and at times damaging winds... across the mountains of central and southern Colorado.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
An intense weather disturbance generated strong...and at times damaging winds... across the mountains of central and southern Colorado. Damage reports included broken car windows...trees down on houses...and power outages. Some of the higher reported wind gusts included 63 mph north-northwest of Walsenburg (Huerfano County)...66 mph 8 miles west-southwest of Fountain (El Paso County)...74 mph to 77 mph from the Air Force Academy to near Falcon (El Paso County)...and near 90 mph on the Rampart Range around Pikes Peak (El Paso 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 Feb 22, 3:02 PM MST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 302 PM MST WED FEB 22 2012 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND THURSDAY) ...STRONG WINDS LIKELY TONIGHT... CURRENTLY...BROAD NORTHWESTERLY FLOW SPANS FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. A STRONG DISTURBANCE EMBEDDED IN THE STRONG FLOW IS CURRENTLY LOCATED FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST AND WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. AREA OBSERVATIONS INDICATE LIGHT SNOW FALLING OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. WINDS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN ISSUE. OBSERVATIONS CONTINUE TO SHOW WIDESPREAD 30 TO 40 MPH WINDS ALONG THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND LEE SLOPES. THE STRONGEST WINDS CONTINUE TO BE ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RAMPARTS WITH WIND STILL GUSTING AT NEAR 60 MPH AT TIMES. THERE HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS TO HIT RED FLAG CRITERIA...BUT RECENT OBS INDICATE WINDS ARE STARTING TO BLOW AND HUMIDITY VALUES HAVE FALLEN INTO THE MID TEENS. TONIGHT...STARTING TO BECOME A BIT CONCERNED FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS..IN PARTICULAR IN THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY AND ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RAMPARTS. THE LATEST LOCAL WRF RUN ALONG WITH THE CAIC WRF ARE INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS FROM AROUND 03Z THROUGH AROUND 12Z TONIGHT. WRF CROSS SECTIONS SHOW A NICE STABLE LAYER AROUND MOUNTAIN TOP LEVEL AND PRETTY GOOD REVERSE SHEAR OVER THE RAMPART RANGE. THE WRF DUCTS DOWN 80 KT WINDS ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE OF THE RAMPARTS...SO WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE WINDS GUSTING TO NEAR 80 KTS TONIGHT. THE OTHER AREA THE WRF SEEMS TO BE HITTING HARD WITH STRONG WINDS IS THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY. THE WRF IS DUCTING DOWN 60 PLUS KTS OF WIND INTO THE VALLEY. WENT AHEAD AND ADDED THIS AREA TO THE HIGH WIND WARNING AS WELL AS THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS. SEE THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR MORE INFO. EXPECT LIGHT SNOW TO CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...INCREASING IN INTENSITY BY THURSDAY MORNING AS THE UPPER SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. THURSDAY...A STRONG COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO TRACK SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHERLY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. THIS LOW LEVEL WIND SHIFT...ALONG WITH INCREASING JET STREAM WINDS WILL BRING AN END TO THE DOWNSLOPE POTENTIAL OVER TELLER AND WESTERN EL PASO COUNTIES AROUND 10Z. FOLLOWED A BLEND OF THE NAM AND VARIOUS WRF SOLUTIONS WHICH ARE VIRTUALLY DRY GIVEN THE NORTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. EXPECT LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW TO DEVELOP OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE TOMORROW MORNING WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. RAIN AND SNOW WILL SPREAD SOUTH THROUGHOUT THE DAY...MAINLY REMAINING CONFINED TO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT SLOPES WEST OF I-25. ONLY MINOR ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED...WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. FAVORABLE UPSLOPE FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL LEAD TO 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOWFALL THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. WIND WILL BE THE ISSUE FOR THE EASTERN PLAINS. MODEL 850 AND 700 MB FLOW SUGGESTS WIDESPREAD WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 50 KTS FOR THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS. FOR NOW EXPECT WINDS TO REMAIN BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA BUT CAUTION SHOULD BE ADVISED ON WEST-EAST HIGHWAYS. TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE 40S FOR MOST AREAS OF THE PLAINS. MOZLEY .LONG TERM... (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) THU NIGHT THERE MAY BE SOME LINGERING LIGHT SHOWERS OVR SOME OF THE SERN PLAINS...AND SHOULD ALSO CONTINUE TO SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW OVR THE CENTRAL MTS. FRI...AS AN UPR RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE AREA...DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACRS THE AREA...WITH AROUND TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL HIGHS. SAT ALSO LOOKS DRY...AHEAD OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM THAT MOVES INTO THE AREA FOR SAT NIGHT AND SUN. THERE ARE A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS SYSTEM...AS THE GFS IS FARTHER NORTH AND MOVES IT BY THE AREA MUCH QUICKER THAN THE ECMWF...WITH LITTLE AFFECT ON THE AREA EXCEPT WINDY CONDITIONS...AND SOME SNOW IN THE CENTRAL MTS SAT NIGHT. FOR NOW WL JUST MAINLY HAVE SOME PCPN OVR THE MTS...WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCES ALONG THE CONTDVD. MON WL GENERALLY BE A DAY WHEN WE ARE IN BETWEEN WEATHER SYSTEMS...WITH THE NEXT AFFECTING THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUE. THE GFS IS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN THE ECMWF MOVING IT ACRS THE STATE. BEST CHANCES FOR SNOW WL AGAIN BE OVR THE MTS...BUT COULD SEE SOME PCPN OVR THE PALMER DVD ON TUE...WITH MOST OF THE LOWER ELEVATION LOCATIONS REMAINING DRY. WED THEN LOOKS TO BE A DRY DAY. