A strong upper level jet stream moved over Colorado, generating wind gusts over 70 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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 upper level jet stream moved over Colorado, generating wind gusts over 70 mph.
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 Oct 6, 11:20 AM MST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1220 PM MDT THU OCT 6 2011 .AVIATION... ONLY MINOR CHANGES MADE TO WINDS FOR THE 18Z TAFS. KEPT GUSTS OF 45 KNOTS FOR ALL TAF SITES THROUGH 00Z...WITH SOME VISIBILITY RESTRICTION DUE TO BLOWING DUST POSSIBLE AT KALS BETWEEN 21Z-24Z. WINDS DIMINISH AFTER 03Z THIS EVENING MOST LOCATIONS. OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...IFR CONDTIONS DUE TO CLOUDS/RAIN/SNOW WILL CONTINUE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 510 AM MDT THU OCT 6 2011/ SHORT TERM... ..HIGH IMPACT WEATHER EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...WITH HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...HIGH WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS FOR THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...AND POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FLIRTING WITH THE FAR EASTERN BORDER... UPPER LOW IS CURRENTLY DROPPING THROUGH THE WESTERN U.S. TOWARDS THE GREAT BASIN WITH POTENT 120+ KT UPPER JET TRANSLATING INTO THE 4 CORNERS REGION EARLY THIS MORNING. ALREADY SEEING FAIRLY WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF SHOWERS IN RADAR MOSAICS MOVING INTO WRN CO...AND WITH STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY OROGRAPHICS...EXPECT THAT WOLF CREEK PASS WILL PICK UP SOME SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ALONG WITH BLOWING SNOW THROUGH THE DAY. BEST FORCING IS MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN AREAS THIS MORNING...AND EXPECT HEAVIEST SNOWS TO FALL THROUGH 18Z. HOWEVER INSTABILITY INCREASES DURING THE AFTERNOON AS UPPER LOW EDGES INTO WRN CO...SO COULD CONTINUE TO SEE HEAVY CONVECTIVE SNOWS CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS WELL. ALL IN ALL...STILL LOOKS LIKE THE EASTERN SAN JUANS AND LA GARITAS SHOULD RECEIVE A FOOT OF SNOWFALL...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 18 INCHES ALONG THE FAVORED SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES OF THE EASTERN SAN JUANS. THE SAWATCH RANGE ISN'T AS FAVORED WITH SOUTHWEST FLOW...HOWEVER WITH THE INSTABILITY THINK AREAS UP HIGH WILL RECEIVE AROUND A FOOT OF SNOW. GIVEN THE POTENTIALLY HIGH IMPACT FROM THIS FIRST BIG STORM OF THE SEASON...WILL MAINTAIN THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THIS REGION AS WELL...EVEN THOUGH SOME AREAS MAY COME UP A LITTLE SHORT ON SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. WITH STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING UP TO 60 MPH AT TIMES...REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE MTN PASSES AND HIGHER AREAS. SNOW WILL ALSO SPREAD INTO THE SANGRES DURING THE AFTERNOON WHERE HIGHER AREAS COULD PICK UP A FEW INCHES OF ACCUMULATION. AS THE UPPER JET TRANSLATES ACROSS THE AREA...SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS UP ACROSS THE PLAINS AS LEE SIDE SFC LOW DEEPENS AND KICKS EASTWARD DURING THE AFTERNOON. WINDS ACROSS THE PLAINS WILL LIKELY REACH SUSTAINED HIGH WIND CRITERIA (40 MPH FOR AN HOUR OR MORE) DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. COULD SEE SOME GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH AT TIMES...MAINLY EAST OF I-25. HAVE UPGRADED THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A WARNING. HIGH WINDS MAY BE A LITTLE MORE MARGINAL FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR...BUT THINK THAT THE SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS SHOULD BE ACHIEVABLE. AND IF SHOWERS SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH AS MOVE OFF THE EASTERN MTS DURING THE AFTERNOON...THESE MIGHT HELP TO TRANSFER HIGHER WINDS ALOFT TO THE SFC...WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE. THUS HAVE INCLUDED THE I-25 CORRIDOR IN THE WARNING AREA. HAVE ALSO SEEN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY HIT HIGH WIND CRITERIA IN CASES SIMILAR TO THIS ONE...AND HAVE INCLUDED THEM IN THE HIGH WIND WARNING. COMBINED WITH THE DRY CONDITIONS...THESE HIGH WINDS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR TODAY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS WHERE FUELS ARE RECEPTIVE TO FIRE. BASED ON LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES LATEST FUELS STATUS...THIS WILL INCLUDE MOST OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...EXCEPT PUEBLO AND HUERFANO COUNTIES. