A snowmobiler perished in a avalanche in northern Saguache County near Marshall Pass.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 snowmobiler perished in a avalanche in northern Saguache County near Marshall 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 Mar 12, 4:22 AM MST, 7 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 422 AM MST FRI MAR 12 2010 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) CURRENTLY...UPPER LOW SPINNING OVER EASTERN NEBRASKA EARLY THIS MORNING WITH COOL NORTHERLY FLOW PERSISTING OVER COLORADO. HAVE SEEN JUST ENOUGH MIXING THIS MORNING TO KEEP MIN TEMPS A LITTLE MILDER THAN FORECAST...AS WINDS REMAIN AROUND 10 KNOTS MANY AREA. BEGINNING TO THINK RATHER LARGE T/TD SPREAD AT KALS MAY BE WIDE ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE MUCH IN THE WAY OF FOG...SO WILL REMOVE MENTION IN THE GRIDS FOR EARLY THIS MORNING. SUPPOSE SOME PATCHY GROUND FOG IS STILL POSSIBLE AFTER SUNRISE ALONG THE RIO GRANDE...MAINLY SOUTH OF KALS. TODAY...STILL LOOKS BREEZY TO WINDY EAST OF I-25 AS 700 MB WINDS REMAIN 40 KNOTS OR HIGHER ALONG THE KS BORDER. FARTHER WEST...GRADIENT LESSENS AS UPPER RIDGE SLOWLY BUILDS EAST...WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO LESS WIND AND A RATHER NICE DAY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. GUIDANCE TEMPS SUGGEST A FEW LOCATIONS NEAR KPUB COULD SNEAK ABOVE 60F THIS AFTERNOON SO WILL NUDGE UP MAX TEMP GRID ACCORDINGLY. TONIGHT...GRADIENT RELAXES AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS...WITH CLEAR SKIES AND DECREASING WINDS LEADING TO PERHAPS SLIGHTLY COLDER MINS MOST AREAS AS MIXING EASES. --PETERSEN .LONG TERM... (SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS COLORADO ON SATURDAY AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM DROPPING SOUTH INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY. EXPECT A NICE DAY SATURDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S ACROSS THE PLAINS. THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DROP SOUTH OUT OF THE GREAT BASIN AND ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST BEGINNING LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND DEPARTING THE AREA BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. MODELS AND ENSEMBLES IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN REGARDS TO TRACK OF THE SYSTEM SO CONFIDENCE IS GROWING WITH THIS STORM. EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH PRECIPITATION SPREADING EASTWARD THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. THE 00Z NAM CAME IN PRETTY HOT IN REGARDS TO QPF ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...HOWEVER A QUICK PEAK AT THE 06Z NAM HAS QPF TOTALS MORE IN LINE WITH THE GFS/SREF/EC. ALL MODELS DEVELOP EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW ACROSS THE PLAINS BY 18-21Z SUNDAY WITH 15-25 KTS THROUGH 700 MB. SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM WILL ALSO DRAW MOISTURE NORTHWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERAL MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE PWAT VALUES NEARING A HALF IN OVER THE PLAINS WITH SURFACE DEW PTS RISING INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S. GFS SEEMS TO BE THE OUTLIER IN REGARDS TO MOISTURE AND THEREFORE HAS UNDERDONE QPF. MODELS ALSO PAINTING SURFACE CAPE VALUES IN THE 200-400 J/KG RANGE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS SO A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. TEMPERATURES ARE WARM WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM SO EXPECT MOSTLY RAIN ACROSS THE PLAINS WITH A CHANGE TO SNOW BY SUNDAY MORNING AS SOME COLD AIR ADVECTS INTO THE REGION. DUE TO THE CONVECTIVE NATURE...ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND DEEPENING UPSLOPE FLOW...AREAS ALONG THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS WILL LIKELY SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF WET SNOW WITH THE ADJACENT PLAINS SEEING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO DROP SOUTH INTO SOUTHERN TEXAS SUNDAY NIGHT WITH FLOW TURNING NORTHERLY BY MONDAY MORNING. EXPECT THE BEST FORCING AND UPSLOPE TO BE CONFINED TO THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS MONDAY MORNING WITH PRECIPITATION COMING TO AN END MONDAY AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. EXPECT A QUICK WARM UP FOR MIDWEEK AND DRY CONDITIONS. WENT ON THE LOWER END OF GUIDANCE WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER 60S BOTH AFTERNOONS. A FEW GUIDANCE SOLUTIONS HAVE HIGHS APPROACHING 70 WHICH IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION BY WEDNESDAY. MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE HEADING INTO THURSDAY. ECMWF BEGINS TO DROP ANOTHER AREA OF LOW PRESSURE SOUTH INTO THE GREAT BASIN WHILE THE GFS REMAINS PROGRESSIVE WITH MORE ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN CONUS. NAEFS AND GFS ENSEMBLES TEND TO FAVOR THE ECMWF AND WITH THE RECENT STORM TRACK HAVE TRENDED WITH THE ECMWF. AS THE UPPER TROUGH DIGS TO THE WEST...A WEAK DISTURBANCE WILL LEAD TO SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS ON THURSDAY AND SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES. MOZLEY && .AVIATION... FOG LOOKING LESS LIKELY AT KALS AS T/TD SPREAD REMAINS RATHER WIDE. SUPPOSE SOME GROUND FOG ALONG/NEAR THE RIO GRANDE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO BACK OFF ON VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS IN THE 12Z TAF. OTHERWISE...VFR ALL AREAS TODAY...WITH NORTH WINDS GUSTING 25 TO 30 KNOTS OVER THE PLAINS ALONG AND EAST OF I-25...INCLUDING KPUB AND KCOS...FROM 16Z THROUGH 00Z. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 10/88
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1153 AM MST FRI MAR 12 2010 COZ058>089-093>099-131900- 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- 1153 AM MST FRI MAR 12 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST SUNDAY AND MONDAY. EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SPREAD EAST INTO THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. HIGHER SNOW LEVELS WILL KEEP SNOW CONFINED TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WHERE SEVERAL INCHES OF WET SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAIN RANGES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAIN RANGES...ALONG WITH THE EASTERN PLAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING SMALL HAIL AND A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES. THERE ALSO WILL BE THE POSSIBILITY OF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE PLAINS ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 25 SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RAIN AND SNOW WILL COME TO AN END FOR MOST LOCATIONS BY MONDAY MORNING. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN STATES BY THURSDAY WITH SNOW SPREADING INTO THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. 10/88
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Western Chaffee County Between 9000 & 11000 Ft | 2010-03-12 | 55 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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, March 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: 222686.