A strong weather disturbance generated heavy snow accumulations of more than 8 inches across the eastern San Juan mountains and northern Sangre de Cristo mountains. The heaviest snow amount reported was 14 inches near the summit of Wolf Creek Pass.
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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 strong weather disturbance generated heavy snow accumulations of more than 8 inches across the eastern San Juan mountains and northern Sangre de Cristo mountains. The heaviest snow amount reported was 14 inches near the summit of Wolf Creek Pass.
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 7, 5:16 AM MST, 3 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 516 AM MST MON MAR 7 2011 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...MAIN SHORT CONCERN REMAINS SNOW AMOUNTS ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT AS PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE ROCKIES... CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND RUC UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES MODERATE TO STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE REGION AS AN EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE CONTINUES TO TRANSLATE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES ATTM. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ALSO INDICATING A DEVELOPING UPPER TROUGH DIGGING ACROSS THE WEST COAST WITH A STRONG BACKSIDE JET CORE DIVING SOUTH ACROSS THE PAC NW COAST ATTM. AT THE SFC...A 999MB LOW ACROSS EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO HAS ALLOWED FOR A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT TO MOVE ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN COLORADO PLAINS WITH GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH BEING REPORTED AT LAA AND LHX ATTM. REGIONAL RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA INDICATING SOME LIGHT SNOWFALL CONTINUING ACROSS THE CONTDVD WITH STRATUS ACROSS NORTHEASTERN COLORADO SLOWLY MOVING SOUTH ATTM. TODAY AND TONIGHT...LATEST MODELS SHOWING SOME RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY ON DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE PERIOD THOUGH CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON EXACT LOCATION AND STRENGTH OF UPPER LOW...WHICH HAS BIG DIFFERENCES ON SNOW AMOUNTS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. WITH THE STORM SYSTEM JUST MOVING ON SHORE THIS EVENING...THE 12Z RUNS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PIN POINT STORM TRACK. WITH THAT SAID...HAVE NOT CHANGED MUCH WITH CURRENT FORECAST EXCEPT TO FINE TUNE SNOW AMOUNTS AND HAVE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE NAM WITH ITS BETTER MODEL RESOLUTION. MODERATE WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON AS BROAD UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO DIG ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN REGION AND INTO WESTERN COLORADO BY 00Z TUE. THE LATEST NAM THEN CONTINUES TO LIFT BROAD TROUGH ACROSS THE STATE AND INTO WESTERN KANSAS BY 12 TUE WITH A WEAK MID LEVEL CIRCULATION MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...WHERE AS THE GFS CONTINUES TO HAVE A MORE DEFINED CLOSED LOW MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO THROUGH 12Z TUE. LATEST ECMWF REMAINS SIMILAR TO THE NAM. AT ANY RATE...MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE AMPLE MOISTURE...UVV AND UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA FROM LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THE LATE EVENING. THIS COUPLED WITH DEVELOPING LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON SHOULD ALLOW FOR WIDESPREAD PRECIP TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SW AND CENTRAL MTS THIS MORNING AND SPREAD EAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE LATEST NAM IS INDICATING SLIGHTLY LESS SFC-H7 UPSLOPE FLOW THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...THOUGH DOES CONTINUE TO INDICATE STRONG UPGLIDE ACROSS THE UPPER ARKANSAS VALLY THROUGH THE WET MTS AND UP ACROSS EASTERN TELLER AND WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY...BEST SEEN ON THE 295K AND 300K ISENTROPES...FROM 00Z THROUGH 06Z BEFORE BECOMING MORE DOWNGLIDE AFTER 09Z TUE. WITH THAT SAID...SHOULD SEE THE BEST SNOWFALL IN THESE AREAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HAVE TRIED TO FINE TUNE SNOW TOTALS THROUGH TONIGHT FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS TELLER...SOUTHERN EL PASO AND PUEBLO COUNTIES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS CLOSEST TO THE MOUNTAINS WHERE UPSLOPE AND UPGLIDE WILL BE MAXIMIZED...AND LESSER AMOUNTS THE FURTHER NORTH AND EAST YOU GO. SNOW AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES STILL LOOK ON TARGET ACROSS SW AND CENTRAL MTS AS WELL AS THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS....WITH 6 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS THE REST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN...AND THE HIGH MT VALLEYS. -MW .LONG TERM... (TUESDAY-SUNDAY) ...MAIN CHALLENGE IS HOW MUCH MORE SNOW...AND WIND...TO EXPECT ACROSS THE PLAINS ON TUESDAY... MODEL DISCREPANCIES CONTINUE WITH REGARD TO HOW THE STORM PLAYS OUT FOR TUESDAY. ONE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT IS THAT THE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE QUICKLY INTO WESTERN KANSAS TUESDAY MORNING...