOWFALL BY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS. SNOWFALL WILL BE HEAVIEST OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 25. SNOW AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 FEET ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SAN JUANS...SANGRE DE CRISTO...AND WET MOUNTAINS. SNOWFALL TOTALS OF UP TO A FOOT ARE EXPECTED OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. LOCATIONS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL LIKELY SEE 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOWFALL...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS NEAR THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. UNSETTLED WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WITH SNOW OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS POSSIBLE EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT. 27/10
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: 210775, 210776, 210779, 210781, 210778, 210780.