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL APPROACH 15-20 PERCENT FOR MOST OF THE AREA...AND ALTHOUGH THIS MAY COME UP JUST SHY OF THE STRICT RED FLAG WARNING THRESHOLD...WITH THE WINDS AS STRONG AS THEY ARE...THIS COULD STILL LEAD TO VOLATILE CONDITIONS FOR FIRE SPREAD. BASED ON COORDINATION WITH BOU AND SPC FIRE DESK...HAVE OPTED TO PUT OUT A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THESE AREAS. LATEST MODELS MIX THE DRY LINE INTO EXTREME WESTERN KS DURING THE AFTERNOON...POTENTIALLY ELIMINATING THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEAST CO PLAINS. HOWEVER...NAM BACKS THE DRYLINE TO RIGHT ALONG THE CO/KS BORDER BETWEEN 00Z AND 03Z...SO PLAN TO MAINTAIN SOME ISOLATED POPS FOR THAT AREA. PLENTY OF SHEAR WILL BE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT A THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...HOWEVER CAPES MAY BE THE LIMITING FACTOR. THIS AREA WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING FOR POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER. AS THE UPPER LOW LIFTS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST TONIGHT...WINDS AND SNOWS WILL WIND DOWN. SUSPECT THAT WINTER HIGHLIGHTS MAY BE ABLE TO BE TAKEN DOWN BY LATE EVENING OUT WEST...BUT WILL LET LATER SHIFTS RE-ASSESS THIS. MEANWHILE...THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WILL LIKELY GET THEIR FIRST HARD FREEZE OF THE SEASON. -KT LONG TERM... (FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ..MORE SNOW TO START THE WEEKEND... THE MAIN FORECAST C51ENGE IN THE EXTENDED CENTERS AROUND THE EXPECTED IMPACT OF A SECONDARY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ON THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND. WILL SEE A BIT OF A LULL OR BREAK BETWEEN STORM SYSTEMS FRI MORNING AS THE PRIMARY LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE NNEWD INTO THE NRN PLAINS. COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM CONTINUES TO FILTER INTO ERN CO FRI MORNING...AND IT WILL LIKELY BE A BIT OF A RAW AND CHILLY START TO THE DAY. TEMPS SHOULD REBOUND NICELY BY FRI AFTERNOON...REACHING THE 60S OVR THE I-25 CORRIDOR...AND EVEN SOME 70S CLOSER TO THE KS BORDER. HAVE CUT BACK ON POPS A BIT...ESPECIALLY FOR THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON PERIOD...AS THE DRYLINE LIKELY SETS UP A BIT TOO FAR E TO AFFECT THE PLAINS FRI AFTERNOON. SHOULD STILL SEE SOME LINGERING SHOWERS OVR THE CONTDVD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. COMPLEX SCENARIO BEGINS TO UNFOLD FRI NIGHT...AS THE SECONDARY LOW BEGINS TO DEVELOP AT THE SRN END OF THE TROUGH OVR THE ROCKIES. THERE IS STILL A PRETTY GOOD SPREAD OF SOLUTIONS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS FORECAST MODELS. THE 00Z GFS IS THE THE WEAKEST AND MOST PROGRESSIVE...AND IT TAKES THE UPPER LOW NEWD INTO NE CO AND NE BY MID-DAY SAT. WITH THE WEAKER SOLUTION...WINDS ALOFT CONTINUE TO BE MORE WESTERLY...AND LLVL WINDS ARE MORE NRLY OVER THE ERN MTNS AND PLAINS. IF THIS SOLUTION VERIFIED...ONLY LIGHT SN ACCUMS WOULD BE EXPECTED...MAINLY OVR THE PIKES PEAK REGION AND TELLER COUNTY ABOVE ABOUT 7500 FEET. THE NAM12 ON THE OTHER HAND IS QUITE A BIT STRONGER AND SLOWER WITH THE SECONDARY LOW...AND INTENSIFIES IT OVR NW NM ON SAT MORNING. IN THE NAM SOLUTION...WINDS BACK IN RESPONSE TO THE STRENGTHENING LOW...AND THERE IS A GOOD 6 H PERIOD OF FAIRLY DEEP UPSLOPE OVR SERN CO...WITH 30-35 KT H7 WINDS IMPACTING THE RAMPARTS AND WET MTNS. THE 06Z NAM IS EVEN STRONGER THAN THE 00Z SOLUTION...AND IF IT VERIFIED THEN THE PIKES PEAK REGION COULD SEE SNOW DOWN TO ABOUT 6000-6500 FEET BY SAT MORNING. WRN AND NRN PARTS OF KCOS COULD SEE SOME WET SNOW. LOW END WARNING CRITERIA SNOWS WOULD BE LIKELY ACROSS THE ERN RANGES ABOVE ABOUT 8500 FEET. THE 00Z ECMWF IS A BIT OF A COMPROMISE...WITH A SLOWER EVOLUTION OF THE SECONDARY SYSTEM...AND IS FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE NCEP ENSEMBLE. SINCE THE GFS APPEARS TO BE THE OUTLIER...HAVE LARGELY DISREGARDED IT IN FAVOR OF A COMPROMISE SOLUTION. THE NAM MAY BE A BIT OVERDONE WITH THE STRENGTH OF ERLY WINDS AND RESULTANT HIGH QPF OVR THE ERN RANGES...SO WILL BE CAUTIOUS ON POPS/WX FOR NOW. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE NAM CLOSELY TO SEE IF IT CONTINUES PROGGING A STRONGER SYSTEM. AFTER THIS SECONDARY SYSTEM CLEARS OUT SOMETIME ON SUN...THE PATTERN BECOMES RATHER BENIGN WITH QUASI-ZONAL FLOW BECOMING ESTABLISHED OVR THE ROCKIES. WILL LIKELY SEE A WARMING TREND WITH LOW CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION THRU THE END OF NEXT WEEK. 44 AVIATION... VERY STRONG WINDS WILL AFFECT THE TAF SITES TODAY WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASING TO 35 TO 45 MPH. COULD SEE SOME LOCALIZED GUSTS TO 60 MPH...THOUGH THESE GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SPOTTY IN NATURE FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND SAN LUIS VALLEY. OTHER CONCERN WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING DUST AT KALS DURING THE AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE...LIFR CIGS/MTN OBSCURATIONS WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE CONTDVD TODAY...WITH SNOW SPREADING INTO THE CREST OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BY AFTN. KALS HAS THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEEING A PASSING SHOWER DURING THE AFTERNOON. SHOWERS SHOULD DISSIPATE AS THEY MOVE EAST OF THE SOUTHEAST MTS...AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT KCOS OR KPUB...THUS VFR CIGS/VIS EXPECTED FOR THESE AREAS THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. -KT && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ084>089- 093>099. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 7 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ226-227- 230>237. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ069>071. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM MDT FRIDAY FOR COZ060-066-068. && 10/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1144 AM MDT THU OCT 6 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-071745- 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- 1144 AM MDT THU OCT 6 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A POTENT STORM SYSTEM DROPPING INTO THE GREAT BASIN WILL SPREAD A VARIETY OF HIGH IMPACT WEATHER ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE MOUNTAIN AREAS...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TODAY AND TONIGHT. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FEET...AND ACROSS THE SAWATCH RANGE ABOVE 11000 FEET. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE FAVORED SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES OF THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. SNOW WILL ALSO SPREAD ACROSS THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS TODAY. LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. MEANWHILE...STRONG DAMAGING WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND SOUTHEAST PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS WILL REACH 40 MPH...WITH LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. COMBINED WITH THE DRY VEGETATION ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...THIS WILL LEAD TO VOLATILE CONDITIONS FOR FIRE SPREAD. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST...WHICH COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY NEAR OPEN FIELDS. ISOLATED EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. LOCALLY INTENSE SNOWFALL RATES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TODAY. THE STRONG WINDS AND HIGH FIRE DANGER WILL SUBSIDE THIS EVENING...WITH SNOW WINDING DOWN ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT. A HARD FREEZE WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SECOND STORM SYSTEM WILL INTENSIFY OVER NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO LATE FRIDAY...AND WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS BEGINNING LATE FRIDAY AND LASTING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY OR EARLY SUNDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE AROUND 8500 FEET ON FRIDAY...BUT MAY FALL AS LOW AS 6500 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER ALL THE MOUNTAIN AREAS THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT THE EASTERN RANGES INCLUDING PIKES PEAK...THE WET MOUNTAINS...AND THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME OVER THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. 10/27
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1003 AM MDT THU OCT 06 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1001 AM SNOW 10 SW CREEDE 37.75N 107.06W
10/06/2011 E2.0 INCH MINERAL CO TRAINED SPOTTER
RAIN/SNOW MIX. 0.67 PRECIPITATION. BEGAN 10/5/11
AFTERNOON.
&&
RMGThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 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, October 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: 351467, 351468, 351469, 351470, 351472, 351475, 351476, 351477, 351478, 351479, 351480, 351481, 351474, 351482, 351471.