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL SHIFTING EASTWARD WITH IT...WRAPPED UP PRETTY TIGHTLY AROUND THE UPPER LOW CENTER. IN THIS SCENARIO...SNOWFALL CONTINUES OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND MUCH OF THE EASTERN PLAINS...BUT INTENSITIES HAVE DROPPED OFF AND AREAL COVERAGE IS NOT CONTINUOUS SO ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS END UP BEING ONLY SPOTTY AND LIGHT. HOWEVER...THERE ARE SOME BRISK NORTH WINDS OVER PARTS OF THE PLAINS IN THIS SCENARIO...SO WHAT SNOW DOES FALL GETS WHIPPED AROUND A BIT...RESULTING IN AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. THIS IS THE SCENARIO THAT THE CURRENT FORECAST IS BASED ON PRIMARILY. THE OTHER SCHOOL OF THOUGHT IS THE ONE ENTERTAINED BY THE GFS MODEL. THIS MODEL HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY SHOWING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW THAT EVENTUALLY TAKES IT FARTHER SOUTH INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE BY TUESDAY NOON...ALLOWING FOR MORE INTENSITY TO THE SNOWFALL...FOR A LONGER PERIOD...THAN THE OTHER MODELS. IF THIS SCENARIO PANS OUT...THE PLAINS COULD BE HARDER HIT THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST...AND UPGRADED OR ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS MAY BE NEEDED AT SOME POINT. WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT LATER MODEL RUNS INDICATE AND GO FROM THERE. IN ANY CASE...SNOWFALL SHOULD BE OVER JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE BY TUESDAY EVENING...WITH WARMER AND DRIER WEATHER ON THE WAY FOR THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK. IT CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO COULD ARRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES SPREADING EAST TO THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY. THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF MODEL FORECASTS OVER THE PAST COUPLE DAYS SO CONFIDENCE IN THE TIMING... INTENSITY...OR EVEN THE EXISTENCE OF THIS SYSTEM IS STILL HIGHLY UNCERTAIN. FOR NOW...LETS JUST FOCUS ON THE MILD AND DRY PART OF THE FORECAST. WE CAN DEAL WITH THE POSSIBLE COLD AND WET AGAIN LATER. LW && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WL BE FOUND AT THE THREE TAF SITES THROUGH THE LATE MORNING...WITH SOME MVFR AND PATCHY IFR CIGS FOR COS AND PORTIONS OF EL PASO COUNTY. SHOULD SEE SNOW RE-DEVELOPING ACROSS THE CONTDVD LATE THIS MORNING...WITH MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR BETWEEN 20Z-24Z. IFR CONDITIONS THEN EXPECTED FOR PUB AND COS THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT IN SNOW AND FOG WITH OCCASIONAL IFR AT ALS. -MW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ089-095-096. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ058>061-066-068. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ062-063-072-073-076>080-083-085>087. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ064-065-067-069-074-075-081-082-084-088. && 23/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 649 AM MST MON MAR 7 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-081400- 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- 649 AM MST MON MAR 7 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN THIS MORNING...AND THEN CONTINUE TO TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. THE MOVEMENT OF THIS STORM WILL ALLOW FOR WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATER THIS MORNING...WITH SNOW...MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES...THEN SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND OUT ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED BY EARLY TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS...THE EASTERN SAWATCH AND WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGES...AND THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS. SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 12 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY...AND ALL OF FREMONT COUNTY AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES. ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS TELLER COUNTY AND THE RAMPART RANGE...AS WELL AS EL PASO AND PUEBLO COUNTIES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF TELLER COUNTY AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF EL PASO AND PUEBLO COUNTIES. SNOWFALL OF 2 TO 6 INCHES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REST OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR THROUGH THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS. ICY...SNOW COVERED ROADS WITH POOR VISIBILITY IN SNOWFALL CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA...WITH HAZARDOUS TRAVEL EXPECTED FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO TUESDAY AS A WINTER STORM SYSTEM SHIFTS INTO WESTERN KANSAS. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN MOST AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO COULD ARRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES SPREADING EAST TO THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY. IF THIS STORM REMAINS ON TRACK...THE MOUNTAINS COULD SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW...WITH POSSIBLE LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY FROM LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH TONIGHT. 23/50
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm. 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, March 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: 293287, 293288, 293289.