A strong jet stream moving across the Rocky Mountains generated strong and damaging winds across sections of southern Colorado. and 7 miles west of Westcliffe (Custer County).
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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 jet stream moving across the Rocky Mountains generated strong and damaging winds across sections of southern Colorado. Gusts from 60 to 70 mph were recorded at or near Falcon...Black Forest...and Colorado Springs (El Paso County)...Poncha Springs and Buena Vista (Chaffee County)...Woodland Park (Teller County)...and 7 miles west of Westcliffe (Custer County). Winds gusted between 70 and 80 mph at or near Alpine and Monarch Pass (Chaffee County)...and Stonewall (Las Animas County). Winds were clocked at 85 to 95 mph at or near the Air Force Academy...Chipita Park...and at the summit of 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 Jan 17, 10:45 PM MST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1045 PM MST TUE JAN 17 2012 .AVIATION... WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO INCREASE ACROSS THE TOP OF PIKES PEAK...WITH EVIDENCE OF WESTERLY WINDS SPREADING DOWN THE LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SE MTS...IN VCNTY OF KAFF. EXPECT LIGHT SFC WINDS AT KCOS AND KPUB THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH WESTERLY WINDS SPREADING DOWN TO AROUND 2000 FT AGL AFTER 07Z. THIS WILL LEAD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AT BOTH KCOS AND KPUB TAF SITES AFTER 07Z AND CONTINUING THROUGH WED MORNING. BY AFTN...WINDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH TO SE AT BOTH TAF SITES WITH BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING LIFTING THE AXIS OF STRONGER WESTERLY WINDS TO ABOVE 2000 FT AGL. THERE IS SOME CONCERN AS TO WHETHER THE WESTERLY WINDS 25-35 KTS WILL SPREAD INTO KPUB IN THE AFTN. FOR NOW THINK THIS WILL OCCUR JUST NORTH OF KPUB...AND WILL MAINTAIN A SOUTHERLY WIND THROUGH THE AFTN...BUT THIS WILL BEAR WATCHING IN FUTURE MODEL RUNS. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR CONCERNS AGAIN WED NIGHT AT BOTH KCOS AND KPUB. MEANWHILE...LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED AT KALS THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH POTENTIAL FOR SOUTHWEST WINDS 15-25 KTS DEVELOPING WED AFTN. -KT && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 922 PM MST TUE JAN 17 2012/ UPDATE... UPDATED GRIDS TO EXPAND HIGH WIND WARNINGS DOWN INTO THE LOWER SLOPES OF THE SANGRES...WETS...AND THE EASTERN SAWATCH RANGE...AND TO EXTEND ALL OF THE THE WARNINGS THROUGH WED NIGHT. HIGH WINDS WILL INITIALLY SPREAD ACROSS THE HIGHER PEAKS...WITH A BIT TOO MUCH FORWARD SHEAR ALOFT TO AID IN MTN WAVE DEVELOPMENT TO GET WINDS DOWN INTO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. HOWEVER...MODEL CROSS-SECTIONS OFF LOCAL 4KM WRF...AND LATEST NAM12 DOES INDICATE SOME POTENTIAL FOR STRONG DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TOP DROP TO AROUND 9000 FEET OR SO INTO THESE LOWER ELEVATIONS AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. BY TOMORROW INTO TOMORROW NIGHT...MTN TOP INVERSION DEVELOPS AND WE GET SOME BETTER REVERSE SHEAR ALOFT STARTING AROUND 18Z WED AND CONTINUING INTO WED NIGHT. THUS...BETTER CHANCE FOR HIGH WIND CRITERIA IN THESE LOWER ELEVATION ZONES MAY END UP BEING WED AFTERNOON THROUGH WED NIGHT. IN FACT...LOWER ELEVATION ZONES OF THE WET MTN VALLEY...EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY...WESTERN HUERFANO...AND WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY MAY COME CLOSE TO HITTING HIGH WIND CRITERIA LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WILL LET LATER SHIFTS GET A LOOK AT HIGH RES MODELS BEFORE HOISTING A WATCH. -KT PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 326 PM MST TUE JAN 17 2012/ SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY) .HIGH WINDS FOR SOME AREAS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... MODELS COMING IN TODAY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HIGH WINDS OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...AND TO SOME EXTENT...OVER THE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT LOWER ELEVATION EASTERN SLOPES. LAST COUPLE RUNS OF THE WRF...WHICH ARGUABLY MAY BE THE BEST MODEL FOR PREDICTING EAST SLOPE HIGH WIND EVENTS IN SOUTHERN COLORADO...HAS BEEN DEPICTING HIGH WINDS ACROSS THE CRESTS OF THE MOUNTAINS...AND ALSO ALONG THE LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF TELLER COUNTY...INCLUDING THE RAMPART RANGE AND PIKES PEAK. CURRENTLY...LOOKS LIKE WESTERLY WINDS 40-60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 85 MPH BEGINNING SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY IN MOST AREAS. PEAK POTENTIAL IS PROBABLY FROM 3AM TO 9AM...WHEN DUCTING TO SURFACE IS FORECAST TO REACH A MAXIMUM ACCORDING TO MODEL CROSS SECTIONS. ASIDE FROM THE WIND...THERE COULD BE SOME HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AT TIMES TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND SNOW COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED TRAVEL HAZARDS CROSSING THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. ELSEWHERE...LITTLE OR NO CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) .WIND AND SNOW FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS... MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED. ZONAL WESTERLY FLOW WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH SEVERAL SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. THE MAIN CONCERNS WITH THIS WEATHER PATTERN WILL BE STRONG WINDS AND MOUNTAIN SNOW. LIGHT SNOW WILL BE ONGOING OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MINOR WITH ONLY 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE. WIND WILL BE THE OTHER MAIN ISSUE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING FOR THE MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET WILL BE PRESENT WITH THE PEAKS REACHING INTO THE STRONGEST WINDS. WINDS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND PIKES PEAK WILL SEE GUST IN EXCESS OF 85 MPH. FURTHER SOUTH...THE JET CORE WILL BE NORTH...BUT EXPECT THE PEAKS OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE AND WET MOUNTAINS TO SEE STRONG WINDS BUT SHOULD FALL OFF BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. SEE THE HIGH WIND HIGHLIGHTS FOR DETAILS. THURSDAY WILL SEE SNOW TAPER TO JUST FLURRIES OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AHEAD OF ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH. WINDS WILL BE LESS ON THURSDAY. THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL TRACK ACROSS THE ROCKIES THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THERE IS MORE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH WITH THIS SYSTEM AND ACCUMULATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED TO RANGE IN THE 4 TO 8 INCH RANGE FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND LESSER AMOUNTS SOUTH ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. WINDS WILL ONCE AGAIN INCREASE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AS ANOTHER JET STREAK SHIFTS EAST ACROSS COLORADO. THE NEXT IN THE SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL TRACK ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. EXPECT SNOW TO INCREASE ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE ON SATURDAY. THIS TROUGH IS A BIT STRONGER AND HAS BETTER MOISTURE TO WORK WITH. ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE HIGH OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WITH THIS STORM. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG WITH MODELS INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME DOWNSLOPE WINDS SATURDAY MORNING...BUT THIS IS A LONG WAYS OUT. THE GFS IS HINTING AT A BIT OF SNOWFALL FOR PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN PLAINS BUT FOR NOW CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN OCCURRENCE AND WILL MAINTAIN A DRY FORECAST. MODELS IN AGREEMENT WITH A STRONG STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WITH DIFFERENCES IN HOW THEY WANT TO TRACK IT ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE THIS STORM SYSTEM WITH THE GFS BEING THE FASTER SOLUTION. DEPENDING ON TRACK AND STORM SPEED...IT IS LIKELY THAT MOST OF SOUTHERN COLORADO COULD SEE SNOWFALL...POSSIBLY SIGNIFICANT...BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. STAY TUNED FOR INFO ON THIS STORM. TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK WILL REMAIN MILD OVER THE PLAINS DUE TO WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT AND MIXING. EXPECT HIGHS TO CONTINUE TO REACH INTO THE MID TO UPPER 50S FOR MOST OF THE PLAINS WITH THE COOL SPOTS BEING THE LOWER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY. 88 AVIATION... OVERNIGHT...WINDS ALOFT WILL BE ON THE INCREASE...WITH THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BECOMING OBSCURED BY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS AFTER 06Z. TAF SITES WILL REMAIN VFR...THOUGH WITH STRONG WINDS MOVING IN ALOFT...WILL CONTINUE WIND SHEAR AT BOTH KCOS AND KPUB AFTER 07Z. STRONG WINDS ALOFT AND WIND SHEAR THREAT WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR COZ058-060-061- 072>075-079>082. && 31/77
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 933 PM MST TUE JAN 17 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-190445- 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- 933 PM MST TUE JAN 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STRONG WESTERLY JET STREAM WILL SPREAD STRONG AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ACROSS THE HIGHER PEAKS ABOVE 11000 FEET BEGINNING AROUND MIDNIGHT...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS SPREADING DOWN THE LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SANGRES...WETS...PIKES PEAK AND THE RAMPARTS...AND THE SAWATCH RANGE TOWARDS MORNING. GUSTS WILL EXCEED 80 MPH AT TIMES. THIS WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ACROSS THE HIGHER PEAKS AND PASSES...RESTRICTING VISIBILITIES AND BLOWING SNOW ONTO ROAD SURFACES MAKING TRAVEL DANGEROUS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY STRONG DAMAGING WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH GUSTS UP TO 85 MPH POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...AND GUSTS UP TO 95 MPH ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ABOVE 11000 FEET. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE ACROSS THE ADJACENT LOWER ELEVATIONS OF FREMONT COUNTY...THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY...AND AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 25. LOCALIZED WESTERLY WINDS UP TO 55 TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL ALSO SPREAD ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN LIGHT...STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW MAKING TRAVEL TREACHEROUS OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. PERIODS OF STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA FROM THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY...ALONG WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL FOR MAINLY THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WHERE MODERATE TO SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY TONIGHT ACROSS THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS...PIKES PEAK AND TELLER COUNTY...AND THE EASTERN SAWATCH AND WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGES. 31/77
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 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, January 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: 362857, 362859, 362855, 362850, 362851, 362856, 362852, 362854, 362858, 362860, 362861, 362853.