A strong low pressure system produced high winds over sections of Kiowa and Prowers Counties. Sustained winds were over 40 mph.
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system produced high winds over sections of Kiowa and Prowers Counties. Sustained winds were over 40 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 Feb 20, 10:26 AM MST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1026 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012 .UPDATE... WILL LET WINTER WX ADVISORY FOR NRN EL PASO COUNTY EXPIRE AT 11 AM. SNOW HAS ENDED OR THERE MAY BE JUST SOME LIGHT SNOW OVR THE NE CORNER OF THE COUNTY...AND WL SEE THAT END SHORTLY AS THE UPR LOW CONTINUES MOVING E. NOT REAL SURE THAT HIGH WIND CRITERIA WL BE MET OVR KIOWA AND PROWERS COUNTIES. MODELS ARE INDICATING THAT GUSTS AROUND 40 KTS WL OCCUR WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF AROUND 30 KTS...SO IT MAY FALL A LITTLE SHORT OF THE CRITERIA FOR THE WARNING. WL NOT CANCEL THE WARNING YET...BUT WL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THOSE AREAS. && .AVIATION... WITH THE UPR LOW AND PCPN MOVING EAST TODAY...SHOULD SEE VFR CONDITIONS AT KALS...KPUB AND KCOS TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE ARE STILL A FEW LOW CLOUDS NR KCOS BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A CIG OF LOW CLOUDS WL DEVELOP. THE MAIN CONCERN IS THE GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS AT ALL THE TAF SITES. THESE AREAS SHOULD SEE GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 KTS THIS AFTERNOON...BUT WL DIMINISH BY EVENING. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 518 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012/ SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ..STRONG WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS TODAY WITH SOME LIGHT SNOWFALL THROUGH THE MORNING... CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATING A BROAD UPPER TROUGH ACROSS THE ROCKIES WITH ASSOCIATED JET CORE ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE SYSTEM ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND INTO SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS AT THIS TIME. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY...SATELLITE AND RADAR DATA INDICATING VORT MAX LIFTING OUT ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL COLORADO PLAINS NEAR LIMON...WITH DISTINCT CIRCULATION IN CLOUDS AND ECHOES ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS MOVING INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF TELLER AND EL PASO COUNTY AT THIS TIME. TODAY...MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT OF VERTICALLY STACKED SYSTEM ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS THIS MORNING LIFTING OUT INTO NORTHWESTERN KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL LEAD TO A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO WITH GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH DEVELOPING THIS MORNING AND SPREADING EAST INTO WESTERN KANSAS THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON. STRONGEST WINDS LOOK TO BE ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS AND HAVE ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR KIOWA AND PROWERS COUNTIES FROM 17-00Z WITH GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH POSSIBLE. AS FOR PRECIPITATION...WRAP AROUND SHIELD ACROSS NORTHEASTERN COLORADO WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS THROUGH THE MORNING AND HAVE TAILORED POPS TO MATCH. BEST POPS TO REMAIN ACROSS THE PALMER DVD...WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE THIS MORNING. THE SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ALONG EAST TO WEST ORIENTATED ROADWAYS...AND HAVE KEPT CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY THROUGH 17Z. FURTHER WEST...HAVE ALSO KEPT ADVISORY IN TACT ACROSS THE CENTRAL MTS WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...BEFORE DIMINISHING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. HAVE CANCELLED HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MTS...AS BULK OF PRECIP HAS ENDED. TONIGHT...NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT INCREASES OVERNIGHT AS AN EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE DIGS ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. INCREASING FLOW ALOFT WILL LEAD BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG AND WEST OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR AS LEE TROUGHING DEVELOPS AND STRENGTHENS OVERNIGHT. INCREASING MOISTURE AHEAD OF EMBEDDED WAVE WILL ALSO KEEP CHANCES OF LIGHT SNOWFALL ACROSS THE CENTRAL MTS. -MW LONG TERM... (TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ..STRONG WIND POTENTIAL AT TIMES WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW THURSDAY AND ANOTHER CHANCE BY SUNDAY... FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...THE MAIN CONCERNS WILL BE THE WIND POTENTIAL ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND THE SNOW POTENTIAL IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS... SOUTHERN COLORADO WILL BE ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF A NORTHWESTERLY UPPER LEVEL JETSTREAM. DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS...THIS WILL LEAD TO SOME STRONG TO POSSIBLY HIGH WIND POTENTIAL ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKIES. FORECAST MODELS ARE INDICATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG NOCTURNAL WEST TO EAST SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS WHICH SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME STRONG WIND GUSTS TO SURFACE AT TIMES DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. HAVE BOOSTED GUSTS ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS TO REFLECT THIS. CURRENT FORECASTS ARE FOR GUSTS UP TO AROUND 60 MPH OR SO IN THE USUALLY WINDY SPOTS SUCH AS THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY. THESE WINDS ARE NOT AT WARNING LEVELS YET...BUT LATER DATA COMING IN TODAY MAY INDICATE THE NEED TO UPGRADE. THE OTHER CONCERN