over south central and southeast Colorado. especially over sections of Custer and Las Animas Counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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 strong storm system centered over northern Colorado produced widespread damaging winds...in excess of 100 mph at times...over south central and southeast Colorado. There were widespread power outages and damage...especially over sections of Custer and Las Animas Counties. Custer County was under a state of emergency for a time. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. In addition...sheds and barns were destroyed...a few cars were damaged or destroyed when large tree limbs came crashing down on them...a few homes also had tree damage...trailers were knocked over and some roofs were damaged and/or blown off. Higher reported wind gusts include 59 mph at the Pueblo Memorial Airport...60 mph near Walsenburg (Huerfano County)...61 mph near Falcon (northern El Paso County)...65 mph at Canon City (Fremont County)...67 mph around Florence (Fremont County)...69 mph near Wetmore (Pueblo County)...70 mph near Silver Cliff and Westcliffe (Custer County)...71 mph near Colorado City (Pueblo County)...76 mph south of the Royal Gorge (Fremont County)...86 mph south of the Air Force Academy (El Paso County)...89 mph near La Veta (Huerfano County)...90 mph west of Westcliffe (Custer County) and near Stonewall (Las Animas County)...91 mph southwest of Buena Vista (Chaffee County)...92 mph southwest of Swissvale in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Fremont County), and finally 109 mph at the summit of Pikes Peak. A rough estimate of damage was around $750,000.
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 12, 3:09 AM MST, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 309 AM MST SAT NOV 12 2011 .SHORT TERM... ...IMPRESSIVE SHORT WAVE MOVING TOWARDS THE REGION WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO PARTS OF THE REGION AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS... CURRENTLY... IMPRESSIVE SHORT WAVE OVER THE PACIFIC NW WAS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST TOWARDS THE REGION. VERY IMPRESSIVE DIFFLUENCE WAS NOTED IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY WITH THIS SYSTEM. WINDS WERE PICKING UP OVER AND TO THE EAST OF THE MTNS...AS AIR FORCE ACADEMY SENSORS WERE GUSTING TO 40 TO 50 KNOTS. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY OVER COLORADO IS ALREADY SHOWING VERY ENHANCED DRYING IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE MTN RANGES...A CLASSIC MTN WAVE SIGNATURE. NOT SURPRISINGLY...TEMPS ACROSS THE REGION...ESPECIALLY JUST EAST OF THE MTNS AND EASTWARD OVER THE PLAINS WERE QUITE WARM...WITH READINGS IN THE U40 TO AROUND 50 OVER QUITE A FEW AREAS AT 3 AM. TODAY... VERY DYNAMIC STORM SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE PAC NW TOWARDS THE REGION WILL BRING STRONG...POTENTIALLY DAMAGING...WINDS TO PARTS OF THE REGION TODAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. MOST FAVORABLE MTN WAVE SIGNATURE WILL OCCUR FROM ROUGHLY 5 AM THROUGH 11 AM THIS MORNING FOR THE EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE MTNS. AFTER THIS TIME WINDS IN THE LOWER LVLS OF THE ATMOSPHERE TAKE ON MORE OF A BRUTE FORCE SIGNATURE WITH WINDS OF 70 TO 100 MPH BETWEEN 500 MB AND 700 MB. THE BEST CHANCE FOR DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK REGION WILL BE THIS MORNING...ALTHOUGH I CANNOT RULE OUT STRONG WIND GUST THROUGH THE NEXT ~18 HOURS. AS FOR THE PLAINS...BEST WIND SIGNATURES FROM THE SHORT RANGE SIMULATIONS SHOW 4 AREAS OF ENHANCED WINDS. THE FIRST EXTENDS WEST TO EAST ACROSS N EL PASO COUNTY. THE SECOND AREA EXTENDS WEST TO EAST FROM CANON CITY EAST TO PUEBLO AND INTO CROWLEY COUNTY. THE THIRD EXTENDS FROM HUERFANO INTO N LAS ANIMAS...AND THE FOURTH ACROSS THE S LAS ANIMAS COUNTY. POCKETS OF RELATIVELY CALM WINDS WERE NOTED DUE EAST OF THE WETS AND PARTS OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY. NOT CLEAR HOW ACCURATE A PORTRAYAL OF THIS WIND FLOW IS...BUT NUMEROUS SHORTER RANGE GUIDANCE PRODUCTS SHOWED THIS SAME TYPE OF SIGNATURE OVER THE REGION...AND LIKEWISE DREW UP THE WIND GRIDDS TO MATCH THIS PATTERN. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A BLIZZARD WARNING FOR THE C MTNS. SEE THE TONIGHT SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS. A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY WAS ALSO ADDED TO THE LEADVILLE REGION. TONIGHT... THE 06Z NAM SHOWED VERY STRONG WINDS OVER THE MTNS..ESPECIALLY FOR TONIGHT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH WERE NOTED OVER MOST RANGES WITH GUSTS WELL OVER 80 MPH. FOR THIS REASON...UPGRADED THE WINTER STORM WARNING OVER THE CENTRAL MTNS TO A BLIZZARD WARNING. ADDITIONALLY...EXTENDED THE HIGH WIND WARNING TO 09Z. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL LIKELY SEE THE WINDS DECREASE SOONER...MORE LIKELY AFTER 03Z...BUT GIVEN THE INTENSITY OF THIS SYSTEM I THOUGHT BEST TO KEEP THE LOWER ELEVATIONS IN THE WARNING UNTIL 09Z. LATER SHIFTS CAN ADJUST WARNING TIMES AS NECESSARY. \/HODANISH .LONG TERM... ...SNOW AND WIND CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY... SHOULD SEE WINDS GRADUALLY RELAX FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS SUN MORNING. STILL COULD SEE SOME GUSTS IN THE 40 MPH RANGE CLOSE TO THE MTNS EARLY SUN MORNING. WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL MTNS...HOWEVER...WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CONTINUING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS N OF KMYP. GUSTS IN THE 60-70 MPH RANGE WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE PASSES AND ABOVE. LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS A LITTLE BETTER PHASING OF THE NRN AND SRN SYSTEMS THAT PASS THROUGH THE ROCKIES ON SUN...AND THIS SHOULD PERMIT AN INCREASE IN SNOW FOR THE SW MTNS...WHERE 4-8 INCHES OF WIND-DRIVEN SNOW COULD FALL BY SUN EVE. SNOW SHOULD WIND DOWN SUN EVE AS THE SYSTEM MOVES EWD. LIGHT INTERMITTENT SHSN SHOULD PERSIST OVER THE HIGHER ELEVS OF LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTY TRHU AT LEAST WED MORNING...AS NW FLOW CONTINUES BEHIND THE DEPARTING TROUGH. OTHERWISE...IT LOOKS PRETTY DRY FOR THE AREA THRU THE BALANCE OF NEXT WEEK. COULD SEE SOME TEMPS IN THE 60S FOR THE PLAINS DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK...AS FLOW ALOFT GRADUALLY SHIFTS FROM W TO SW IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT TROUGH. SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MODELS FOR THE ONSET OF THE NEXT SYSTEM TAKING SHAPE OVER THE PACNW NEXT WEEKEND. AT THIS POINT...IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE IMPACT FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL BE FOR THE C MTNS AGAIN...WITH MORE WIND FOR THE PLAINS...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN ANY SPECIFICS. ROSE && .AVIATION... ...WINDS WILL CAUSE ISSUES AT TAF SITES NEXT 24 HOURS... VFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR AT KCOS...KPUB AND KALS THE NEXT 24H. HOWEVER...WINDS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE QUITE VARIABLE...ESPECIALLY AT KCOS. VERY STRONG LOWER LEVEL WINDS IN THE ATMOSPHERE ALONG WITH THE BLOCKING INFLUENCE OF PIKES PEAK WILL CAUSE GUSTY WINDS TO OCCUR AT TIMES. AT OTHER TIMES ROTORS WILL OCCUR AND SFC WINDS MAY ACTUALLY GO EASTERLY AT TIMES AT KCOS. AT KPUB...GENERALLY STRONG WESTERLY WINDS WILL OCCUR TODAY AND SHOULD DECREASE LATER TONIGHT. KALS SHOULD HAVE RELATIVELY LIGHT SW WINDS TODAY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ059. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 2 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ072>075-078>088. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ058-060-061. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ066-068. && 34/44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 431 PM MST FRI NOV 11 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-122345- 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- 431 PM MST FRI NOV 11 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WINDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF A STRONG PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM THAT IS MOVING INTO THE REGION. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER THE MOUNTAINS. BY LATE TONIGHT WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN SOME AREAS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR AND EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY...WITH GUSTS OF 80 MPH OR MORE OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS AND THE PIKES PEAK AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ANOTHER WINTER STORM WILL BEGIN MOVING INTO WESTERN COLORADO ON SATURDAY. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THROUGH SUNDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD OCCUR OVER THE SAWATCH RANGE NORTH OF MONARCH PASS. 8 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED THERE ABOVE 9000 FEET...AND 10 TO 16 INCHES ABOVE 11000 FEET. THE EASTERN SAN JUANS AND LA GARITAS SHOULD SEE 5 TO 9 INCHES. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY ALSO OCCUR OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS DURING THIS PERIOD. THE STORM WILL MOVE EASTWARD BY SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS OVER LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. OVER THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE...RAMPART RANGE...AND WET MOUNTAINS...ALONG WITH THE ADJACENT PLAINS WEST OF INTERSTATE 25...STRONG TO DAMAGING WINDS MAY OCCUR ON SATURDAY. THE THREAT OF STRONG TO DAMAGING WINDS CURRENTLY LOOKS HIGHEST OVER THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SANGRES AND THE WET MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF CANYON CITY SATURDAY MORNING...BUT STRONG WINDS MAY LINGER INTO SUNDAY FOR THE SANGRES AND SPANISH PEAKS REGION SOUTH OF LA VETA PASS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY LATE TONIGHT OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND SOME AREAS AROUND THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR FROM MONUMENT HILL TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. 28/28
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
554 AM MST SAT NOV 12 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0550 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 11 W COLORADO SPRINGS 38.83N 105.03W
11/12/2011 M81 MPH EL PASO CO AWOS
WIND SENSOR ON TOP OF PIKES PEAK
&&
SHODANISThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
17 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, 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: 353385, 353386, 353388, 353389, 353384, 353383, 353379, 353381, 353391, 353393, 354211, 353378, 353380, 353382, 353387, 353390, 353392.