A storm system generated high winds across portions of southern Colorado. Wind gusts over 60 mph were reported near Florence (Fremont County), near La Veta (Huerfano County), and near the Air Force Academy (El Paso County).
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 storm system generated high winds across portions of southern Colorado. Wind gusts over 60 mph were reported near Florence (Fremont County), near La Veta (Huerfano County), and near the Air Force Academy (El Paso County). Gusts over 70 mph wind gusts were observed near Manitou Springs (El Paso County). A wind gust to 91 mph was recorded near the summit of Monarch Pass (Chaffee 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 26, 10:41 AM MST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1141 AM MDT MON MAR 26 2012 .AVIATION... MAIN CONCERN DURING NEXT 6 HOURS OR SO WILL BE STRONG SW WINDS AT ALL 3 TAF SITES. STRONG BUT COMPACT PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH OF THE REGION DRAGGING A COOL FRONT ACROSS THE AREA LATE IN THE DAY. SW SFC WINDS OF 20 TO 40 KNTS WILL OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON GRADUALLY BECOMING WEST LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. BY THIS EVENING...WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT. BLOWING DUST WILL BE THE MAIN RESTRICTION TO VISIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY AT KPUB AND KALS. 3-5 SM IN BLDU WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST GUSTS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 439 AM MDT MON MAR 26 2012/ SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ..EXTREME FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE PLAINS TODAY... CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR DATA INDICATING MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE REGION AS AN UPPER TROUGH ACROSS THE WEST COAST IS TRANSLATING INTO THE GREAT BASIN REGION AT THIS TIME. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY CONTINUES TO INDICATE AMPLE MID AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE STREAMING OUT AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM ACROSS THE ROCKIES AT THIS TIME. AT THE SURFACE...1 TO 2 MB PRESSURE FALLS ARE BEING REALIZED ACROSS THE EASTERN COLORADO WITH VERY MILD TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA WITH READINGS IN THE 40S AND 50S ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO AND MAINLY 30S AND 40S ACROSS THE MTS AND HIGH MT VALLEYS AT THIS TIME. TODAY...NO BIG CHANGES IN FORECAST THINKING AS MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT OF GREAT BASIN UPPER TROUGH CONTINUING TO LIFT OUT INTO NORTHEASTERN WYOMING THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON WITH ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MARCHING ACROSS THE ROCKIES. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE GOOD MIXING AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH H7 FLOW OF 40-50KTS...STRONGEST ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA...EXPECTED TO TRANSLATE TO THE SURFACE. SHOULD SEE THESE WINDS PICKING BETWEEN 15Z AND 17Z WITH SUSTAINED SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH GUSTING TO BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH THROUGH OUT THE AFTERNOON. THE STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH HUMIDITIES DROPPING FROM WEST TO EAST AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MIXES OUT INTO WESTERN KANSAS...WILL LEAD TO EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA...WITH CURRENT RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT STARTING AT 10 AM. HAVE ADDED SLIGHT POPS ACROSS THE EASTERN KANSAS BORDER FOR THE LATE AFTERNOON AS LATEST MODELS ARE A TAD SLOWER WITH DRYLINE MOVING INTO KANSAS...AND ARE INDICATING CAPES UP TO 500 J/KG AND LOWERING CIN. HAVE ALSO KEPT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS ACROSS THE CENTRAL MTS...THOUGH AM NOT EXPECTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATIONS WITH LATEST MODELS KEEPING BEST LIFT AND MOISTURE WELL NORTH OF THE AREA. WITH THE GOOD MIXING...SHOULD SEE ONE MORE DAY OF WELL ABOVE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO...WITH AREAS WEST SEEING COOLER READINGS ASSOCIATED WITH PASSING SYSTEM. TONIGHT...WINDS ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE SLOWLY DIMINISH THROUGH THE LATE EVENING AS SYSTEM CONTINUES INTO HIGH PLAINS. WITH THE DRY WESTERLY FLOW AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES OVERNIGHT...HAVE GONE AT OR SLIGHTLY BELOW GUIDANCE FOR LOWS...WITH MAINLY 20S AND 30S EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. -MW LONG TERM... (TUESDAY THROUGH NEXT MONDAY) SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS TUE...THOUGH STILL ABOVE NORMAL...AS UPPER TROUGH LIFTS INTO THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND FLAT RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE ROCKIES. WED/THU LOOK MILD AND DRY AS RIDGE DRIFTS EAST AND SURFACE FLOW BECOMES SOUTHERLY AHEAD OF WEAK UPPER TROUGH OVER THE GREAT BASIN. