High winds were noted over portions of northern El Paso County. A vehicle windshield was shattered and other minor damage was reported.
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.
High winds were noted over portions of northern El Paso County. A vehicle windshield was shattered and other minor damage was reported.
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 29, 11:34 AM MST, 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1134 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE SE CO TAF SITES NEXT 24 H. WILL SEE SOME LOCAL MTN OBSCURATION OVR THE CONTDVD N OF KMYP THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...BEFORE SHSN GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS EVE ACROSS THE MTS. MAIN AVN CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE WINDS AT KCOS...WHERE MODERATE W-NW WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT 00Z BEFORE RELAXING OVERNIGHT. MDT TURBULENCE WILL PERSIST ALONG THE S FRONT RANGE THIS AFTERNOON AS A JET STREAM MOVES THROUGH NRN CO. ROSE && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 408 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011/ SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ..WARMING TO CONTINUE... CURRENTLY... TEMPERATURES AT 2 AM THIS MORNING WERE QUITE WARM OVER THE REGION. ALL OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR...EAST SLOPES OF THE MTNS AND ALL OF THE PLAINS EXCEPT ALONG THE ARK RVR WERE IN THE 40S. KCOS WAS 47 DEGREES WHILE KPUB WAS 41. THIS WARMING IS BEING CAUSED BY CHINOOK FLOW OVER THE AREA. TEMPS ALONG THE LWR ARK RVR AT KLHX AND KLAA WERE IN THE 20S...BUT THESE VALUES ARE QUITE A BIT WARMER THAN WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED AT THESE LOCATIONS AT THIS HOUR OVER THE LAST WEEK OR SO. TODAY...EXPECT A MILD AND BREEZY DAY OVER MOST OF THE REGION...WITH WINDY CONDITIONS OVER THE MTNS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMEST JUST E OF THE MTNS...WITH THE WARMEST AREAS ACROSS FREMONT COUNTY WHERE SOME 60S ARE LIKELY. I EXPECT ALL AREAS ALONG I-25 WILL REACH WELL INTO THE 50S BY THIS AFTERNOON. KLAA AND KLHX WHICH HAVE BEEN IN THE "ICE BOX" FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO WILL LIKELY SEE TEMPS REACH ABOVE FREEZING FOR SEVERAL HOURS TODAY. PARTS OF THE SAN LUIS VALLEY FLOOR MAY SEE TEMPS FLIRTING AROUND 40F. WE WILL SEE VARIABLE HIGH CLOUDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. IN THE C MTNS WE WILL SEE CONTINUED SNOW SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF COTTONWOOD PASS. TONIGHT... A WEAK FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING. NOT MUCH SENSIBLE WX IS EXPECTED WITH IT. STRONGER WINDS IN THE MTNS SHOULD DECREASE BUT IT STILL WILL BE WINDY. DOWNSLOPE WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION AND THUS ANTICIPATE TEMPS JUST E OF THE S MTNS WILL REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. COLDEST TEMPS ON THE PLAINS WILL BE FROM KLHX E TO THE KS BORDER WHERE LOWS WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 25. THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WILL BE A BIT WARMER WITH LOWS ONLY REACHING THE POSITIVE SINGLE DIGITS. \/34 LONG TERM... (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ..STRONGER WINDS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...THE FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE ZONAL ON FRIDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING SHORTWAVE...SO DRY AND MILD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH MAX TEMPS ACROSS THE PLAINS IN THE 40S TO RIGHT AROUND 50 F. THE NEXT SHORTWAVE IS EXPECTED TO DROP DOWN ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES LATE FRI NIGHT...BRINGING A VERY GOOD CHANCE FOR SOME STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO THE HIGHER PEAKS AND LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE. THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS AGREE ON A MORE SOUTHERN TRACK FOR THIS FEATURE...WHILE THE NAM IS ABOUT 12 HRS SLOWER AND FURTHER NORTH WITH THE SHORTWAVE. FOR THE TIME BEING WILL SIDE WITH THE GFS AND PLAN ON STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING AFTER MIDNIGHT FRI NIGHT AND LASTING INTO THE AFTN ON SAT. THERE IS SOME REVERSE SHEAR SHOWING UP IN THE CROSS-SECTIONS...BUT NOT UNTIL BETWEEN 09Z AND 12Z. THIS POTENTIAL WIND EVENT BEARS MONITORING TO SEE IF THE NAM MODEL COMES IN LINE...OR IF THE GFS AND ECMWF START TO BACK OFF. INCREASED WINDS ARE ALMOST ASSURED...BUT THE MAGNITUDE IS OF COURSE THE QUESTION. THE INCREASED WINDS SHOULD HELP BOOST TEMPS ACROSS THE E PLAINS INTO THE LOWER 50S BEFORE COOLER AIR SEEPS IN SAT NIGHT. AS FOR PCPN CHANCES...WITH THE NW FLOW ALOFT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SOME SNOW OVER THE CENTRAL MTS AND HAVE ADJUSTED POP GRIDS TO SHOW THIS FROM 06Z SAT THROUGH 00Z SUN. SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...AFTER A COOL DAY ON SUNDAY...EXTENDED MODELS AGREE ON A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESURE BUILDING OVER THE DESERT SW THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. COLORADO WILL REMAIN ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE RIDGE SO SIGNIFICANT HEAT IS NOT FORECAST...BUT IT SHOULD PROVIDE FOR DRY CONDITIONS AND GRADUALLY WARMING TEMPS INTO WED. 27 AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR AT ALL 3 TAF SITES...KCOS...KPUB AND KALS...DURING THE NEXT 24H. WINDS AT KCOS WILL BE TRICKY AS BLOCKING FROM PIKES PEAK WILL CAUSE VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS AT TIMES. FLOW WILL PREDOMINANTLY BE NORTHWESTERLY BUT COULD SEE SOME ROTORS AND WINDS COULD BE FROM A LIGHT EASTERLY COMPONENT AT TIMES. KPUB WILL SEE A PREDOMINANTLY WESTERLY WINDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 44/31
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 635 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-301400- 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- 635 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF NEW SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH MOST OF THE ACCUMULATING SNOW OCCURRING NORTH OF COTTONWOOD PASS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS ALL OF THE MOUNTAINS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR GUSTS OF AROUND 70 MPH OR GREATER FOR THE HIGHER PEAKS. THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS TO SPREAD DOWN THE LOWER EAST FACING SLOPES SATURDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THESE STRONG WINDS MAY ALSO RESULT IN BLOWING SNOW IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SLICK ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. THIS DISTURBANCE THAT WILL PRODUCE THE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WILL ALSO BRING PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. 34/27
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2011
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: 356940.