Strong winds occurred across scattered areas of the I-25 corridor. Winds gusted to 58 mph near Aguilar (Las Animas County).
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
Strong winds occurred across scattered areas of the I-25 corridor. Winds gusted to 58 mph near Aguilar (Las Animas County).
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 16, 5:42 PM MST, 5 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 542 PM MST WED FEB 16 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED TO EXPIRE THE RED FLAG WARNING AT 6 PM. WINDS CONTINUE TO GUST ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO THIS EVENING AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. MOST LOCATIONS WILL SEE GUSTS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS IN THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE ALONG AND WEST OF THE SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR. HUMIDITY VALUES HAVE BEEN SLOWLY INCREASING THIS EVENING AND ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING IN THE 15 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE. EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE FORECAST LOOKS GOOD WITH NO OTHER UPDATES EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MOZLEY && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 323 PM MST WED FEB 16 2011/ SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND THURSDAY) ..WIND AND SNOW TO THE WEST... ..WIND AND FIRE TO THE EAST... LOTS OF WX FOR THE NEXT 24 H. CURRENTLY...RED FLAG WARNING HAS UNFORTUNATELY VERIFIED WITH TWO LARGE GRASS FIRES ONGOING ACROSS THE PLAINS. WINDS CONTINUE TO BE STRONG OUT OF THE DUE WEST THIS AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS IN THE 30-45 MPH RANGE. DEWPOINTS HAVE COME IN VERY LOW...WELL BELOW MODEL GUIDANCE...WITH RH IN THE SINGLE DIGITS MOST SPOTS OVR THE PLAINS. TEMPS ALSO QUITE HIGH...IN THE UPPER 70S OVR THE FAR ERN PLAINS. TEMP AT KPUB...HOWEVER...MAXED OUT EARLY DESPITE STRONG W WINDS...SO SOME COOLING ALOFT IS LIKELY ONGOING WITH I-25 TEMPS HITTING AN ADIABATIC MAX EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. RED FLAG SHOULD END AS EXPECTED WITH RHS RISING BY SUNSET...AND WINDS RELAXING A BIT. HAVE CONVERTED THE FIRE WX WATCH TOMORROW TO A RED FLAG IN ANTICIPATION OF EVEN STRONGER WINDS. RH TOMORROW MIGHT BE BORDERLINE...CLOSER TO THE UPPER TEENS FOR SPOTS ON THE PLAINS...BUT CLOSE ENOUGH WITH STRONG SW WINDS TO JUSTIFY THE WARNING. TEMPS TOMORROW PROBABLY A GOOD 10-15 DEG LOWER THAN TODAY AS COOLER AIR MOVES IN ALOFT...BUT RH STILL FAIRLY LOW WITH THE DRY DOWNSLOPE WINDS E OF THE MTNS. OUT WEST...SNOW HAS STARTED TO FLY OVR THE DIVIDE. NAM12 CONTINUES TO BACK OFF ON QPF...WITH PROBABLY HALF THE MODEL QPF OF YESTERDAYS' RUNS. HOWEVER...BOTH GFS AND NAM PROGGED ZERO QPF FOR THE SW MTNS THIS AFTERNOON...AND IT HAS BEEN SNOWING MODERATELY AT WOLF CREEK ALL AFTERNOON PER WEB CAMS! SO...OBVIOUSLY THERE IS ENOUGH MOISTURE THAT OROGRAPHICS ARE BRINGING IN SNOWFALL FOR THE DVD. BELIEVE THAT CURRENT SNOW ESTIMATES OF 5-8 INCHES N...AND 8-16 SOUTH...ARE PROBABLY ON TRACK...BUT WILL CUT BACK AMOUNTS A BIT ESPECIALLY FOR THE SW MTNS. STILL EXPECTING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS THROUGH TOMORROW AS THE UPPER JET SLIDES DIRECTLY OVR THE 4 CORNERS AND SW CO TOMORROW MORN. PROBABLY SOME GUSTS ABOVE 70 MPH FOR THE HIGH PASSES AND RIDGES. HAVE ALSO ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE SOUTHERN INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR AS WELL AS THE WETS...SANGRES...AND SPANISH PEAKS REGION. UPPER JET DESCENDS OVER NIGHT WITH VERY STRONG WINDS JUST OFF THE SURFACE BY THU MORNING. NO REAL STRONG MTN WAVE SIGNATURE...BUT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH TO TRANSLATE VERY HIGH WINDS ALOFT TO THE SURFACE TOMORROW. COULD SEE SOME LOCAL GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH TOMORROW MORN...FOLLOWED BY WIDESPREAD STRONG WINDS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...AFFECTING PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR SOUTH OF KCOS. 44 LONG TERM... (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY) STILL SOME SNOW AND STRONG WINDS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THURSDAY EVENING...SO WILL KEEP BLIZZARD WARNING GOING UNTIL 03Z. BRIEF SHORTWAVE RIDGE THEN BUILDS LATE THU NIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY FRIDAY...WHICH SHOULD END MOST SNOW EXCEPT FOR A FEW FLURRIES OVER THE HIGHER PEAKS ALONG THE DIVIDE. WINDS FRIDAY AFTERNOON LOOK TO DECREASE SLIGHTLY AS PRESSURE GRADIENT BRIEFLY RELAXES...THOUGH WITH FALLING PRESSURE OVER THE PLAINS BY AFTERNOON...SOUTH WINDS WILL CRANK BACK UP...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE KS BORDER. WARMED MAX TEMPS FRI AFTERNOON 3-5F FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST...THOUGH STILL DIDN'T GO AS WARM AS VERY MILD MET NUMBERS. DEEP UPPER LOW OVER THE WEST COAST BEGINS TO MOVES SLOWLY EASTWARD FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...WITH MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW INCREASING OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUANS/LA GARITAS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. MODEL QPFS SUGGEST SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW BY SATURDAY EVENING...MAINLY SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF THE SAN JUANS INCLUDING WOLF CREEK PASS AND CUMBRES PASS. CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL SEE HEAVY SNOW AS WELL...THOUGH NOT AS MUCH AS POINTS FARTHER SOUTH AND WEST AS FLOW MAINTAINS A SOUTHERLY COMPONENT. WON'T ISSUE A WATCH YET...BUT