A strong jet stream aloft generated wind gusts to around 75 mph at times mainly over the higher terrain.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 aloft generated wind gusts to around 75 mph at times mainly over the higher terrain.
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 Oct 23, 10:45 AM MST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1145 AM MDT TUE OCT 23 2012 .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS TO PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MAIN CONCERN REMAINS GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 40 MPH. ALSO...WINDS GUSTING TO 50 AND 60 MPH POSSIBLE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LW && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 459 AM MDT TUE OCT 23 2012/ SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ..SHORT TERM CONCERNS ARE WINDS...TEMPERATURES AND FIRE DANGER... CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS CONTINUES TO INDICATE MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE REGION WITH A LONG WAVE TROUGH PERSISTING ACROSS PAC NW AND WEST COAST. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ALSO INDICATING AN EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE LIFTING OUT ACROSS THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN AND NORTHERN ROCKIES WITH ANOTHER EMBEDDED WAVE MOVING ONSHORE ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIF COAST AND INTO THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AT THIS TIME. AT THE SFC...LEE TROUGHING MOVING ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS HAS KEPT GENERALLY WEAK SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS IN PLACE WITH FAIRLY MILD TEMPS IN THE UPPER 30S TO UPPER 50S AT THIS TIME. EARLY THIS MORNING...SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS HAS BROUGHT AN INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WITH SOME PATCHY LOW CLOUDS AND FOG BEING REPORTED AT LAA OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS. HOWEVER...WITH DRIER AIR ADVECTING IN FROM THE WEST...SHOULD SEE ANY LOW CLOUDS AND FOG DISSIPATING BY DAY BREAK. REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT...MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TO PERSIST WITH NORTHERN ROCKIES SHORT WAVE CONTINUING TO LIFT OUT ACROSS THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND UPPER GREAT LAKES AS SECOND SHORT WAVE CONTINUES TO TRANSLATE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN AND INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES OVERNIGHT. MOVEMENT OF THESE SYSTEMS WILL ALLOW FOR LEE TROUGHING TO REESTABLISH AND DEEPEN ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR LATER THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE LIFTING OUT ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS WILL KEEP BEST GRADIENT AND STRONGEST WINDS ACROSS MTS AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG AND WEST OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25-45 MPH EXPECTED. THIS ALONG WITH DOWNSLOPE WARMING AND LOW RHS WILL ALLOW FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MTS AND IMMEDIATE ADJACENT PLAINS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. FURTHER EAST ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS...SOUNDINGS INDICATING ENOUGH MIXING TO SUPPORT GUSTY WINDS OF 20-35 MPH LEADING TO HIGH FIRE DANGER AND WILL KEPT CURRENT RED FLAG WARNING IN TACT FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST COLORADO FROM 18Z-00Z. IT WILL BE WINDY ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL...HOWEVER RH VALUES LOOK TO REMAIN JUST ABOVE THE 15 PERCENT CRITERIA. SLIGHT WARMING ALOFT NOTED OVERNIGHT WILL KEEP HIGHS AT TO WELL ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES...WITH THE WARMEST READINGS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN...THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WHICH WILL AGAIN KEEP OVERNIGHT LOWS ON THE MILD SIDE. -MW LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT MONDAY) IN GENERAL...CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE MORE CONSISTENT ECMWF AND ITS HANDLING OF THE INCOMING UPPER TROUGH THU/FRI. AHEAD OF THE COLD AIR ON WED...SOUTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES OVER THE AREA AS FIRST PIECE OF UPPER ENERGY SWINGS OUT OF THE GREAT BASIN AND INTO WESTERN COLORADO BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. MAIN QUESTION WED IS POSITION OF FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE PLAINS AS DEEP SURFACE LOW SPINS UP NEAR LA JUNTA. SUSPECT BOUNDARY AND MAIN COLD AIR WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE PALMER DIVIDE UNTIL WED EVENING...THOUGH WEAK EAST WIND MAY DEVELOP ALONG AND NORTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER AS SURFACE LOW DEEPENS. DESPITE MOST OF PLAINS STAYING IN THE WARM SECTOR...STRONGEST WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS MAY STAY LIMITED TO AREAS ALONG THE NM BORDER...WHERE SURFACE GRADIENT AND STRONGER WINDS ALOFT COINCIDE. FARTHER WEST...SNOW BEGINS OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WED AFTERNOON AND AT LEAST SOME MODEST (2-4 INCH) ACCUMS ARE LIKELY BY LATE WED NIGHT AS INITIAL UPPER TROUGH MOVES ACROSS. COLD FRONT WILL RACE QUICKLY SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA WED EVENING AND BE SOUTH OF THE NM BORDER BY MIDNIGHT AT COLD AIR POURS SOUTH. MODELS CONTINUE TO KEEP OVERNIGHT PRECIP CONFINED TO TELLER COUNTY/PALMER DIVIDE...WHERE RAIN WILL QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW WITH SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS BY THU MORNING. COLD UPSLOPE FLOW GRADUALLY DEEPENS OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS THURSDAY AS MAIN PIECE OF THE WESTERN TROUGH DIGS TOWARD WESTERN COLORADO. EXPECT SOME -SHSN TO BREAK OUT OVER EAST MOUNTAIN SLOPES/PALMER DIVIDE BY AFTERNOON AS UPSLOPE DEEPENS TO 700 MB AND LIFT INCREASES...WHILE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ALSO SEE INCREASING COVERAGE OF -SN AS LIFT FROM THE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES. MAX TEMPS THU WILL RUN UP TO 30-35F COLDER THAN WED NUMBERS...THOUGH WON'T GO NEARLY AS COLD AS MAV GUIDANCE...WHICH KEEPS READINGS IN THE 20S AT KCOS AND KPUB. BEST WINDOW FOR PRECIP...MOSTLY SNOW...WILL OCCUR THU NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...THOUGH MODELS...ESPECIALLY GFS/NAM...ARE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE PRECIP SHIELD. ECMWF LOOKS MOST REASONABLE...KEEPING HEAVIEST SNOW ALONG AND NORTH OF THE PALMER DIVIDE WITH LIGHTER SNOWS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS. VERY PRELIMINARY SNOW AMOUNT FORECAST SUGGESTS 2-4 INCHES FOR PALMER DIVIDE/TELLER COUNTY INCLUDING MONUMENT AND WOODLAND PARK. CENTRAL MOUNTAINS COULD ALSO SEE ANOTHER 2-4 INCHES OVER MAINLY HIGHER WEST FACING SLOPES. UPSLOPE AND LIGHT SNOW CONTINUE EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...GRADUALLY FADING AWAY BY AFTERNOON AS UPPER TROUGH PASSES AND FLOW WEAKENS. INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT USUALLY SQUIRRELY 06Z MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TRUE TO FORM...AS 06Z NAM HAS NEARLY 20 INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE ENTIRE I-25 CORRIDOR THROUGH MIDDAY FRIDAY...WHILE 06Z GFS HAS ALMOST NOTHING. MAX TEMPS FRIDAY WILL CONTINUE ON THE COLD SIDE...WITH MUCH OF THE AREA STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THE 30S. CLEARING AND VERY COLD CONDITIONS DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT...THEN A GRADUAL WARMING TREND BEGINS SAT AND CONTINUES INTO NEXT WEEK AS UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. --10 AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS TO PERSIST AT TERMINALS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAIN CONCERN REMAINS GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 25-35KTS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED AT ALS AND COS. -MW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ222-225- 227>237. FIRE WEATHER WATCH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR COZ229-230-233-237. && 50/88
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 640 AM MDT TUE OCT 23 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-241245- 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- 640 AM MDT TUE OCT 23 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHEAST PLAINS. EXPECTED GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH THIS AFTERNOON...COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND PERSISTENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS...WILL PRODUCE EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. RAPID RATES OF FIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY FIRE STARTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS...MAINLY ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS BEGINNING EARLY WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY...AND 2 TO 4 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER PEAKS BY THURSDAY MORNING. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS EASTERN COLORADO LATE WEDNESDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS TO TELLER COUNTY AND THE PALMER DIVIDE WEDNESDAY NIGHT..ALONG WITH MUCH COOLER WEATHER AREA-WIDE. FROM THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL WEATHER SYSTEM MAY BRING AN INCREASED CHANCE OF SNOW TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WHILE SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS. RAIN AND SNOW WILL COME TO AN END BY FRIDAY EVENING...WITH CLEARING SKIES AND THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE FALL BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. 23/10
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1118 AM MDT TUE OCT 23 2012 COZ081-084-085-232000- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT-TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500FT/PIKE'S PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- 1118 AM MDT TUE OCT 23 2012 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... NORTHWESTERN EL PASO COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO...THIS INCLUDES THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY AND NORTHWESTERN COLORADO SPRINGS. AT 1115 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MESONET WEATHER STATIONS INDICATED STRONG WINDS ACROSS NORTHWESTERN COLORADO SPRINGS AND THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY EXTREME NORTHWESTERN COLORADO SPRINGS. PALMER LAKE. MONUMENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...GUSTING TO 50 AND 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. TAKE SHELTER FROM THE WINDS TO AVOID FLYING DEBRIS. IF DRIVING... KEEP A FIRM HOLD ON THE STEERING WHEEL...ESPECIALLY ON NORTH TO SOUTH RUNNING ROADS WHERE GUSTY CROSSWINDS COULD CAUSE YOUR VEHICLE TO SHIFT SUDDENLY.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 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, October 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: 415198, 415199, 415200, 415201.