A winter storm produced localized snow drifts up to 4 feet as well as heavy snow over a large portion of southern Colorado. Florence and Canon City (Fremont County)...
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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 winter storm produced localized snow drifts up to 4 feet as well as heavy snow over a large portion of southern Colorado. Some of the higher reported snow totals include 6 to 10 inches in the vicinity of Colorado Springs...Security...Air Force Academy...and Falcon (El Paso County)...Florissant (Teller County)...Buena Vista...Nathrop...Poncha Springs and Salida (Chaffee County)...Florence and Canon City (Fremont County)... Rosita (Custer County)...Walsenburg and La Veta (Huerfano County)...and Haswell (Kiowa County). Eleven to 14 inches of snow was noted in and near the communities of Monument...Black Forest (El Paso County)...Beulah (Pueblo County)...Westcliffe (Custer County) and Trinidad (Las Animas County). In Pueblo County...Rye was covered by 15 inches of snow while Colorado City measured 17 inches of snow. Finally...Cuchara (Huerfano County) recorded 26 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 Mar 23, 2:09 PM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 309 PM MDT TUE MAR 23 2010 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY) ...SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM TO IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO... THINGS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. MODELS ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH TIMING AND TRACK WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW THROUGH TOMORROW AFTERNOON. FOLLOWED THE WRF/NAM/GFS/SREF FOR THE SHORT TERM. UPPER LOW CURRENTLY LOCATED ALONG THE COLORADO-NEW MEXICO BORDER WILL TRACK SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO BY TOMORROW MORNING AND INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. A SECONDARY STORM SYSTEM OVER ARIZONA WILL BE ABSORBED INTO THE NORTHERN LOW THIS EVENING. THERE IS A NICE POOL OF MOISTURE BEING DRAWN NORTHWARD OUT OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC WITH THE ARIZONA LOW WITH CLOUDS THICKENING UP ACROSS THE REGION. SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE HAS BROUGHT AIR WITH DEW PTS IN THE LOWER 30S INTO WESTERN KANSAS AND WILL BE ADVECTED INTO THE COLORADO PLAINS BY THIS EVENING. SEVERAL KEY THINGS ARE COMING TOGETHER...STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT...ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND UPPER LEVEL DEFORMATION BANDING WILL SET THE STAGE FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING. CURRENTLY RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATING A BAND OF SNOW FROM NEAR LARAMIE WY SOUTHWEST ACROSS LEADVILLE AND INTO SOUTHWESTERN CO. SURFACE OBS INDICATING A COLD FRONT IS SAGGING SOUTH ALONG THE FRONT RANGE WITH NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR COLD AIR TO ADVECT SOUTH ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR THIS EVENING WHICH WILL PLAY A ROLE IN CHANGING LOWER ELEVATION RAIN TO SNOW. EXPECT SNOW TO SPREAD EASTWARD QUICKLY INTO THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE...TELLER COUNTY AND THE PALMER DIVIDE BY 00Z THIS EVENING. NAM AND WRF INDICATING A STRONG AREA OF ISENTROPIC LIFT DEVELOPING ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE BY 03Z WITH HEAVY SNOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION MAY START OUT AS A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA THIS EVENING AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW BY 03Z. AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW SHIFTS SOUTH AND EAST TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. MODELS HINTING AT A SECONDARY AREA OF STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT DEVELOPING SOUTH OF US HIGHWAY 50 AFTER 09Z WITH HEAVY SNOW THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW. MODELS NOT BRINGING COLDER AIR INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS UNTIL LATER TONIGHT...BUT THINK THE EFFECTS OF DIABATIC COOLING WILL BRING A QUICKER ONSET FOR THE CHANGE OF RAIN TO SNOW SOMETIME BETWEEN 06-08Z TONIGHT. MODELS ALSO INDICATING STRONG NORTHEASTERLY FLOW FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH 700 MB WITH THE NAM AND WRF INDICATING 35-40 KTS. THIS WILL AID IN PROVIDING UPSLOPE FLOW TO THE ALREADY STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT ACROSS THE REGION. STRONG SURFACE WINDS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW BY TOMORROW MORNING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS AND PALMER DIVIDE. HEAVY SNOW LOOKS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF TOMORROW FOR MUCH OF THE AREA WITH THE EXCEPTION BEING THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WHERE LIGHT SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. THE BEST LIFT PULLS OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON LEAVING LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. CURRENTLY SNOWFALL PROJECTIONS ARE 10-20 INCHES ACROSS TELLER COUNTY...8-12 OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE...UP TO TWO FEET IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAIN RANGES AND 3 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE ADJACENT PLAINS INCLUDING THE I-25 CORRIDOR. MOST OF THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL SEE 2 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOWFALL AND THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS SEEING 5 TO 10 INCHES. THERE COULD BE AREAS WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE AND OVER THE RATON RIDGE IF ANY CONVECTIVE BANDING CAN DEVELOP BUT THESE AREAS WILL BE LOCALIZED. STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST ON THIS WINTER STORM. MOZLEY .LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) WEDNESDAY NIGHT THE UPR LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE FROM THE NWRN PORTION OF THE TX PANHANDLE TO CENTRAL OK. AS A RESULT PCPN WL BE ON THE DECREASE FROM WEST TO EAST THRU THE NIGHT. THERE WL STILL BE SNOW FALLING OVR MUCH OF THE SERN PLAINS IN THE EVENING... ESPECIALLY FROM PUEBLO COUNTY...SOUTH AND EASTWARD. BETWEEN 6PM AND MIDNIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE ACCUMULATIONS OVR THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THE NAM SHOWING ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 4 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL SNOW. THEN BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6AM THU THE SNOW WILL BE MOVING OUT OF THE AREA...WITH LITTLE ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS. IF THIS TREND CONTINUES WE MAY NEED TO EXTEND THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS TO AROUND 06Z INSTEAD OF 00Z...BUT WL WAIT AND SEE HOW THIS ALL PANS OUT. FOR THU AN UPR RIDGE BUILDS OVR THE AREA WITH DRY WEATHER RETURNING. THU NIGHT THE UPR RIDGE SHIFTS EASTWARD AS A NEW WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING INTO NV. DURING THE DAY FRI...THIS NEW UPR TROF MOVES INTO CO AND MOVES ACRS THE AREA FRI NIGHT...WITH THE GFS DEVELOPING A CLOSED LOW OVR THE OK PANHANDLE BY 12Z SAT. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BRING PCPN TO THE ENTIRE AREA FRI NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE OVR THE MTS. AT THIS TIME IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE TEMPS WL BE ALL THAT COLD ON SAT AT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...SO WE COULD MOSTLY SEE RAIN IF THAT IS THE CASE. THAT WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES OUT OF THE AREA FOR SUN AND AN UPR RIDGE WL BUILD OVR THE AREA AGAIN WHICH WL BRING DRY WEA FOR SUN. A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROF IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THRU THE AREA MON...BUT AT THIS TIME LOOKS LIKE IT WL NOT BRING PCPN TO THE AREA. THE RIDGE REBUILD OVR THE AREA FOR TUE. && .AVIATION... KCOS...RAIN AND SNOW HAVE BEEN INCREASING ACROSS CENTRAL COLORADO LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL SPREAD SOUTH AND EAST INTO THE KCOS AREA THIS EVENING. CURRENTLY THINKING THERE WILL BE A RAIN/SNOW MIX BEGINNING AROUND 03Z THIS EVENING WITH A CHANGE OVER TO SNOW BY 04Z. A COLD FRONT WILL ALSO DROP SOUTH THIS EVENING WITH NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO 30-35 KTS FOR MUCH OF TONIGHT. SNOW WILL BRING IFR CONDITIONS TO THE TERMINAL AFTER 04Z WITH LIFR CONDITIONS DURING HEAVIER SNOWFALL. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR 4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOWFALL ON RUNWAYS AT THE TERMINAL THROUGH TOMORROW AFTERNOON. WE SHOULD SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SNOW BEGINS TO PULL AWAY FROM THE AREA...HOWEVER EXPECT LIGHT SNOW INTO TOMORROW EVENING AT THE TERMINAL. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ089-093-095>099. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ059-061>063-065-067-068-076. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ072>075-077>080-087-088-094. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ058-060- 066. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ069>071. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ083-085-086. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ081-082-084. && 88/28
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 600 AM MDT TUE MAR 23 2010 COZ058>089-093>099-241300- 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- 600 AM MDT TUE MAR 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SIGNIFICANT PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL DROP THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN TODAY GATHERING STRENGTH AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE FOUR CORNERS REGION AND INTO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON THEN ACROSS SOUTHEAST COLORADO TONIGHT. ISOLATED EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING...RESULTING IN LOCALLY INTENSE SNOWFALL RATES AT TIMES. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 9000 FEET THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE QUICKLY DROPPING TO AROUND 6000 FEET BY 9 PM. A SLOPPY RAIN AND SNOW MIX WILL TRANSITION OVER TO ALL SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE PLAINS. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO TONIGHT. BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 8 INCHES TO AROUND A FOOT OR MORE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PALMER DIVIDE REGION...WITH 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. THE VALLEYS AND SOUTHERN INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR SOUTH OF COLORADO CITY WILL SEE BETWEEN 3 AND 6 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES ON THE GRASSY AREAS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. ADDITIONAL HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THESE AMOUNTS FURTHER ON WEDNESDAY. NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS LATE TONIGHT...RESULTING IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY FOR THE PALMER DIVIDE AND RATON RIDGE WHERE VISIBILITIES COULD DROP TO LESS THAN 1 MILE AT TIMES. IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...BE PREPARED FOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. ROAD CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY BECOME SNOWPACKED AND ICY ABOVE 6000 FEET TONIGHT...WITH SLUSHY AND SLICK ROAD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. ANY CHANGES IN THE TRACK OR STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM COULD AFFECT THESE ANTICIPATED SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECASTS TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY OCCASIONAL MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY BEFORE TAPERING OFF FROM WEST TO EAST LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS AND WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY...WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG WITH PIKES PEAK AND PALMER DIVIDE REGION...THE SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR AND RATON MESA REGION THROUGH THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHERN EL PASO AND NORTHERN PUEBLO COUNTIES...AS WELL AS THE SAN LUIS AND UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEYS. GENERALLY LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS FRIDAY AFTERNOON...AND ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. 31/23
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 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, 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: 219675, 219677, 219683, 219674, 219676, 219678, 219679, 219680, 219681, 219682, 219684, 219685, 219686, 219688, 219687, 219689, 219691, 219690, 219692, 219693, 219694.