Huerfano and Las Animas Counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Measured winds in excess of 60 mph were noted over portions of Pueblo...Huerfano and Las Animas Counties.
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 26, 4:42 AM MST, 6 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 442 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) CURRENTLY...SURFACE PRESSURE CONTINUES TO FALL IN THE MODIFIED ARCTIC AIR MASS OVER THE HIGH PLAINS...SIGNALING THE BEGINNING OF THE RETREAT OF THE COLD AIR OVER EASTERN COLORADO. LATEST MESONET OBS EARLY THIS MORNING SUGGEST HIGHER TERRAIN FROM PUEBLO SOUTH TO RATON PASS HAS MIXED OUT...WITH STRATUS CLEARING AND TEMPS JUMPING INTO THE 40S. STARTING TO SEE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF EL PASO COUNTY MIX AS WELL...WITH KMNH AND KCOS LOSING THEIR STRATUS AND WARMING INTO THE LOWER 30S. LOWER CLOUDS AND SOME PATCHY FOG WILL LINGER THROUGH SUNRISE MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE THE ARKANSAS RIVER FROM PUEBLO EASTWARD...THOUGH EVEN THESE AREAS WILL MIX FAIRLY QUICKLY BY MIDDAY. FARTHER WEST...LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW CONTINUES ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...AS MOIST SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW PERSISTS. FEW SPILL-OVER SNOW SHOWERS NOTED ALONG THE CREST OF THE NORTHERN SANGRES...THOUGH EXPECT INCREASING DOWNSLOPE WINDS TO END MOST OF THE PRECIP BY MID-MORNING. TODAY...KEPT THE WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS INTACT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...THOUGH SNOW MAY BECOME FAIRLY INTERMITTENT FOR A TIME LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. APPEARS HEAVIEST SNOW DURING THE DAY WILL BE OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AS TAIL END OF WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVES THROUGH NORTHERN COLORADO. FARTHER EAST...SOME MINOR SNOW SHOWERS MAY BE POSSIBLER OVER THE HIGHER PEAKS...THOUGH MAIN CONCERN IS INCREASING DOWNSLOPE WINDS IN THE LEE OF THE SANGRES/SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR. HAVE ALREADY SEEN SOME GUSTS OVER 40 MPH THIS MORNING AROUND WALSENBURG...WITH WIND SIGNATURE INCREASING ON KPUX RADAR NEAR THE SPANISH PEAKS. STILL NOT A GREAT MOUNTAIN WAVE SET-UP AS SHEAR IS FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL...THOUGH SIMPLE MIXING WILL BOOST GUSTS INTO THE 50-60 KNOT RANGE OVER EXPOSED TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON. HELD OFF ON A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR NOW AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. OVER THE PLAINS...EXPECT COLD AIR TO RETREAT WELL NORTHEAST OF THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON AS GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS SPREAD EASTWARD FROM THE MOUNTAINS/I-25 CORRIDOR. MESONET DEWPOINTS ALREADY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ALONG I-25...AND WITH THE DRY AIR SPREADING EAST ALONG THE NM BORDER BY AFTERNOON...EXPECT SOUTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES FROM KTAD TO KSPD TO REACH CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CRITERIA...THUS WILL ISSUE A RED FLAG WARNING WITH LATEST SET OF GRIDS. MAX TEMP GRID LOOKS OK...MAY BE A LITTLE ON THE COOL SIDE IF WE LOSE THE STRATUS QUICKLY AROUND KPUB. TONIGHT...NAM KEEPS SOME LIGHT SNOW GOING ALONG THE DIVIDE MUCH OF THE NIGHT...WHILE GFS SUGGESTS A DRY PERIOD FROM 06Z-12Z. WITH WIND CONTINUING TO HOWL ABOVE TIMBERLINE...WILL KEEP HIGHLIGHTS GOING...THOUGH WILL TRY TO MENTION A LULL IN THE PRECIP IN THE TEXT. REMAINDER OF THE AREA LOOKS BREEZY AND MILD AS LEE TROUGH DEEPENS OVER THE PLAINS. --PETERSEN .LONG TERM... (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ...SNOW WINDS DOWN OVER THE DIVIDE SUNDAY NIGHT.... ...SOME SPOTTY SNOW FOR THE PLAINS LATE SUNDAY... SHOULD SEE THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF MODERATE SNOW COMING TO AN END OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE SUNDAY