A fast moving system produced 12 inches of snow at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass and surroundings.
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A fast moving system produced 12 inches of snow at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass and surroundings.
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 5, 3:48 AM MST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 448 AM MDT SAT NOV 5 2011 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...SNOW AND WIND COMING TO THE REGION... .CURRENTLY...SNOW HAD BEEN SLOW TO DEVELOP IN THE EASTERN SAN JUANS AS SUGGESTED IN THE PREVIOUS AFD. KGJX RADAR SHOWS PLENTY OF ECHOES JUST WEST OF KTEX ASSOCIATED WITH A DEVELOPING LEAF CLOUD. LIGHTNING HAS BEEN OBSERVED OVER EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAIN PV LOBE. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA WITH GUSTS INTO THE MID 20S AT KTAD AND KSPD. .TODAY...EXPECT SNOW TO BEGIN SHORTLY OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUANS AS IR SHOWS COOLING OF CLOUD TOPS OVER THE SAN JUANS NORTH OF KPSO. ONCE SNOW DEVELOPS OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUANS..IT SHOULD START SNOWING HARD FAIRLY QUICKLY. LIGHTNING STRIKES OVER ARIZONA SHOWS THAT ATMOSPHERE WILL BE UNSTABLE. LATEST NAM CONTINUES TO SHOW AROUND 12 TO 15 INCHES OF SNOW WITH AN INCH OF LIQUID...WHICH MATCHES THE CURRENT FORECAST. SNOW WILL DEVELOP LATER OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES. SOUTHWEST FLOW IS NOT A FAVORABLE DIRECTION FOR THESE RANGES. AS THE TROUGH PASSES...FLOW WILL GO WESTERLY WHICH WILL INTENSIFY THE SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON. WITH ATMOSPHERE DRYING FAIRLY QUICKLY BEHIND THE TROUGH...CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY LOOKS GOOD. AS TROUGH MOVES ACROSS EASTERN MOUNTAINS...THERE COULD BE A SNOW SHOWERS WITH GUSTY WINDS. SANGRES HAVE LIKELY POPS FOR THE SNOW SHOWERS...AND ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIGHT. FURTHER EAST...THE MAIN STORY WILL BE THE WIND. PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS DURING THE LATE MORNING. COLD AIR ADVECTION ALOFT BEHIND THE TROUGH WILL RESULT IN AN UNSTABLE LOWER ATMOSPHERE. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE WINDS ALOFT TO MIX TOWARDS THE SURFACE. WITH THE DEVELOPING CYCLONE TO THE NORTH...DECENT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL DEVELOP ON THE PLAINS. WITH THE RAPID MOVEMENT OF THE CYCLONE...AGEOSTROPHIC FLOW WILL FURTHER INTENSIFY THE WINDS. CURRENT GRIDS HAVE A MARGINAL HIGH WIND EVENT ON THE PLAINS WITH SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 40 MPH AND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN THE AFTERNOON AND FROM JUST EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR TO THE KANSAS BORDER. WILL ALSO CONTINUE RED FLAG WARNING. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES ARE AROUND 20 PERCENT...BUT WITH DROUGHT AND STRONG WINDS THERE WILL STILL BE A DANGER FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH. IF DRY SLOT IS STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED...THEN DEW POINTS COULD BE EVEN LOWER THAN FORECAST. .TONIGHT...AS SYSTEM MOVES EAST OF THE REGION TONIGHT...SNOW WILL END OVER THE MOUNTAINS BY 03Z. SOME BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. FOLLOWED PREVIOUS GRIDS FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS. --PGW-- .LONG TERM... (SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY) MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE BETWEEN WEATHER SYSTEMS SUNDAY...ALTHOUGH A FEW SNOW SHOWERS MAY LINGER ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. MAX TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY COOL...AS WEAK SURFACE WINDS LIMIT MIXING. BY SUNDAY NIGHT...NEXT UPPER TROUGH BEGINS TO LIFT EASTWARD THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN...WITH INCREASING CHANCES FOR SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE OVERNIGHT. SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL FAVOR THE SAN JUANS FOR HEAVIER SNOWFALL...THOUGH AMOUNTS WILL STAY FAIRLY LIGHT THROUGH SUNRISE MONDAY. UPPER TROUGH SWINGS EASTWARD THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...WITH UPPER LOW CLOSING OFF OVER NORTHEAST NM TUESDAY MORNING. WILL LIKELY SEE HEAVY SNOW OVER THE SAN JUANS EARLY MONDAY...WITH FOCUS SHIFTING EASTWARD TO THE SANGRES/WETS BY MONDAY EVENING AS UPSLOPE FLOW DEEPENS. BAND OF HEAVY PRECIP THEN DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS BY TUE MORNING AS LOW WRAPS UP...AND COULD SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF HEAVY/WET WIND DRIVEN SNOW SOMEWHERE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER BEFORE STORM EXITS THE REGION TUE EVENING. QUICK PEAK AT THE 06Z NAM/GFS SUGGESTS POTENTIAL FOR VERY HEAVY SNOW OVER THE SAN JUANS AND ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SANGRES/RATON MESA...WHERE MODEL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL APPROACHES 2 FEET. IF SYSTEM STAYS ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...MOST PRECIP WILL STAY SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER...LEAVING EL PASO/TELLER COUNTIES WITH ONLY SOME LIGHT SNOW MAINLY MON NIGHT. ALSO SOME CONCERN THAT SURFACE TEMPS ON THE PLAINS MAY NOT FALL MUCH BELOW FREEZING...LIMITING ACCUMS BELOW 4500 FEET. STILL MANY DETAILS TO BE WORKED OUT WITH THIS SYSTEM...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IN PRECIP EVENT HAS INCREASED ENOUGH TO BOOST POPS INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY FOR THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS MON NIGHT INTO TUE. KEPT THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST DRY FROM WED INTO SAT...WITH A WARMING TREND TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK AS SOUTHWEST FLOW INCREASES AHEAD OF NEXT UPPER TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE WESTERN U.S. --PETERSEN && .AVIATION...EXPECT GUSTY WINDS AT ALL THE TAF SITES DURING MUCH OF SATURDAY. WINDS WILL DEVELOP AT KALS BY AROUND SUNRISE...WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE IN THE MORNING. SNOW SHOWERS MAY BRIEFLY LOWER CONDITIONS TO SUB VFR...BUT THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE TRANSIENT. FOR KCOS AND KPUB...GUSTY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BY LATE MORNING. WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY. BY EVENING...WINDS WILL DECREASE WITH VFR CONDITIONS. --PGW-- && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ084>089-093>099. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ231>237. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ058- 060-066. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ068. && 06/10
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 944 PM MDT FRI NOV 4 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-060345- 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- 944 PM MDT FRI NOV 4 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT HEAVY SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...THE LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AND THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED WITH STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY EVENING. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...WITH THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LA GARITAS...EASTERN SAWATCH AND WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGES. STRONG SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE POOR VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS ON SATURDAY...WITH SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS INCREASING TO 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 TO 65 MPH BY AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON. STRONG CROSS WINDS ALONG NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED ROADWAYS CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS POSSIBLE. THESE STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH THE DRY CONDITIONS...WILL RESULT IN A HIGH FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS ON SATURDAY. EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR AND RAPID RATES OF FIRE SPREAD CAN BE EXPECTED SHOULD A FIRE START. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THIS STORM WILL BRING SNOW TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE MONDAY NIGHT AND POSSIBLY TO THE EASTERN PLAINS TUESDAY DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION AFTER MIDNIGHT. 31/44
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 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: 353351.