especially across the eastern San Juan mountains. Eight inches of snow was noted southwest of South Fork (Rio Grande County), and an impressive 42 inches of snow covered the summit of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral 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 strong Pacific storm system produced generous amounts of snow...especially across the eastern San Juan mountains. Eight inches of snow was noted southwest of South Fork (Rio Grande County), and an impressive 42 inches of snow covered the summit of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral County). Snow accumulations over 8 inches occurred over the higher elevations of the Sangre de Cristo 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 Dec 13, 10:37 PM MST, 4 hours 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1037 PM MST THU DEC 13 2012 .AVIATION... CLOUDS WILL BE INCREASING AND LOWERING ACRS THE AREA LATER TONIGHT AND INTO FRI MORNING. RAP13 AND HRRR INDICATING SNOW MOVING INTO THE KALS AREA AROUND 14Z...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW THRU THE DAY...BUT CHANCES DECREASING AND THEN ENDING IN THE EVENING. WITH THE SNOW THERE SHOULD BE PERIODS OF IFR CONDITIONS. AT KPUB AND KCOS THE FORECAST MODELS ARE MOVING PCPN INTO THE AREA AROUND 17Z- 18Z FRI AND THEN PCPN BEING POSSIBLE THRU THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. CHANCES ARE THAT KPUB WILL SEE OCNL MVFR CONDITIONS...WHILE KCOS HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF SEEING OCNL IFR CONDITIONS IN PCPN. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 615 PM MST THU DEC 13 2012/ SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND FRIDAY) ..HEAVY SNOW FOR THE SAN JUANS TOMORROW... CURRENTLY...AS IN PREVIOUS DAYS THIS WEEK...TEMPS SLOW TO REBOUND FOR PUEBLO COUNTY AND THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY. STILL SEEING LOWER TO MID 40S AS OF MID DAY...WHILE FAR SERN PLAINS ARE ALREADY IN THE 60S. BKN HIGH CLOUDS CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THE AREA IN ADVANCE OF THE STORM SYSTEM OVER THE SRN CA COAST. THIS STORM SYSTEM IS BOLSTERED BY A DEVELOPING SUBTROPICAL JET WHICH WILL BE QUITE STRONG BY FRI...NR 160 KTS! EXTREME SRN PORTION OF CO WILL BE IN FAVORABLE LEFT QUAD WITH STRONG QG LIFT AND FAVORABLE DYNAMICS AS W-SW WINDS OF AROUND 50 KTS CRUISE JUST S OF THE 4 CORNERS. EXPECT A PERIOD OF INTENSE SNOWFALL OVER THE SAN JUANS IN PARTICULAR...WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF UP TO 2 PER HOUR EXPECTED. ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SW MTS LOOKS ON TRACK. SNOWFALL FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE DO NOT LOOK AS SPECTACULAR...BUT GIVEN THE DYNAMICS OF THE STORM WILL MAINTAIN THE WARNING THERE AS WELL. ADVISORIES FOR THE BALANCE OF THE MT AREAS LOOK ON TRACK...WITH 4-8 INCHES EXPECTED THERE. MAIN QUESTION CONTINUES TO BE THE CHANCE OF SN FOR THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND ERN PLAINS. SRN PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY LOOK VERY FAVORABLE FOR SOME MDT SNOW TOMORROW GIVEN THE UPPER DYNAMICS AND FAVORABLE JET...SO HAVE BUMPED UP POPS A BIT THERE. KALS WILL BE ON THE NRN EDGE OF EXPECTED HEAVIER SNOW...SO COULD SEE ANYTHING FROM LIGHT ACCUMS TO POSSIBLY MODERATE ACCUMS IF STRONGER LIFT SHIFTS JUST A BIT TO THE N. OVR THE PLAINS...NOT EXPECTING MUCH DUE TO THE LACK OF UPSLOPE IN THE LOWER LEVELS. HOWEVER...MODELS...IN PARTICULAR THE NAM...HAVE BEEN TRENDING TOWARDS A BIT MORE QPF OVER PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS...AND THIS HAS BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT FOR SEVERAL RUNS NOW. SYSTEM LOOKS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE ON WV/IR IMAGES RIGHT NOW...AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF DYNAMICS USURP OROGRAPHICS HERE AND GIVE THE PLAINS A BRIEF SHOT OF SOME MDT SN TOMORROW. WILL STICK WITH CONSERVATIVE POPS IN THE 30 PERCENT RANGE FOR NOW...BUT MAY HAVE TO BUMP THINGS UP IF THE 00Z RUNS STILL SHOW THIS POTENTIAL. TEMPS TOMORROW HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON PRECIP. CLOUD COVER WILL BE PRETTY SOLID...AND WITH H7 TEMPS FALLING INTO THE MINUS 4 OR 5 RANGE...FEEL THAT MOS IS TOO HIGH...AND HAVE DROPPED HIGH TEMPS A BIT INTO THE 40S FOR THE I-25 CORRIDOR. SHOULD BE A BIT WARMER FOR THE ERN COUNTIES WITH A PRETTY GOOD TEMP/HUMIDITY GRADIENT SETTING UP NR THE KS BORDER. FINALLY...LAPSE RATES LOOKING FAIRLY STEEP FRI AFTERNOON OVER THE PLAINS...AND SPC HAS US IN THE GENERAL CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW. BEST CHANCE FOR TS WILL BE OVER LAS ANIMAS...BACA...AND SRN PORTIONS OF PROWERS AND BENT COUNTIES AFTER ABOUT 21Z. 44 LONG TERM... (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY) FRIDAY NIGHT THRU SATURDAY NIGHT...THE FIRST OF TWO WAVES WILL BE EXITING THE FORECAST AREA BY 00Z SATURDAY. THE 12Z NAM/GFS/EC BRING A CLOSED 500MB LOW THROUGH THE FAR SOUTHEAST CORNER OF COLORADO BY 06Z...TAKING THE BULK OF THE DYNAMICS WITH IT (INCLUDING A 120KT 300MB JET JUST TO OUR SOUTH AT THAT TIME). I KEPT THUNDER IN THE FORECAST OVER PARTS OF KIOWA AND PROWERS COUNTIES GIVEN THE DECENT 700-500MB LAPSE RATES (8-9C/KM). MODELS BEGIN TO WIND DOWN QPF OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...SAN JUANS...AND LA GARITAS AFTER 06Z SATURDAY AND WILL LET WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES IN THOSE AREAS EXPIRE AT 09Z SATURDAY. MODELS SHOW A MUCH WEAKER...SECONDARY WAVE MOVING EAST ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO LATE SATURDAY. THIS WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME BRIEF SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE SAN JUANS AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WITH ONLY ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SUNDAY...THE 12Z NAM AND GFS SHOW NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE REGION SUNDAY WITH SOME WEAK SHORTWAVES IN THE FLOW PASSING OVER THE REGION. THIS WILL FAVOR SOME SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH MINIMAL ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE BETWEEN SYSTEMS DURING THIS TIME. THE REGION WILL BE UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY...AND BEGIN TO TURN MORE WEST AND SOUTHWESTERLY AS WEAK RIDGING SLOWLY BUILDS OVER THE REGION TUESDAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING SYSTEM. 700MB TEMPERATURES WILL WARM TO +3 TO +6 ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND EASTERN PLAINS TUESDAY AFTERNOON WHICH WILL LEAD TO HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 50S IN THOSE AREAS. THE GFS AND EC MOVE THE RIDGE AXIS ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO BY 00Z TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...THE GFS AND EC ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT ON A SHORTWAVE PASSING TO THE NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE ACROSS THE PLAINS BY 00Z THURSDAY. THIS LOOKS TO BE A FAIRLY FAST MOVING SYSTEM WITH THE BULK OF THE MOISTURE BEING CONFINED TO THE SAN JUANS AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. 30 TO 40 POPS IN THOSE REGIONS SEEMED REASONABLE GIVEN MODEL AGREEMENT AT THIS TIME. RIDGING WILL QUICKLY BUILD IN BEHIND THIS SYSTEM BRINGING WEST AND SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WITH DRY CONDITIONS TO ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA. -PJC AVIATION... MAIN CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE ANTICIPATED IFR CONDITIONS AT KALS FRI MORNING...GENERALLY FROM 12-18Z PERIOD...AS WELL AS LESSER POTENTIAL FOR MVFR-IFR AT KCOS FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD. CHANCES FOR PRECIP REMAIN IN THE 50-60 PERCENT RANGE FOR KALS...AND 20-30 PERCENT FOR KPUB AND KCOS. RESTRICTIONS TO VIS/LOW CIGS MORE LIKELY AT KCOS SO WILL CONTINUE EXPLICIT MENTION IN TAFS THERE...WITH VCSH AT KPUB. HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED FOR THE SW MTS TOMORROW...AND LIGHT TO MDT ACCUMS FOR THE OTHER MT RANGES. COULD ALSO SEE SOME ISOLD TS FOR THE FAR SERN PLAINS...NR OK/CO AND CO/KS BORDERS AFTER NOON TOMORROW. 44 && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 AM FRIDAY TO 2 AM MST SATURDAY FOR COZ060-064-073-075. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 AM FRIDAY TO 2 AM MST SATURDAY FOR COZ066>068. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 345 PM MST THU DEC 13 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-142245- 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- 345 PM MST THU DEC 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW SHOULD BEGIN BY MIDNIGHT OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUANS AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS. BY FRIDAY MORNING...ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THESE MOUNTAIN AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOWFALL IS LIKELY OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS ON FRIDAY. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH UP TO 2 FEET POSSIBLE ALONG THE CREST OF THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL ALSO FALL ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAWATCH RANGE...SANGRE DE CRISTOS...AND THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF SAGUACHE COUNTY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...WITH AROUND 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS NORTHWEST SAGUACHE COUNTY. A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL ALSO SPREAD ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY FRIDAY MORNING WHERE AMOUNTS MAY RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF THE VALLEY...TO 3 TO 6 INCHES ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE VALLEY. A BAND OF MIXED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR DURING THE MORNING. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN WARM ENOUGH TO CAUSE ANY SNOW TO QUICKLY MELT...INTENSITIES OF SNOWFALL COULD BE LOCALLY INTENSE IN THE MORNING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME SMALL GRAUPEL OR ICE PELLETS MIXED IN DURING THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS FRIDAY AFTERNOON...GENERALLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM TRINIDAD TO LA JUNTA TO BURLINGTON. THE MAIN THREAT FROM STORMS WILL BE LIGHTING AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS. SOME SMALL HAIL COULD OCCUR WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY...MAINLY NORTH OF BUENA VISTA. LOCALLY HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS LATER TONIGHT. 31/81
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, December 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: 421712, 421713, 421714.