EVENING...AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS FIRST THROUGH N NM AND THEN ON TO THE PANHANDLES SUNDAY NIGHT. WILL CLEAR FIRST OVER THE SW MTNS...BUT LINGER A BIT OVER THE SAWATCH AND LAKE COUNTY SUN NIGHT. SHOULD CLEAR UP PRETTY WELL BY MON MORN. MODELS NOW IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE COLD FRONT RAPIDLY MOVING THROUGH ERN CO LATE SUN AFTERNOON THROUGH SUN EVENING. WILL LIKELY SEE SOME BANDED PRECIP...STARTING FIRST AS RAIN OVR THE PLAINS...BUT TURNING TO SNOW SUN EVE AS TEMPS FALL BACK INTO THE 30S. CAN NOT RULE OUT SOME LOCAL ACCUMS OF AN INCH OR SO...PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE OVER THE PLAINS...ALTHOUGH LATEST RUNS TAKE THE BEST LLVL FORCING WITH THE FRONT A BIT FURTHER TO THE E...WITH THE THE BEST SHOT OF PRECIP ALONG A LINE FROM KLIC TO KLHX TO 50E KTAD. THE PALMER DVD COULD ALSO SEE A BRIEF SHOT OF HEAVY RAIN TURNING TO SNOW...AND WITH WINDS GUSTING IN THE 30-40 KT RANGE...COULD CREATE SOME LOCALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY EARLY SUN EVE. FRONT MOVES THROUGH QUICKLY AND CLEARING WILL BE WIDESPREAD AFTER 06Z MON. MON THROUGH WED PERIOD LOOKS QUITE TRANQUIL WITH ZONAL FLOW BOOSTING TEMPS BACK ABOVE CLIMO FOR MOST OF THE AREA. GUIDANCE FOR MON SEEMS A BIT WARM WITH H7 TEMPS STILL STRUGGLING TO REBOUND ABOVE 0 DEG...SO KEPT MAXT ON THE LOW SIDE OF GUIDANCE THAT DAY...OTHERWISE THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK LOOKS COMFORTABLE. NEXT SYSTEM IN THE STRENGTHENING ZONAL FLOW OVR THE NRN ROCKIES ARRIVES LATE WED...WITH MORE SNOW LIKELY FOR THE CENTRAL MTNS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. GFS HINTS AT ANOTHER ROBUST COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS LATE FRI...WITH TEMPS FALLING BACK BELOW CLIMO BY THE END OF THE WEEK. ROSE && .AVIATION... .STILL SOME STRATUS AND FOG LINGERING ALONG THE ARKANSAS RIVER AND JUST SOUTH OF KCOS EARLY THIS MORNING...THOUGH EXPECT CIGS TO LIFT MOST AREAS SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. FOR KCOS...FOG AND STRATUS HAVE LIFTED AT THE AIRPORT...THOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME PATCHY IFR CIGS NEAR THE HIGHER TERRAIN THROUGH SUNRISE. AT KPUB...STILL IFR THROUGH AROUND 13Z...WITH A QUICK TRANSITION TO VFR BY MID-MORNING. EXPECT ALL OF THE EASTERN PLAINS...INCLUDING KPUB AND KCOS TO BE VFR THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT...WITH GUSTY (G30-40KT) SOUTHWEST WINDS FROM 17Z-02Z. VFR CONDITIONS WITH STRONG WEST WINDS EXPECT AT KALS TODAY AND TONIGHT...WHILE THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REMAINS SOLID IFR DUE TO CLOUDS AND SNOW. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ059-061-066- 067. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ058-060-068. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ230-233-237. && 10/44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 653 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-271400- 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- 653 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS TODAY...WITH THE SNOW BECOMING INTERMITTENT AND LIGHT THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WHERE 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IS LIKELY OVER HIGHER WEST FACING SLOPES. SNOWFALL WILL BE LIGHTER OVER THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND THE LOWER SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...WHERE 2 TO 4 INCHES IS LIKELY. TONIGHT...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT...GENERALLY LESS THAN 2 INCHES OVER MAINLY THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SAWATCH AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS. STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT ACROSS MOST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW CONTINUING. STRONG AND GUSTY WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER MOST OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR TODAY...