over portions of southern Colorado. Some of the higher snow totals included isolated amounts of greater than 6 inches across northern El Paso County and greater than 8 inches across Teller County.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 storm system generated snow...heavy at times...over portions of southern Colorado. Some of the higher snow totals included isolated amounts of greater than 6 inches across northern El Paso County and greater than 8 inches across Teller County. Widespread amounts of greater than 8 inches occurred across the higher terrain of the Mosquito Range...eastern Sawatch Range...and eastern San Juan 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 Apr 14, 3:02 AM MST, 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 402 AM MDT SAT APR 14 2012 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) MAIN CONCERNS INCLUDE SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE MTS MAINLY...AND WINDS OVR THE SERN PLAINS. TODAY THE UPR LOW WL MOVE INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION BY LATE AFTERNOON...AND THEN MOVE NE ACRS CO AND INTO NE OVERNIGHT. HAVE SEEN REPORTS OF SNOW OVR THE SW MTS THIS MORNING...AND BASED ON RADAR...PORTIONS OF SAWATCH MTS ARE LIKELY GETTING SOME SNOW AS WELL. AS THE LOW GETS A LITTLE CLOSER LATER THIS MORNING...WOULD EXPECT THE SNOW TO PICK UP ALL ALONG THE CONTDVD WITH HIGH POPS CONTINUING THRU THE DAY. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME ECHOES ON RADAR THIS MORNING OVR THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MTS...IT LOOKS LIKE THE CLOUDS IN THIS AREA WL DECREASE LATER THIS MORNING AND WOULD EXPECT DECREASED CHANCES FOR PCPN OVR THE SANGRES. HOWEVER...THIS AFTERNOON...MORE MSTR IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD OVR THE ERN MTS...WITH CHANCES FOR PCPN INCREASING. THE NAM SPREADS SOME PCPN OUT ALONG THE I25 CORRIDOR AS WELL...WITH THE 06Z RUN OF THE NAM12 SHOWING A MUCH BETTER CHANCE FOR PCPN OVR EL PASO COUNTY AND TELLER COUNTIES THAN THE 00Z RUN HAD. THE GFS ON THE OTHER HAND...KEEPS EL PASO AND TELLER COUNTIES DRY THIS AFTERNOON. ANOTHER CONCERN FOR THIS AFTERNOON IS HOW STRONG THE WINDS WILL BE ACROSS THE SERN PLAINS. THE MAV AND MET GUIDANCE HAS QUITE STRONG SUSTAINED WINDS...ESPECIALLY ACRS THE SERN CORNER OF THE STATE...WHERE H7 WINDS ARE 40-50 KTS. FOR NOW WL GO WITH SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 30 KTS WITH GUSTS INTO THE LOWER 40 KT RANGE. IF GUIDANCE WINDS PAN OUT WE COULD SEE GUSTS AROUND 50 KTS. ALTHOUGH IT WILL BE QUITE WINDY TODAY...AND MIN RH VALUES ACRS MUCH OF THE SERN PLAINS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 15 PERCENT OR LOWER...THE FUELS ARE NOT CRITICAL SO WL NOT ISSUE ANY FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS. THE FORECAST FOR TONIGHT IS A BIT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE SERN PLAINS AND MTS. IT STILL LOOKS LIKE SNOW WL CONTINUE ALONG THE CONTDVD AND THUS THE WINTER STORM WARNING STILL LOOKS GOOD. ON THE NAM12 AT 06Z THE UPR LOW IS FORECAST TO BE CENTERED OVR SWRN NE...WHILE THE GFS HAS IT OVR SERN CO. THEY BOTH THEN LIFT THE LOW NEWRD THRU THE LATE NIGHT. THE NAM12 HAS PCPN OVR TELLER AND EL PASO COUNTIES...BUT THE REST OF THE SERN PLAINS AND MTS ARE IN THE DRY SLOT. THE GFS...AS IT LIFTS THE LOW NEWRD OVR NIGHT...IT SPREADS PCPN ACRS MOST OF THE SERN MTS AND PLAINS BEHIND THE SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH WITH THE WEST TO NW WINDS...WOULDN'T REALLY EXPECT ANYTHING ALL THAT SIGNIFICANT. HOWEVER...THERE WL LIKELY BE SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OVR TELLER AND NRN EL PASO COUNTIES...WHERE TEMPS WL BE COLDER. .LONG TERM... (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) SUNDAY...SUNDAY SHOULD BE A RATHER RAW DAY WITH MUCH COOLER TEMPS...STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS KEEPING THE CONVECTIVE THREAT ALIVE. MODELS AGREE ON EJECTING THE UPPER LOW TO THE NE ON SUNDAY...WITH STRONG WRAPAROUND ON THE BACK SIDE PRODUCING GUSTY NORTH WINDS ALONG THE I25 CORRIDOR AND EASTERN PLAINS SUNDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THIS WILL HELP TO KEEP MAX TEMPS ON SUNDAY IN THE 50S...AS WELL AS SEND A REINFORCING SHOT OF PCPN TO THE E SLOPES OF THE E MTS. ONGOING WINTER WX HIGHLIGHTS LOOK GOOD AND SEE NO NEED FOR CHANGE AT THIS TIME. MONDAY AND TUESDAY...REMNANT EFFECTS OF THE DEPARTING SYSTEM WITH RESPECT TO PCPN POTENTIAL WILL STILL LINGER ACROSS THE REGION EARLY MON MORNING...BUT WILL BE REPLACED BY THE NEXT DISTURBANCE. UPPER FLOW TRANSITIONS TO A W-NW DIRECTION...WITH A COUPLE OF UPPER DISTURBANCES KEEPING THE THREAT OF ISOLATED CONVECTION OVER THE CENTRAL MTS...CONTDVD AND RAMPART RANGE EACH AFTN/EVE. TEMPS TRY TO REBOUND BACK INTO THE 60S ON MON...AND POSSIBLY THE 70S ON TUE AS THE FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE WESTERLY. WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...LONG RANGE MODELS INDICATE THAT MUCH OF THE ENERGY AND ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. AS THE FLOW ALOFT WAVERS TO THE SW...WED AND THU LOOK TO BE VERY WARM DAYS AND MAINLY DRY...THOUGH ANOTHER FAST MOVING SHORTWAVE WILL HELP SPARK ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THU AFTN/EVE...AND SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR FOR THE FORECAST AREA ON FRI. MOORE && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES TODAY. KALS WILL LIKELY SEE SOME SHOWERS IN THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND MAYBE IN THE EARLY EVENING. KCOS AND KPUB MAY ALSO SEE SOME SHOWERS IN THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. AT KCOS IN THE EVENING UNTIL MAYBE AROUND 06Z...FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE INDICATING THE POSSIBILITY OF LOW CLOUDS AND PCPN...WITH IFR CONDITIONS. CONFIDENCE IN THE IFR CONDITIONS IS LOW AT THIS TIME. AT KPUB SOME PCPN WL ALSO BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT BUT FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE INDICATING CIGS REMAINING VFR. SHOULD SEE WINDY CONDITIONS AGAIN AT THE TAF SITES...MAINLY FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING...WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 20-30 KTS AND SOME HIGHER GUSTS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR COZ068. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT SUNDAY NIGHT FOR COZ058- 060. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR COZ066. && 28/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 943 PM MDT FRI APR 13 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-150345- 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- 943 PM MDT FRI APR 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOW WILL INCREASE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AFTER MIDNIGHT. FOR THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE BY SATURDAY MORNING. THE LA GARITA...EASTERN SAWATCH AND WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGES COULD SEE A DUSTING UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS AND COLORADO ON SATURDAY...THEN MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WHERE ELEVATIONS ABOVE 10000 FEET COULD SEE 8 TO 16 INCHES OF SNOW BY LATE SUNDAY. ELSEWHERE...THE REST OF THE MOUNTAIN AREAS AND THE PALMER DIVIDE COULD SEE FROM 1 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH LATE SUNDAY. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED FOR THE VALLEYS AND THE PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TONIGHT. 50/88
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 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2012
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: 377719, 377718, 377717.