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH TONIGHT AT ALL TERMINALS. WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FOR KCOS AND KPUB THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WESTERLY WINDS CONTINUE TO GUST TO NEAR 30 KTS AT KPUB/KCOS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS TONIGHT FOR KCOS FROM AROUND 04Z THROUGH 09Z WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO OR EXCEEDING OF 50 KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH AROUND 09Z FOR KCOS AND 10Z FOR KPUB WITH A NORTHERLY WIND SHIFT THEREAFTER. WINDS WILL INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT WITH WIDESPREAD 30 TO 35 KT WINDS FOR KPUB AND KCOS. CIGS WILL LOWER TO AROUND 4-5 KFT BEHIND THE FRONT. MOZLEY && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ229-230- 233-237. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ072-073-075-077>080. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 3 AM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ060-061-081-082- 084-085. && 88/28
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 627 AM MST WED FEB 22 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-231330- 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- 627 AM MST WED FEB 22 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND ALONG THE LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE LEE OF THE RAMPART RANGE IN WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY...THROUGH TONIGHT. OCCASIONAL GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF EL PASO COUNTY...WITH GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 75 MPH ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN AREAS. FIRE DANGER WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST COLORADO PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON...AS WARM AND WINDY WEATHER SPREADS ACROSS THE AREA. THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG WITH SOUTHERN COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO BORDER...WHERE A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON UNTIL 5 PM THIS EVENING. OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SNOWFALL INCREASING LATER TONIGHT AHEAD OF A WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS NORTH OF COTTONWOOD PASS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ON THURSDAY...WHILE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW AND LOWER ELEVATION RAIN SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE. THE BEST CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ACROSS NORTHERN EL PASO AND TELLER COUNTIES THURSDAY MORNING. LOCAL AREAS COULD SEE A QUICK INCH OF SNOW BEFORE SHOWERS DECREASE DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE REGION WILL DO SO OVER THE WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS BEGINNING SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY...ALONG WITH MODERATE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND THE LOWER EASTERN SLOPES THROUGH TONIGHT. 23/31
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
214 PM MST WED FEB 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0206 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 39.01N 104.89W
02/22/2012 M58.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
0710 AM NON-TSTM WND GST PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
02/22/2012 M85.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
401 PM MST WED FEB 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0206 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 39.01N 104.89W
02/22/2012 M58.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
0710 AM NON-TSTM WND GST PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
02/22/2012 M85.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
0452 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SSE BUENA VISTA 38.81N 106.12W
02/22/2012 M59.00 MPH CHAFFEE CO AWOS
STATION KAEJ-CENTRAL COLORADO REGIONAL AIRPORT. GUST
MEASURED AT 435AM.
0355 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NE PONCHA SPRINGS 38.54N 106.05W
02/22/2012 M58.00 MPH CHAFFEE CO AWOS
STATION KANK-HARRIET ALEXANDER FIELD.
1238 AM NON-TSTM WND GST PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
02/22/2012 M83.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
PIKES PEAK WEATHER SENSOR.
1218 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 NE ALPINE 38.78N 106.22W
02/22/2012 M77.00 MPH CHAFFEE CO MESONET
MEASURED BY K7BM...COTTONWOOD PASS SENSOR.
1147 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.94N 104.91W
02/21/2012 M81.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MEASURED AT MESONET STATION C5171
1113 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SSE AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.96N 104.85W
02/21/2012 M63.00 MPH EL PASO CO AWOS
1113 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 39.03N 104.88W
02/21/2012 M61.00 MPH EL PASO CO AWOS
1033 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 ESE AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.97N 104.81W
02/21/2012 M60.00 MPH EL PASO CO ASOS
1030 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.98N 104.88W
02/21/2012 M63.00 MPH EL PASO CO AWOS
0930 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 39.01N 104.89W
02/21/2012 M61.00 MPH EL PASO CO AWOS
0857 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.98N 104.88W
02/21/2012 M62.00 MPH EL PASO CO AWOS
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 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: 366645, 366646, 366647, 366648, 366640, 366641, 366642, 366644, 366635, 366636, 366637, 366638, 366639.