THROUGH WEDNESDAY...IS THE SNOW POTENTIAL OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. THE MODELS HAVE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF WEAK DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES DURING THE TUESDAY WEDNESDAY PERIOD. NO PARTICULAR DISTURBANCE LOOKS VERY INTENSE... BUT OVER TIME...THERE COULD BE SEVERAL INCHES OF ACCUMULATION ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. FOR NOW...IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT ANY WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE NEEDED...BUT 48 HOUR ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH WEDNESDAY COULD BE ON THE ORDER OF 4 TO 8 INCHES. LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW SPREADING FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO THE PLAINS THURSDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY COLDER TEMPERATURES EVERYWHERE...AND BRISK NORTHERLY WINDS MAINLY ON THE PLAINS. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOT LOOKING GREAT AT THE PRESENT TIME...BUT THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS COULD SEE A DUSTING TO MAYBE AN INCH OR TWO. FOR THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND SAN LUIS VALLEY...EVEN LESS IS EXPECTED. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHANCE OF GETTING SOME SNOW AROUND HERE OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS NEXT SYSTEM CURRENTLY LOOKS COLDER AND SNOWIER THAN THE THURSDAY SYSTEM BUT IT IS ALSO FARTHER OUT IN THE FORECAST...SO UNCERTAINTY IS QUITE A BIT HIGHER. IT COULD BE NORTH OR SOUTH OR GONE IN THE NEXT MODEL RUN. JUST TOO EARLY TO TELL AT THIS POINT. IF IT COMES THROUGH AS INDICATED BY THE 00Z...AND NOW 06Z RUNS OF THE GFS MODEL...IT WILL SPREAD SNOW INTO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS SATURDAY NIGHT AND THEN ACROSS THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY. LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW COULD FALL INTO SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF MONDAY MORNING. THE PERIOD OF PEAK SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION WOULD BE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS COULD BE IN THE 2 TO 4 INCH RANGE...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. BUT THIS IS ALL JUST SPECULATION AT THIS POINT. PLEASE STAY TUNED. LW AVIATION... MVFR AND BRIEF IFR CIGS AND VSBY IN PASSING SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED AT KCOS THROUGH 16Z AS WRAP AROUND PRECIPITATION SHIELD ACROSS NORTHEASTERN COLORADO CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH AND EAST. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THEREAFTER...AS GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25-35KTS SLOWLY DIMINISH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT KPUB AND KALS WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20-40KTS DEVELOP THIS MORNING AND PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...THOUGH COULD BRIEFLY SEE MVFR CIGS AT KPUB THROUGH 16Z. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ095-096- 098. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR COZ084. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1117 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-211830- 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- 1117 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS OF COLORADO THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER KIOWA AND PROWERS COUNTIES. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. PORTIONS OF THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WILL ALSO SEE SOME BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS. NORTHWEST WINDS AT 15 TO 25 MPH ARE EXPECTED...BUT THE SAGUACHE AREA HAS BEEN SEEING MUCH STRONGER WINDS...WITH GUSTS OF 5O TO 55 MPH...WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH AROUND MIDAFTERNOON AND THEN BEGIN TO DECREASE. SNOW SHOWERS OVER BENT AND PROWERS COUNTIES IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON COULD RESULT IN SOME SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND AN INCH. THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES WILL ALSO SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY IT WILL BE WINDY AT TIMES ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. LOCAL GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE USUALLY WINDY SPOTS DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. A WINTER WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS COLORADO WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL BRING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW TO SOUTHERN COLORADO. AT THE PRESENT TIME...IT APPEARS THAT THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS COULD SEE A DUSTING UP TO ABOUT 2 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND SAN LUIS VALLEY. ANOTHER DISTURBANCE MAY DROP SOUTH OVER COLORADO SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THE ARRIVAL OF THIS SYSTEM IS STILL VERY UNCERTAIN AS IT IS STILL SEVERAL DAYS AWAY. HOWEVER...IF IT TRACKS AS CURRENTLY FORECAST...SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO COULD RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON OVER PORTIONS OF THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS...MAINLY OVER PROWERS AND KIOWA COUNTIES...AND OVER SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
717 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 AM SNOW 4 NNE COLORADO SPRINGS 38.88N 104.79W
02/20/2012 M1.2 INCH EL PASO CO TRAINED SPOTTER
SNOW FELL EARLY MONDAY MORNING.
0623 AM SNOW 1 SSE WOLF CREEK PASS 37.47N 106.79W
02/20/2012 M14.0 INCH MINERAL CO PUBLIC
OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS AT WOLF CREEK SKI
0353 AM SNOW 1 NNW MONARCH PASS 38.51N 106.33W
02/20/2012 M8.0 INCH CHAFFEE CO PUBLIC
IN PAST 24 HOURS AT MONARCH SKI
&&
MWThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. 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, February 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: 366630, 366631, 366632.