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN USUALLY WIND PRONE AREAS SUCH AS WALSENBURG AND LA VETA. OVER BACA AND LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES...THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS...GUSTING TO 40 MPH AT TIMES...ALONG WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR AND RAPID RATES OF FIRE SPREAD THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS THROUGH NORTHERN NEW MEXICO ON SUNDAY...SNOW WILL AGAIN BECOME MODERATE TO HEAVY OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. AN ADDITIONAL 3 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...SOME SPOTTY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS...GENERALLY LESS THAN TWO INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING. PORTIONS OF TELLER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY COULD SEE SOME HEAVIER ACCUMULATIONS LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH EASTERN COLORADO. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN AS RAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR ELEVATIONS BELOW 7000 FEET...BUT SHOULD SWITCH OVER TO ALL SNOW BY SUNDAY EVENING. IN ADDITION...GUSTY NORTH WINDS MAY RESULT IN SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND THE POTENTIAL FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS....PARTICULARLY OVER HIGHWAY 24 AND INTERSTATE 25 NORTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL RETURN TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS TODAY AND TONIGHT. 10/44
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
831 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0709 AM SNOW 1 SSE WOLF CREEK PASS 37.47N 106.79W
02/26/2011 M23.0 INCH MINERAL CO PUBLIC
24 HOUR TOTAL. MONARCH SKI AREA
0726 AM SNOW 1 NNW MONARCH PASS 38.51N 106.33W
02/26/2011 M16.0 INCH CHAFFEE CO PUBLIC
24 HOUR TOTAL. MONARCH SKI AREA
0728 AM SNOW N MAYSVILLE 38.54N 106.22W
02/26/2011 M6.5 INCH CHAFFEE CO TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL.
&&
PCIOFFIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
951 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0728 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 N PUEBLO RESERVOIR 38.30N 104.75W
02/26/2011 M58 MPH PUEBLO CO NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
PCIOFFISPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 957 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011 COZ084>088-270000- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BLACK FOREST...AIR FORCE ACADEMY... COLORADO SPRINGS...PUEBLO...WALSENBURG...TRINIDAD 957 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011 ...WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR... WESTERLY WINDS OF 35-40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN AND AROUND THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 5PM THIS EVENING. EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE USED WHILE TRAVELING ALONG THE INTERSTATE AND OTHER ROADWAYS DURING THIS WIND EVENT. THOSE OPERATING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD TAKE EXTRA CARE AS STRONG CROSS WINDS ACROSS ROADWAYS ARE POSSIBLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1012 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011 COZ084>088-270030- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BLACK FOREST...AIR FORCE ACADEMY... COLORADO SPRINGS...PUEBLO...WALSENBURG...TRINIDAD 1012 AM MST SAT FEB 26 2011 ...WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR... WESTERLY WINDS OF 35 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN AND AROUND THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 5 PM THIS EVENING. EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE USED WHILE TRAVELING ALONG THE INTERSTATE AND OTHER ROADWAYS DURING THIS WIND EVENT. THOSE OPERATING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD TAKE EXTRA CARE AS STRONG CROSS WINDS ACROSS ROADWAYS ARE POSSIBLE. PJC
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 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: 282602, 282603, 282604.