A fast moving, intense storm system produce heavy snow as well as gusty winds to portions of southern Colorado. and near the summit of Pikes Peak.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
A fast moving, intense storm system produce heavy snow as well as gusty winds to portions of southern Colorado. Some of the higher reported snow amounts within the warned areas were more than 8 inches across the Mosquito and eastern Sawatch Ranges...and near the summit of Pikes Peak. An area of 9 to 15 inches blanketed the Beulah and Rye areas in western Pueblo County. Lesser amounts occurred across Teller County and northwest El Paso County, including the Air Force Academy, and around the Wet Mountains.
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 Nov 1, 7:52 PM MST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 852 PM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011 .UPDATE...HAVE ADDED A SNOW ADVISORY FOR LAKE COUNTY INCLUDING LEADVILLE THROUGH WED MORNING. STORM IS NOW RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING OVR THE 4 CORNERS...AND EXPECT A 6-9 H PERIOD OF HEAVY BANDED SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL CO TONIGHT. LATEST NAM HAS CUT BACK SNOW ACCUMS SLIGHTLY...ESPECIALLY FOR TELLER COUNTY AND THE WET MTNS...HOWEVER THE STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL IMPACTS DUE TO BLOWING SNOW...SO WILL LEAVE OTHER HEADLINES INTACT FOR NOW. ROSE .AVIATION...N WINDS ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO IMPACT KCOS AND KPUB...AND SHOULD STRENGTHEN DURING THE NEXT 2-4 HOURS...BECOMING QUITE STRONG THRU ABOUT 12-14Z WED MORNING. SNOW STILL EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE TAF SITES LATER TONIGHT AND WED MORNING...ESPECIALLY AT KCOS WHERE THERE COULD BE SOME LIFR OR EVEN VLIFR CONDITIONS IN THE 09-15Z TIME FRAME. EXPECT RAPID IMPROVEMENT AFTER 15-17Z FOR THE NRN I-25 CORRIDOR. IMPACT AT KALS STILL NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS BAD...BUT COULD SEE SOME BRIEF CIG AND VIS RESTRICTIONS IN SHSN WED MORNING. ROSE && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 330 PM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011/ SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY) ..STRONG WINTER STORM STILL ON TRACK TO IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY... UPPER TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN IS FORECAST TO SWING SOUTHEASTWARD AND INTENSIFY OVERNIGHT...WITH 500 MB CLOSED LOW DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY. ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL RACE SOUTH ACROSS THE STATE...REACHING THE PALMER DIVIDE BY MIDNIGHT AND THE NM BORDER BY SUNRISE. STRONG BUT SHORT-LIVED UPWARD MOTION WILL SPREAD SOUTH BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH NICE AREA OF ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE CENTERED AROUND 12Z OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS/I-25 CORRIDOR. UPWARD MOTION THEN QUICKLY SHIFTS EAST DURING THE MORNING...WITH MAINLY DOWNWARD MOTION SPREADING OVER ALL THE AREA AFTER 18Z. WINDOW FOR HEAVIEST SNOW WILL THUS BE FAIRLY SHORT...IN THE 09Z-16Z TIME PERIOD...WHICH WILL LIMIT ACCUMULATIONS. WITH 30-40 MPH NORTH WINDS FOLLOWING THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS APPEAR LIKELY FOR THE PALMER DIVIDE WHERE LOCAL UPSLOPE WILL INCREASE SNOWFALL RATES...SO UPGRADE TO A BLIZZARD WARNING HERE LOOKS GOOD. FOR TELLER COUNTY...WINDS DON'T LOOK QUITE AS STRONG AND BLOWING/DRIFTING WILL BE MORE LOCALIZED...SO WINTER STORM WARNING FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING LOOKS REASONABLE. REMAINDER OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS WERE A TOUGHER FORECAST...AS SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE HIGHLY VARIABLE. OPTED FOR A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY WED...WITH HEAVIEST SNOW OVER THE WET MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS OF THE SOUTHERN SANGRES. COLORADO SPRINGS/PUEBLO/CANON CITY AREAS MAY NOT SEE MUCH SNOW (LESS THAN 3 INCHES) AS NORTHERLY DOWNSLOPE WINDS SHOULD KILL PRECIP QUICKLY ...BUT POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR A BURST OF HEAVY SNOW ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WIND...RIGHT AROUND PEAK COMMUTE TIME WED MORNING. 18Z NAM SUGGEST BAND OF HEAVY SNOW MAY DEVELOP ON THE PLAINS SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER...SO NUDGED UP SNOW AMOUNTS AN INCH OR TWO THERE. SHOULD SEE A RAPID DECREASE IN WINDS AND SNOWFALL AFTER 18Z...WITH ONLY A FEW SNOW SHOWERS LINGERING OVER THE REGION IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURES WEDNESDAY A C51ENGE WITH 20F SPREAD BETWEEN MAV AND MET GUIDANCE. FORECAST WILL PRETTY MUCH SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE KEEPING MAXES NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE FREEZING...AS SOME RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE WITH CLEARING LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. --10 LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY) RELATIVELY ACTIVE METEOROLOGICAL PATTERN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT DURING THE LONGER TERM WITH PRIMARY METEOROLOGICAL CONCERNS BEING POPS...TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS AT TIMES. RECENT LONGER TERM COMPUTER MODEL SOLUTIONS SUGGEST THAT SYSTEM THAT IMPACTS CWFA THIS TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY WILL BE CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI BY 12Z THURSDAY AS DRY TRANSITORY UPPER RIDGE TRAVERSES CWFA FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. CONTINUED GENERALLY DRY SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW IS THEN ANTICIPATED OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM LATER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY MORNING IN ADVANCE OF NEXT UPPER SYSTEM THAT WILL BE IMPACTING THE REGION FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY EVENING WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF PRECIPITATION AND WIND. AS THE EARLY WEEKEND SYSTEM PULLS AWAY FROM THE CWFA SATURDAY NIGHT...SOUTHERN COLORADO SHOULD THEN EXPERIENCE GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS IN COMBINATION WITH NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONAL TEMPERATURES FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING THANKS TO ZONAL TO SOUTHWEST UPPER FLOW. THE NEXT SYSTEM SCHEDULED TO IMPACT THE REGION WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF UNSETTLED METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IS PROJECTED TO BE DEVELOPING OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA BY MONDAY EVENING BEFORE MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE FORECAST DISTRICT BY NEXT TUESDAY. FINALLY...GUSTY WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED AT TIMES OVER SECTIONS OF THE CWFA DURING THE LONGER TERM...ESPECIALLY FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AND THEN AGAIN BY NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT. AVIATION... COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP SOUTH OVERNIGHT...WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE AT KCOS BY 05Z AND KPUB BETWEEN 05Z-06Z. NORTH WINDS WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE FOLLOWING THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SNOWFALL AND IFR CIGS/VIS AT KCOS BY 08Z AND KPUB BY 10Z. EXPECT A PERIOD OF IFR/OCCASIONAL LIFR AT KOCS FROM AROUND 10Z-18Z WITH -SN/BLSN...WITH FAIRLY QUICK IMPROVEMENT AFTER 18Z. AT KPUB...MAINLY IFR EXPECTED FROM 10Z-18Z AS SNOWFALL RATES WILL BE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN FARTHER NORTH. RAPIDLY IMPROVEMENT IN CONDITIONS ALSO LIKELY AFTER 18Z AT KPUB. AT KALS...SNOW WILL BE FAIRLY INTERMITTENT...WITH ONLY SOME BRIEF MVFR DUE TO -SHSN THROUGH THE DAY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO NOON MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ074-075-087-088-093>099. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO NOON MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ072-073-078>080-083-085-086-089. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ059. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ058-060-081- 082. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON MDT WEDNESDAY FOR COZ084. && 44/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 921 PM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-030330- 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- 921 PM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL DROP SOUTH OVER COLORADO TONIGHT. SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING AND SPREAD EAST AND SOUTH THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL TRACK SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS TONIGHT. WINDS WILL BE VERY STRONG BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE BY DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY. SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN PALMER DIVIDE AND SHIFT SOUTH INTO EL PASO COUNTY BY MIDNIGHT. THE SNOW WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG WINDS TO PRODUCE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ALONG WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES WILL PRODUCE A VERY DANGEROUS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE FOR NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY. SNOW WILL SPREAD SOUTH BEHIND THE COLD FRONT INTO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS BY LATE TONIGHT...WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ACROSS MANY AREAS BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WEDNESDAY MORNING...VERY STRONG NORTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDDAY ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND SOUTHEAST PLAINS. THE WORST TRAVEL CONDITIONS...WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WILL BE ACROSS THE PALMER DIVIDE...TELLER COUNTY...THE RAMPART RANGE AND PIKES PEAK. SNOW AND WIND WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVER ALL THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THE STORM WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER TELLER COUNTY AND ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE...WITH 3 TO 7 INCHES OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. THE PLAINS WILL SEE 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS...AND WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE PLAINS. YET ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE REGION LATER SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW...MAINLY TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY BY LATE TONIGHT. 44/50
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 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, November 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: 353341, 353342, 353343, 353349.