The combination of an upper level storm system and a cold air produced an isolated 8 inches snow amount near the summit of Monarch Pass (Chaffee County) and 11 inches of snow around 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.
The combination of an upper level storm system and a cold air produced an isolated 8 inches snow amount near the summit of Monarch Pass (Chaffee County) and 11 inches of snow around 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 Mar 1, 4:48 AM MST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 448 AM MST THU MAR 1 2012 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER PORTIONS OF THE SERN PLAINS TODAY...SNOW OVER THE MTS TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW OVR THE SERN PLAINS TONIGHT. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROF WL MOVE OVR THE FORECAST AREA TODAY...WHICH WL BRING AN INCREASE IN SNOW TO THE CONTDVD PROBABLY BY LATER THIS MORNING. THE CURRENT WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHT STILL LOOK REASONABLE. IT THEN LOOKS LIKE PCPN COULD SPREAD TO THE EASTERN MTS IN THE AFTERNOON. PCPN OVR THE ERN MTS DOES NOT LOOK SIGNIFICANT THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THE PCPN COULD LEAD TO SOME QUICK INCH OR TWO OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN LOCALIZED AREAS OVR THE HYR PEAKS. STEEP AFTERNOON LAPSE RATES AND A LITTLE CAPE COULD ALSO LEAD TO SOME SHOWERS OVER PORTIONS OF THE SERN PLAINS... ALTHOUGH CHANCES FOR MEASURABLE PCPN MOST AREAS WOULD BE LOW. HOWEVER SOME OF EL PASO COUNTY COULD GET SOME LIGHT MEASURABLE PCPN THIS AFTERNOON. IT WILL BE BREEZY MOST AREA TODAY. PORTIONS OF THE SERN PLAINS SHOULD SEE MIN RH VALUES DROP TO 15 PERCENT OR LOWER. THE COMBINATION OF THE GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RH VALUES WL PRODUCE AREAS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE CURRENT RED FLAG WARNING AREA OF LAS ANIMAS AND BACA COUNTIES STILL LOOKS GOOD...BUT I AM ALSO SEEING THE POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST A 3 HR PERIOD OF LOW ENOUGH RH VALUES OVER MUCH OF OTERO AND BENT COUNTIES WHERE THE FUELS ARE CRITICAL...SO WL ADD THESE AREAS TO THE WARNING. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE SERN PLAINS TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY MAKE IT INTO A LEAST A PORTION OF EL PASO COUNTY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE GFS IS FASTER BRINGING THIS FRONT INTO THE AREA THAN THE NAM. BOTH MODELS SHOW MSTR INCREASING AND PCPN DEVELOPING BEHIND THE FRONT. THE NAM HAS MOSTLY BEEN KEEPING THE PCPN OVR NRN AND ERN EL PASO COUNTY AND THEN OVR COUNTY EAST OF PUEBLO TO THE KANSAS BORDER THRU THE NIGHT...WITH MAINLY NORTH TO NW LOW LEVEL WINDS. THE GFS DEVELOPS WEAK LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE FLOW OVR THE SERN PLAINS AND HAS A BETTER CHANCE FOR PCPN OVER AND NR THE ERN MTS. HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP SOME HIGH POPS OVR NRN AND ERN EL PASO COUNTY AND GO WITH SCT POPS OVR THE REST OF THE SERN PLAINS TONIGHT. SO THERE IS A LITTLE UNCERTAINTY AT THIS TIME AS TO WHETHER UPSLOPE WL DEVELOP TONIGHT AND BRING SNOW ALONG THE I25 CORRIDOR...OR IF IT WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL FRIDAY MORNING. IT LOOK LIKE OVERNIGHT THE INTENSITY OF THE SNOW OVER THE CONTDVD WL PROBABLY DECREASE...BUT THERE WL STILL BE SNOW. .LONG TERM... (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) PRIMARY FOCUS OF LONGER TERM IS ON SNOW EVENT FROM FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY EVENING...ESPECIALLY OVER ZONES 72/73/74/75/79/80/81 AND 82. RECENT COMPUTER SIMULATIONS INDICATE THAT UPPER SYSTEM CENTERED OVER SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO AT 12Z FRIDAY WILL PUSH ACROSS THE FORECAST DISTRICT INTO FRIDAY EVENING. IN ADDITION...MOIST NORTH-NORTHEASTERLY FLOW ALSO DEVELOPS ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWFA FRIDAY. SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS ZONES 72/73/74/75/79/80/81 AND 82 FRIDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY EVENING...THEREFORE HAVE ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH THESE AREAS DURING THIS TIME-FRAME. SOMEWHAT LOWER SNOW TOTALS ARE ANTICIPATED OVER ZONES ADJACENT TO THE WINTER STORM WATCH ZONES...ALTHOUGH WFO PUEBLO MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL WINTER HIGHLIGHTS FOR THESE ZONES...ESPECIALLY IF RECENT 06Z/1ST GFS40 COMPUTER MODEL IS CLOSEST TO REALITY. WFO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW ON FRIDAY...WELL BELOW SEASONAL TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED FRIDAY WITH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY DROPPING SOME 20F TO 30F OVER EASTERN SECTIONS WHEN COMPARED TO TODAYS(THURSDAY) MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES. AFTER THE FRIDAY/FRIDAY EVENING STORM MOVES EAST OF THE FORECAST DISTRICT...NORTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER COLORADO THIS WEEKEND WITH UPPER RIDGING THEN DEVELOPING OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY BEFORE SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW TAKES HOLD ON WEDNESDAY IN ADVANCE OF AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SO FOR SENSIBLE WEATHER FROM SATURDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...ANTICIPATE THAT GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD BE NOTED OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM SATURDAY INTO NEXT WEDNESDAY(OUTSIDE OF SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY AT TIMES OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY SATURDAY AND WEDNESDAY). WARMER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO PROJECTED FROM SATURDAY INTO AT LEAST TUESDAY...WITH WELL ABOVE EARLY MARCH CLIMATOLOGICAL TEMPERATURES ANTICIPATED FROM SUNDAY INTO NEXT TUESDAY. && .AVIATION... EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TODAY AT THE TAF SITES. IT LOOKS LIKE ALSO WL CONTINUE TO HAVE VFR CONDITIONS TONIGHT. THIS AFTERNOON AT KCOS AND KPUB...THERE COULD BE SOME SHOWERS IN THE VCNTY...MAINLY AFTER 20Z. ALL AREAS WILL HAVE GUSTY WESTERLY CONDITIONS IN THE AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS OF 25-30 KTS EXPECTED. LOW CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BEHIND A COLD FRONT TONIGHT AT KCOS AND KPUB...HOWEVER THE TIMING OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT IS IN QUESTION. AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE THEY COULD HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 08Z...SOME SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AT KCOS AND KPUB...WITH CONDITIONS THEN LIKELY BEING IFR. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ059-061- 063. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR COZ072>075-079>082. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ230-232-233-235-237. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ058-060. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ064-067. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 2 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ066-068. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 605 PM MST WED FEB 29 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-020115- 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- 605 PM MST WED FEB 29 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL TRACK SOUTHEAST INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST TONIGHT. LIGHT SNOW OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL SPREAD SOUTH ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY FRIDAY MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS TONIGHT WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 FEET ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WHILE 10 TO 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE SAN JUAN AND LA GARITA RANGES. THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE COULD SEE UP TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW. STRONG WINDS ARE FORECAST ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS ON THURSDAY. WINDS COULD GUST TO NEAR 50 MPH...CAUSING HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ALONG NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAYS INCLUDING INTERSTATE 25. LOW HUMIDITIES WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG WINDS PRODUCING HIGH FIRE DANGER OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE EASTERN PLAINS. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO THURSDAY NIGHT. EXPECT SNOW TO SPREAD SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN PLAINS THROUGH FRIDAY. LOCATIONS OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS COULD SEE 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOWFALL THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW AMOUNTS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS ARE MORE CHALLENGING...BUT EXPECT MOST LOCATIONS TO SEE LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATIONS. THE STORM SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SNOW WILL MOVE OFF TO THE EAST LATE FRIDAY WITH SNOW COMING TO AN END ACROSS THE REGION BY FRIDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. 88/88
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1111 PM MST WED FEB 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1058 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 ESE WETMORE 38.21N 105.00W
02/29/2012 M75.00 MPH PUEBLO CO MESONET
RED CREEK RAWS
1100 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 39.03N 104.88W
02/29/2012 M59.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
1102 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SSE AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.96N 104.85W
02/29/2012 M59.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
&&
KMOZLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1116 PM MST WED FEB 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1057 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW COLORADO CITY 37.95N 104.87W
02/29/2012 M59.00 MPH PUEBLO CO MESONET
COLORADO CITY RAWS
&&
KMOZLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1153 PM MST WED FEB 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1148 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.98N 104.88W
02/29/2012 M60.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
&&
KMOZLEYThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. 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, March 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: 371879.