A weather system brought snow to the Continental Divide. Accumulations were generally under 6 inches, but isolated amounts near one foot were noted near Monarch Pass (Chaffee County) and at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral County).
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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 weather system brought snow to the Continental Divide. Accumulations were generally under 6 inches, but isolated amounts near one foot were noted near Monarch Pass (Chaffee County) and at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral County).
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 26, 10:42 AM MST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1042 AM MST WED DEC 26 2012 .AVIATION... LOW PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD SOME MID LEVEL CLOUDS OVER ALS...COS..AND PUB...THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL THREE SITES THROUGH 18Z TOMORROW. FORECAST MODELS HINT AT SOME MORNING FOG IN COS...BUT CONFIDENCE THIS WILL ACTUALLY OCCUR IS LOW AT THIS TIME. -PJC && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 320 AM MST WED DEC 26 2012/ SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) CURRENTLY...SHORTWAVE RIDGING IS CURRENTLY PASSING ACROSS COLORADO AS THE NEXT TROUGH DIGS OVER NEVADA. TEMPERATURES HAVE DROPPED INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS THIS MORNING WITH AREAS OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS BELOW ZERO. A FEW FLURRIES ARE STILL BEING REPORTED IN AND AROUND COLORADO SPRINGS THIS MORNING AND SHOULD DISSIPATE THROUGH SUNRISE. INCREASING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROUGH HAS STARTED TO SPREAD MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDINESS ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS. TODAY...THE UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE RIDGE WILL SHIFT EAST INTO KANSAS LATER THIS MORNING WHILE THE TROUGH DIGS TO NEAR LAS VEGAS NEVADA AND ENERGY EMBEDDED IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW SPREADS INTO WESTERN COLORADO. MODELS BEGIN DEVELOPING LIGHT SNOW AROUND 15Z WITH INCREASING COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BY 20Z. DECIDED TO HOIST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BEGINNING AT 20Z. EXPECT THIS TO BE A LONGER DURATION EVENT WITH GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE TRICKY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE PLAINS. HIGH RES MODELS KEEP FLOW EASTERLY WHICH WHEN COMBINED WITH CLOUDS SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION WILL LIKELY HOLD TEMPERATURES DOWN. WENT A BIT BELOW GUIDANCE WITH 20S TO LOWER 30S FOR THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. TONIGHT...THE FIRST PART OF THE WESTERN TROUGH EJECT ACROSS COLORADO WITH AN UPPER LOW DEVELOPING OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO TO WESTERN NEBRASKA. CONTINUED WESTERLY FLOW WILL KEEP LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL GOING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. CLOUDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE WHOLE REGION AS WELL. THE MAIN QUESTION WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOWFALL OVER THE FAR NORTHEASTERN PLAINS. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS WITH LITTLE MORE IMPACT THAN A NORTHERLY WIND SHIFT. A COUPLE OF HIGH RES MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE DEVELOPING LIGHT SNOW OVER KIOWA AND PROWERS COUNTY...BUT CONFIDENCE THAT ANYTHING WILL FALL IS LOW AT THIS TIME WITH DRY CONDITIONS IN THE FORECAST. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE TEENS FOR MOST OF THE AREA GIVEN THE CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE REGION. 88 LONG TERM... (THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) AN UPR LOW WL BE OVR WY ON THU MORNING...MOVING E INTO SD AND NE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE ASSOC UPR TROF WL BE MOVING E ACRS CO AND A COLD FRONT WL MOVE THRU THE SERN CO PLAINS. THE BEST MSTR WITH THIS SYSTEM WL BE ALONG THE CONTDVD...WHERE SNOW WL CONTINUE TO FALL THRU THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING. ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW ALONG THE CONTDVD ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO BE ENOUGH TO WARRANT AN ADVISORY FOR THE SW MTS THRU 00Z FRI AND FOR THE CENTRAL MTS UNTIL 06Z FRI. THU AFTERNOON SOME SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED TO SPREAD TO THE EASTERN MTS...AND LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES COULD MEAN AT LEAST SCT AND POSSIBLY HIGHER CHANCES FOR SNOW IN THOSE AREAS. SO WL INCREASE POPS ALONG THE RAMPART RANGE AND THE WET MTS. THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS AND MUCH OF THE SAN LUIS VALLEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE DRY. TEMPS WL STILL BE COOL...WITH HIGHS REMAINING BELOW NORMAL. SOME LINGERING LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WL BE POSSIBLE OVR THE MTS THRU THE NIGHT. SOME MSTR IN THE WEST TO NW FLOW ALOFT ALONG THE CONTDVD COULD CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AREA THRU FRI AS WELL...WITH DRY WX EXPECTED ELSEWHERE. BELOW NORMAL TEMPS WL CONTINUE ON FRI. FOR SATURDAY AN UPR RIDGE WL BUILD OVR THE AREA WITH DRY WX EXPECTED. HIGH TEMPS WL BE A LITTLE WARMER...BUT STILL BELOW NORMAL. SW FLOW ALOFT DEVELOPS OVR THE AREA ON SUN WITH AN UPR TROF EXPECTED OVR THE WRN STATES. SO SUN WL STILL BE DRY AND HIGH TEMPS OVR THE SERN PLAINS WL BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO NORMAL...BUT STILL SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY. THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW THE WEATHER PATTERN WL DEVELOP FOR MON AND TUE. THE ECMWF TAKES AN UPR LOW WELL TO THE SW TO OFF THE COAST OF BAJA CA FOR MON AND TUE...LEAVING THE FORECAST AREA IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS AND DRY...WITH SOME MSTR WORKING ITS WAY NORTH THRU NM TUE...POSSIBLY REACHING FAR SRN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA LATE IN THE DAY. THE GFS IS QUITE DIFFERENT...IT BRINGS AN UPR TROF INTO WRN CO LATE SUN NIGHT AND DROPS IT SSE INTO CENTRAL NM BY TUE MORNING. THIS SOLUTION BRINGS PCPN TO MUCH OF THE AREA...ESPECIALLY THE MOUNTAINS FOR MON AND MON EVENING AND THEN LEAVES THE AREA WITH MODERATE NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT AND DRY WX FOR TUE. AVIATION... FLURRIES CONTINUE TO IMPACT KCOS THIS MORNING WITH PERIODS OF REDUCED VIS AND CIGS TO MVFR AND IFR. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD DISSIPATE AROUND 11Z AS MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUD COVER SPREADS OVER THE TERMINAL. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS ONCE THE SNOW DISSIPATES THROUGH TONIGHT. KALS...SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND WILL LIKELY SPREAD INTO THE SAN LUIS VALLEY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. CONFIDENCE IS LOW THAT ANY SNOW WILL MOVE OVER KALS AT THIS TIME. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED...WITH REDUCED VIS AND CIGS IF ANY SNOW DOES MOVE OVER THE TERMINAL TONIGHT. KPUB...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH LIGHT WINDS AND MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUD COVER SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION. 88 && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ066-068. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ058-060. && 81/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 614 AM MST WED DEC 26 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-271315- 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- 614 AM MST WED DEC 26 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STORM SYSTEM OVER THE GREAT BASIN WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE ROCKIES BY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SNOW DEVELOPING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. SNOW WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. IT WILL ALSO SPREAD INTO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS DURING THE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY EVENING BRINGING ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS. BY LATE THURSDAY EVENING...THE EASTERN SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS...AND THE WESTERN MOSQUITO AND EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS SHOULD HAVE STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES...WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. IT IS TOO EARLY TO BE SURE...BUT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM TO BRING SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...MAINLY TO THE MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TODAY AND TONIGHT. 88/28
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather. 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: 425486, 425487.