which spread into Colorado. The wildfire consumed around 7000 acres southeast of Trinidad.
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.
Lightning started the Bear Fire in New Mexico...which spread into Colorado. The wildfire consumed around 7000 acres southeast of Trinidad. Over 300 firefighters were on the Bear Fire, and three were treated for minor burns. The Colorado Governor declared Las Animas County a disaster area.
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 May 31, 8:20 PM MST, 3 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 920 PM MDT TUE MAY 31 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED TO ADD A RED FLAG WARNING FOR A FEW AREAS ON WEDNESDAY WHICH INCLUDES THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...FREMONT...SOUTHERN EL PASO...AND PUEBLO COUNTIES. ALSO UPDATED FOR THE EXPIRATION OF THE RED FLAG WARNING TODAY. && .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY) WINDS THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN DECREASING AND HAVE LET THE RED FLAG WARNING EXPIRE. WILL SEE A FEW CLOUDS OVER THE AREA TONIGHT...BUT IT WILL REMAIN DRY. LOOKING AT SOME NEW MODEL DATA IT LOOKS LIKE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...FREMONT COUNTY...SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY AND OVER PUEBLO COUNTY. SO HAVE ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THESE AREAS FROM NOON UNTIL 9 PM. OVER THE REST OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS IT LOOKS LIKE HUMIDITIES WILL BE TOO HIGH TO WARRANT A RED FLAG WARNING...HOWEVER THEY WILL NOT BE ALL THE HIGH AS IT LOOKS LIKE MINIMUM RH VALUES WILL BE 15 TO AROUND 22 PERCENT. LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON...A WEAK SHORTWAVE ARRIVING FROM THE SW COULD KICK OFF A FEW STORMS OVR THE SE PLAINS. WITH CAPE VALUES FORECAST TO IN THE 1000-1500 J/KG RANGE...AND BULK SHEARS FROM 40-50 KTS...THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR A FEW HIGH BASED SUPERCELLS TO DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY OVR THE RATON MESA AND NR THE KS AND OK BORDERS. OTHERWISE...LOOKS TO REMAIN DRY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 332 PM MDT TUE MAY 31 2011/ LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY) ..WARM WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD... ..MORE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ON THURSDAY... GENERALLY WARM AND DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO NEXT SEVERAL DAYS BUT WITH POSSIBLE INFLUXES OF MOISTURE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS TO PRODUCE ISOLATED TO PERHAPS SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AT TIMES. BECAUSE OF THE DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW...FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL SURFACE AGAIN ON THURSDAY. SEE FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW FOR DETAILS. THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS THE DRYLINE THAT MOVES INTO THE PLAINS TONIGHT MEANDERS ACROSS THE PLAINS OF SOUTHEAST COLORADO AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. FIRST ROUND OF STORMS OVER THE PLAINS WILL START WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...ONGOING INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. AT ONE TIME...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAD SOUTHEAST COLORADO IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA FOR SEVERE WEATHER. HOWEVER... THEY HAVE SINCE REVISED THE OUTLOOK TO REMOVE US FROM THE SLIGHT RISK AREA. SHEAR VALUES LOOK MARGINAL AT THIS POINT. WE SHOULD SEE A FEW STORMS WEDNESDAY EVENING. SEVERE CHANCES ARE LOOKING LOW AT THIS POINT...BUT IN JUNE...I'LL NEVER SAY NEVER. OFTEN TIMES STORMS CAN MUSTER UP PLENTY OF UPDRAFT STRENGTH FOR SOME QUARTER SIZE HAIL. STORM CHANCES DECREASE AND SHIFT EASTWARD ON THURSDAY AS A SHORTWAVE PASSES BY TO OUR NORTHWEST SPREADING STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS ACROSS THE PLAINS. ON FRIDAY...LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE AND MOISTURE BEGIN TO RETURN...FOR INCREASING STORM CHANCES ACROSS THE PLAINS AGAIN BY EVENING. THEN...OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK...A FLAT RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER COLORADO IS FORECAST TO BUILD NORTHWARD ALONG THE ROCKIES...ALLOWING MOISTURE TO WORK NORTHWARD ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA...FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS EVERYWHERE. THE FLOW LOOKS MORE SOUTHERLY AND LIGHTER DURING THIS TIME...WHICH SHOULD MEAN LESS SHEAR...LESS SEVERE...AND MORE RAIN. WE WILL SEE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SUMMER LIKE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...WITH LOTS OF 80S AND 90S (AND EVEN NEAR 100) ACROSS THE PLAINS...70S AND LOWER 80S HIGH VALLEYS...AND 40S...50S...AND 60S MOUNTAINS. THIS WILL LEAD TO ESCALATING SNOWMELT AND RISING STREAMS IN THE MOUNTAINS. SEE HYDROLOGY SECTION BELOW FOR DETAILS. LW AVIATION...SOUTH WINDS WILL RELAX AFTER SUNSET THIS EVE...AND WILL REMAIN GENERALLY LIGHT THRU WED MORNING. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL AGAIN PICK UP IN INTENSITY LATE WED AFTERNOON. A FEW STRONG TO SVR STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE WED AFTERNOON...BUT SHOULD STAY S OF HGWY 50 AND E OF I-25. ALL THREE TAF SITES SHOULD CONTINUE WITH VFR CONDITIONS. 44 FIRE WEATHER...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND ALL OF THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS FOR THURSDAY. A FAST MOVING PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM WILL RACE BY TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE AREA... SPREADING STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. ONCE AGAIN...A COMBINATION OF DRY FUELS...STRONG WINDS GUSTING INTO THE 50S...AND HUMIDITIES BELOW 15 PERCENT WILL RESULT IN HIGH FIRE DANGER. CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM NOON UNTIL AROUND 9 PM THURSDAY. LW HYDROLOGY...SNOWMELT IN THE HIGH COUNTRY WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...ESCALATING DURING THE MIDDLE AND LATTER PART OF THE WEEK. MOUNTAIN RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL START SWELLING AND RISING AGAIN...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE ARKANSAS RIVER ABOVE PUEBLO AND ALONG THE ARKANSAS RIVER TRIBUTARIES ABOVE SALIDA...WHERE THE SNOW PACK WAS BEEN HEAVIEST THIS YEAR. LATEST HYDROLOGIC FORECASTS FROM THE RIVER FORECAST CENTER INDICATE THAT THE ARKANSAS RIVER NEAR LEADVILLE MAY REACH MINOR FLOOD STAGE THIS WEEKEND. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. LOOK FOR WMO HEADER FGUS75 OR YOU CAN VIEW THE OUTLOOK ON OUR WEB PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/PUB UNDER TOP NEWS OF THE DAY. LW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR COZ221-222-224>237. RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ222-224- 227-228. && 28/28
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 900 PM MDT TUE MAY 31 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-011300- 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- 900 PM MDT TUE MAY 31 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A FEW AREAS SHOULD SEE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DEVELOP ON WEDNESDAY...AS THE WINDS GUSTS TO BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH AND HUMIDITIES DROP TO BETWEEN 10 AND 15 PERCENT. THESE AREAS AREA THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...FREMONT COUNTY...SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY AND PUEBLO COUNTY. ISOLATED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO EACH DAY. PRIMARY STORM THREATS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS AND HAZARDOUS LIGHTNING. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...GENERALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 25 AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50. A COUPLE STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MAY DEVELOP BY LATE AFTERNOON...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL UP TO 2 INCHES AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TO AROUND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER THE PLAINS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. WITH THE EXISTING DRY CONDITIONS...VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...LOW HUMIDITIES AND GUSTY WINDS AT TIMES...NEAR CRITICAL TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON THURSDAY OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS AND MOUNTAINS AND THE SAN LUIS VALLEY. THEN ON FRIDAY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE OVER THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND PORTIONS OF THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. IN ADDITION...RECENT WARM TEMPERATURES ARE MELTING THE SNOW PACK IN THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES WILL ACCELERATE THIS PROCESS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...ESPECIALLY FROM WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AND THEN AGAIN FROM SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. HIGH WATER FLOWS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG MANY COLORADO RIVERS AND STREAMS DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. ALSO...IN SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO...THE MOUNTAINS NORTH OF SALIDA...EXPERIENCED WELL ABOVE AVERAGE SNOW PACK THIS YEAR. CONSEQUENTLY...THE ARKANSAS RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARY STREAMS NORTH OF SALIDA CAN EXPECT TO SEE HIGH STREAM FLOWS AS THE SNOW PACK MELTS DURING THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS. CAUTION SHOULD BE USED WHEN VENTURING IN OR NEAR FAST FLOWING MOUNTAIN STREAMS DURING THE SNOW MELT RUNOFF SEASON. COLD...FAST FLOWING WATER CAN POSE A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. 28/28
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. 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, June 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: 327476.