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LOOKS TO MAKE ONLY MINIMAL WESTWARD PROGRESS OVER THE PLAINS THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH WEAK DRYLINE STAYING NEAR THE KS BORDER BOTH DAYS. UPPER WAVE THEN CROSSES THE STATE LATE THU/FRI...THOUGH ONLY PRECIP WILL BE A FEW SPRINKLES/FLURRIES ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND PERHAPS OVER PIKES PEAK THU NIGHT AS MOISTURE IS VERY LIMITED AND DYNAMIC LIFT WEAK. WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST FROM FRI INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH INCREASING WINDS SAT/SUN AS FLOW BECOMES MORE SOUTHWESTERLY IN RESPONSE TO UPPER TROUGH DIGGING SOUTH ALONG THE WEST COAST. MODELS DIFFER FROM SUN ONWARD IN TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THE WESTERN TROUGH AS IT EJECTS EASTWARD INTO THE PLAINS...WITH ECMWF FASTER AND WEAKER THAN MORE CLOSED OFF GFS SOLUTION. GFS AND PORTION OF GFS ENSEMBLES SUGGEST PRECIP AT LEAST ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE SUN/MON...WHILE ECMWF IS DRY AND WINDY. EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS GET DRY-SLOTTED IN ALMOST ALL SOLUTIONS...WITH STRONG WINDS THROUGH BOTH SUN/MON. PERSISTENCE SUGGESTS DRIER/WARMER FORECAST IS BEST...WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY LATEST BLENDED EXTENDED GUIDANCE GRIDS. --10 AVIATION...VFR CIGS ALL TERMINALS THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. KCOS AND KPUB SHOULD SEE LIGHT NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS BEFORE WINDS INCREASE FROM THE SOUTHWEST BETWEEN 16 AND 17Z MON AND HAVE MAINTAINED THE LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR GROUP IN KCOS TAF. ONCE WINDS INCREASE FROM THE SOUTHWEST...LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR THREAT SHOULD END ABRUPTLY. BY AFTERNOON...GUSTS TO 35-40 KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT ALL 3 TAF SITES...WITH STRONGEST WIND POTENTIAL AT KCOS. MVFR VIS IN BLDU WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AT ALL TAF SITES WITH WINDS DIMINISH BY 02Z. -MW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ221-222- 226>237. && 34/34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 638 AM MDT MON MAR 26 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-271245- 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- 638 AM MDT MON MAR 26 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT FIRE DANGER WILL BE EXTREME ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH...CAN BE EXPECTED LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING...AS AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE ROCKIES. THE STRONG WINDS...COMBINED WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS DROPPING TO BETWEEN 5 AND 15 PERCENT AND DRY AND CURED GRASS AND FINE FUELS...WILL PRODUCE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR ERRATIC AND EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. EXTREME CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT THE START OF ANY WILD FIRES TODAY...AS THEY WILL QUICKLY SPREAD OUT OF CONTROL. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE MAIN THREAT FROM STORMS BEING LIGHTNING AND STRONG WINDS TO NEAR 60 MPH. LIGHT SNOWFALL MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF THE EASTERN SAWATCH AND WESTERN MOSQUITO MOUNTAINS...WITH ANY ACCUMULATIONS BEING LIGHT AND SPOTTY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS. 23/10
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
207 PM MDT MON MAR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0158 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 ESE WETMORE 38.21N 105.00W
03/26/2012 M59.00 MPH PUEBLO CO MESONET
RED CREEK RAWS
0200 PM NON-TSTM WND GST NE MONARCH PASS 38.50N 106.32W
03/26/2012 M78.00 MPH CHAFFEE CO MESONET
&&
KMOZLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
209 PM MDT MON MAR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 13 E WESTCLIFFE 38.13N 105.23W
03/26/2012 M63.00 MPH CUSTER CO BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
KMOZLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
221 PM MDT MON MAR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0157 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 S AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.93N 104.87W
03/26/2012 M69.00 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
CW5171 MESONET SITE
&&
KMOZLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
232 PM MDT MON MAR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0126 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 S COLORADO CITY 37.86N 104.83W
03/26/2012 M58.00 MPH HUERFANO CO MESONET
I-25 AND APACHE CITY
0208 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NNW COLORADO CITY 37.98N 104.87W
03/26/2012 M58.00 MPH PUEBLO CO MESONET
MESONET SITE DW2845
&&
KMOZLEYThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 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, 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: 371964, 371967, 371969, 371973, 371976, 371979, 371987, 371988, 371990, 371991, 371992.