APPEARS WE'LL NEED ONE BY THIS TIME TOMORROW. FARTHER EAST...DOWNSLOPE FLOWS DOMINATE...WITH JUST SOME SPILL-OVER SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SANGRES THROUGH SAT EVENING. PLAINS LOOK WARM AND BREEZY ONCE AGAIN. TROUGH LIFTS INTO THE ROCKIES SAT NIGHT AND SUNDAY...WITH SNOWS GOING ALONG THE DIVIDE THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY EVENING. SYSTEM LOOKS TOO FAR NORTH TO PRODUCE MUCH PRECIP OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS...WITH JUST A FEW SNOW SHOWERS LATE SAT NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MIDDAY AS TROUGH MOVES OVERHEAD. MON/TUE NOW LOOK FAIRLY DRY BETWEEN WEATHER SYSTEMS...WITH SEASONABLY MILD TEMPS. NEXT SYSTEM DIGGING INTO THE WESTERN U.S. WILL THEN BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW TO MAINLY THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BEGINNING WED. -10 AVIATION...MAIN CONCERN THROUGH TOMORROW WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE STRONG W TO SW WINDS...WHICH WILL BE STRONGEST EARLY THIS EVE...QUIET DOWN A BIT AFTER 00Z...THEN PICK UP AGAIN THU AFTER 10Z AND REMAIN VERY STRONG THRU THU AFTERNOON. SHEAR COULD BE AN ISSUE EARLY THU MORNING IF SURFACE WINDS RELAX A BIT MORE THAN EXPECTED...AS WINDS ALOFT REMAIN VERY STRONG. MOUNTAIN PASSES WILL ALSO BE HAZARDOUS WITH STRONG GAP FLOWS AND POSSIBLE ROTORS ON THE LEE SIDE. OVER THE CONTDVD...THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF NIL VISIBILITY AS BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AFFECT THE DVD THROUGH EARLY THU. 44 && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 6 PM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ227>237. HIGH WIND WATCH FROM 11 PM MST THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR COZ072>075-078>080-087-088. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 PM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ058. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 PM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ060-066-068. && 88/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 627 PM MST WED FEB 16 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-180130- 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- 627 PM MST WED FEB 16 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT GUSTY WINDS WINDS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING UP TO 60 MPH AT TIMES. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTHWARD OVER THE REGION...WITH 1 TO 4 INCHES LIKELY BY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AND THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW WILL LEAD TO BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY OVER HIGHER WEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SAN JUAN AND SAWATCH RANGES. THE MOSQUITO RANGE WILL SEE LESS WIND WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH AT TIMES BY LATER TONIGHT...BUT WILL ALSO SEE POOR VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. WHITE OUT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE OVERNIGHT WHICH WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE WITH ROAD CLOSURES POSSIBLE. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR DAMAGING WINDS OVERNIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY MORNING OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS...THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY...THE SPANISH PEAKS REGION...AND THE SOUTHERN INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OCCURRING AROUND SUNRISE THURSDAY. WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS TONIGHT...WITH THE STRONGEST GUSTS OVER AND NEAR EAST FACING SLOPES. HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRONG CROSS WINDS ALONG INTERSTATE 25 FROM COLORADO CITY SOUTH TO RATON PASS. THESE STRONG WINDS MAY PRODUCE PROPERTY DAMAGE AND LOCAL POWER OUTAGES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STRONG WINDS GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS FROM THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY EVENING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 15 INCHES ARE LIKELY OVER HIGHER SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...WITH 6 TO 12 INCHES FARTHER NORTH OVER THE LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AND THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES. OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR...THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON...WITH WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE. ELSEWHERE...GUSTY WINDS AND MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BELOW 15 PERCENT WILL PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS OVER THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR AND THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS FROM LATE THURSDAY MORNING INTO EARLY THURSDAY EVENING. ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS IS ANTICIPATED OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SEVERAL FEET OF ADDITIONAL SNOW POSSIBLE OVER FAVORED HIGHER ELEVATION LOCATIONS SUCH AS WOLF CREEK PASS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS TONIGHT. 88/50
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
838 PM MST WED FEB 16 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0702 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NNW COLORADO CITY 37.98N 104.87W
02/16/2011 M72 MPH PUEBLO CO MESONET
APRSWXNET SITE
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KMOZLEYThe 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, February 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: 282584.