in combination with wind gusts to around 50 mph and near zero visibilites across northern El Paso County. Snow amounts up to 6 inches occurred with the blizzard conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 potent storm system and associated cold front produced snow...heavy at times...in combination with wind gusts to around 50 mph and near zero visibilites across northern El Paso County. Snow amounts up to 6 inches occurred with the blizzard conditions.
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 19, 4:06 AM MST, 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 406 AM MST WED DEC 19 2012 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...A WINTRY DAY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO... CURRENTLY...THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WAS TRACKING ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN EARLY THIS MORNING...DRAWING ON A HEALTHY MOISTURE FEED TO PUMP PCPN UP INTO WESTERN CO. SNOW AND LOW CLOUDS WERE BEING REPORTED ALL ACROSS THE CONTDVD AND SLV. FOR THE E PLAINS...SFC ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT A SFC LOW HAS DEVELOPED OVER S OTERO COUNTY...WITH BRISK NORTHERLY WINDS BEING REPORTED ACROSS EL PASO AND PUEBLO COUNTIES. TEMPS HAVE REMAINED SOMEWHAT STEADY IN THE TEENS TO MID 20S...BUT FOR THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS INCLUDING TAD AND SPD TEMPS AT 330 AM WERE IN THE MID 30S. NAM AND GFS MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT AND IN AGREEMENT ON THE MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER SYSTEM. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE STATE QUICKLY TODAY...WITH THE TROUGH AXIS FORECAST TO BE NEAR THE CO/KS STATE LINE BY 00Z. TODAY...A MULTITUDE OF WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS ARE IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE CWA TODAY...AND A GLANCE AT THE ACTUAL WSW PRODUCT WOULD PROBABLY SERVE CUSTOMERS BETTER. ONGOING FORECAST LOOKED ON TRACK AND VERY LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS WERE NEEDED TO POP AND SNOW AMOUNT GRIDS. ONE THING THAT HAS CHANGED SLIGHTLY IS THAT THE 06Z RUN OF THE NAM IS SLOWING THE ONSET OF THE STRONGEST WINDS AND SNOW ACC...BUT WILL MAINTAIN THE INHERITED FORECAST. THEREFORE...THE BLIZZARD WARNING GOES INTO EFFECT AT 15Z FOR N EL PASO COUNTY...BUT THE STRONGEST WINDS AND SNOW AMOUNTS MAY HOLD OFF UNTIL 16Z OR 17Z. OTHERWISE...VERY LITTLE CHANGE NEEDED ELSEWHERE. MUCH OF THE PLAINS IS EXPECTED TO SEE LITTLE SNOWFALL...BUT THE STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS AND COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL PRODUCE A RAW DAY. TONIGHT...PCPN AND WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE SYSTEM PASSES TO THE EAST...AND NIL POPS ARE FORECAST AFTER 06Z. CLEARING SKIES...COMBINED WITH DIMINISHING WINDS...FRESH SNOW IN SOME AREAS AND A COLD POOL OF AIR ALL POINTS TO A VERY COLD NIGHT FOR THE REGION. MOST LOCATIONS WILL SEE SINGLE DIGIT MIN TEMPS...DROPPING DOWN INTO THE NEGATIVES. MOORE .LONG TERM... (THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ...DRY AND MILD THROUGH THE WEEKEND THEN A NEW SYSTEM ARRIVES EARLY NEXT WEEK... TODAY'S SYSTEM IS GONE IN A FLASH. A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN QUICKLY BEHIND IT...RESULTING IN DRY AND MILD WEATHER ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MOST OF THE WEEKEND. THE NEXT SYSTEM TO IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO STARTS TO WEAKEN THE RIDGE OVER COLORADO SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW SHOWERS BACK INTO THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. THEN...MONDAY AND TUESDAY...THE STORM SYSTEM TRACKS EAST SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF THE COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO BORDER...POTENTIALLY DEVELOPING SNOW ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST COLORADO MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS CHRISTMAS EVE AND OR CHRISTMAS DAY. THIS SYSTEM IS STILL A WEEK AWAY SO THERE IS STILL A GOOD DEAL OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST. RIGHT NOW...THE MODELS ARE ALL CONSISTENT ON BRINGING A SYSTEM ACROSS THE ROCKIES...BUT IN SOME CASES...THEY VARY SIGNIFICANTLY ON THE TRACK. MOST MODEL RUNS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN FAVORING A CENTRAL OR NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TRACK. HOWEVER...THE 00Z RUN OF THE ECMWF MODEL HAS COME IN WITH A TRACK TAKING MOST OF THE ENERGY MUCH FARTHER NORTH...RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLY LESS SNOW OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO. THE 06Z RUN OF THE GFS...ARRIVING JUST A SHORT WHILE AGO...TAKES THE STORM CENTER FROM NEAR GRAND JUNCTION AT 5 AM MST TUESDAY SOUTHEAST INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE BY 5 PM MST TUESDAY. THIS WOULD BE A BETTER SNOW MAKER FOR SOUTHERN COLORADO...ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS...THAN THE 00Z ECMWF SOLUTION. BUT...IT'S ALL JUST CONJECTURE AT THIS POINT. STILL TOO MANY DAYS AWAY. LW && .AVIATION... A WINTER STORM SYSTEM TRACKING ACROSS COLORADO TODAY WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN THROUGH 00Z...THEN CLEARING SKIES ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z. KALS WILL EXPERIENCE RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS BETWEEN VFR AND IFR THROUGH THE DAY AS THE SYSTEM PASSES OVERHEAD...WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TONIGHT EVEN THOUGH THERE IS THE THREAT OF SOME FOG DEVELOPING DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH FRESH SNOW FALLS. AS FOR KCOS AND KPUB...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH -SHSN POSSIBLE SHORTLY AFTER FROPA (15-17Z) WITH -SN BLSN. EXPECT MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS ALL ALONG THE I25 CORRIDOR THROUGH THE DAY...WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS GRADUALLY EASING IN AFTER 23Z. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ059- 063. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ072>075-079-080. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ087-088-094>096. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ058- 060-061-066-068. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ081- 082. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ084. && 27/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 322 PM MST TUE DEC 18 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-192230- 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- 322 PM MST TUE DEC 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL RAMP UP ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS EVENING WITH HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IMPACTING THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AND THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES OVERNIGHT. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER PASSES. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 12 INCHES WILL FALL BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH THE HEAVIEST OF THESE ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. SNOW WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO THE SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PEAKS AND WEST FACING SLOPES BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS COLORADO ON WEDNESDAY SENDING A STRONG COLD FRONT...AND SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ACROSS A PORTION OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON THE PALMER DIVIDE AROUND 8 AM WHERE A COMBINATION OF SNOW AND NORTH WINDS GUSTING UP TO 50 MPH WILL RESULT IN WHITE OUT CONDITIONS THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN THIS AREA WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. VISIBILITIES WILL DROP TO UNDER 1/4 MILE AT TIMES IN BLOWING SNOW...MAKING TRAVEL ACROSS THIS REGION HAZARDOUS. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL ALSO SPREAD INTO TELLER COUNTY...AND THE EAST SLOPES OF WET MOUNTAINS AND THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS DURING THE MORNING. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 10 INCHES WILL FALL OVER THESE AREAS...WITH THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS ABOVE 10000 FEET BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT OUT OF THE NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 30 MPH WHICH WILL CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. MEANWHILE...HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WHERE TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES WILL FALL BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST OF THESE ACCUMULATIONS WILL FALL ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS THERE WILL BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. STRONG NORTH WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 50 MPH AT TIMES DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR TWO WILL FALL ACROSS KIOWA COUNTY...AND THE NORTH SLOPES OF THE RATON MESA OF EASTERN HUERFANO AND LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES. COMBINED WITH THE STRONG WINDS...A BRIEF PERIOD OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE DOWNSLOPE AREAS SOUTH OF THE PALMER DIVIDE...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF PUEBLO AND COLORADO SPRINGS WILL SEE LESS SNOWFALL...WITH ACCUMULATIONS GENERALLY AROUND AN INCH OR LESS. ANY CHANGE IN THE STORM TRACK COULD STILL RESULT IN MORE OR LESS SNOW FOR THE REGION...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. THOSE WITH TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR PLANS SHOULD STAY INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECASTS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING STORM. ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW SPREADING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS ON TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. 28/06
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 blizzard. 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: 421726.