A storm system brought strong to high winds across the eastern mountains and adjacent terrain. producing heavy snow accumulations across the eastern San Juan Mountains and the eastern Sawatch Range.
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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.
A storm system brought strong to high winds across the eastern mountains and adjacent terrain. Then favorable upslope flow followed...producing heavy snow accumulations across the eastern San Juan Mountains and the eastern Sawatch Range. Winds gusted over 60 mph across Teller and El Paso Counties...and over 80 mph atop Pikes Peak. Snowfall in excess of 8 inches occurred across much of the central and southwest mountains...with nearly 20 inches tallied around the summit of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral County) and Monarch Pass (Chaffee County). Also...5 to 8 inches of snow was noted across the Upper Arkansas Valley (Leadville, Buena Vista) and in portion of western El Paso and Fremont Counties (Fountain, Cascade, and Canon City).
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 Dec 2, 12:08 PM MST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1208 PM MST MON DEC 2 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1207 PM MST MON DEC 2 2013 UPDATED GRIDS AND ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR ISSUING A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR EL PASO AND TELLER COUNTIES AS WELL AS NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FEET FROM TUESDAY EVENING INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. UPDATE ISSUED AT 1032 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 BASED ON LATEST WRF...WILL UPGRADE TO A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR TELLER AND WESTERN EL PASO...MAINLY WEST OF I-25. WILL START THIS AT 18Z AS LATEST WRF IS INDICATED THE POTENTIAL FOR MTN WAVE INDUCED HIGH WINDS TO SPREAD DOWN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. INITIALLY FOCUS MAY BE UP TOWARDS THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY WHERE NW FLOW IS MORE PREFERRED. HOWEVER AS THE WINDS ALOFT SHIFT TO A MORE WESTERLY TO SOUTHWEST COMPONENT...THEN FOCUS COULD SPREAD SOUTHWARD INTO SW PARTS OF EL PASO COUNTY. WILL RUN THIS THROUGH 12Z. WILL LEAVE THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA AT A HIGH WIND WATCH UNTIL MORE OF THE LOCAL 4KM WRF TRICKLES IN. IT APPEARS BEST MTN WAVE MAY BE A LITTLE LATER DOWN SOUTH. HIGHLIGHTS AND UPDATED GRIDS COMING OUT SHORTLY. UPDATE ISSUED AT 733 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 LOADED LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND SATELLITE DATA INTO FRONT END OF FORECAST GRIDS. NO OTHER CHANGES AT THIS TIME. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 332 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 ...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL ESPECIALLY IN AND NEAR THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS... STRONG PACIFIC JET STREAM BEGINNING TO BEAR DOWN ON COLORADO WITH A GUST TO 67 MPH AT 117 AM AND A GUST TO 79 MPH ON TOP OF PIKES PEAK AT 210 AM. SINCE THEN...THOSE SPEEDS HAVE COME DOWN SOME WITH THE MOST RECENT REPORTS INDICATING GUSTS TO 58 MPH AT MONARCH AND NO NEW GUSTS REPORTED FROM PIKES PEAK. COTTONWOOD PASS HAS BEEN WINDY THIS MORNING TOO. GUSTS TO 63 MPH ARE BEING REPORTED CURRENTLY FROM THE AWOS SENSOR IN THE EASTERN SAWATCH RANGE SOUTHWEST OF BUENA VISTA. IT WILL CONTINUE WINDY TODAY...ESPECIALLY IN AND NEAR THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS. BUT...H7 WIND SPEED FORECASTS HAVE COME DOWN CONSIDERABLY FROM EARLIER RUNS FOR TODAY...SO BELIEVE THE WARNING LEVEL HIGH WIND THREAT WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL TONIGHT. STILL GUSTS TO 60 MPH OR SO IN THE MOUNTAINS...AND 50 MPH OR SO NEAR THE MOUNTAINS...BUT PROBABLY STAYING BELOW WARNING CRITERIA. THERE COULD BE AN ISOLATED REPORT OVER 75 MPH...BUT I DONT THINK IT WILL BE WIDESPREAD ENOUGH FOR A WARNING TODAY. CONSEQUENTLY...THE START OF THE HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK UNTIL TONIGHT. THIS EVENING...THE STRONG PACIFIC JET STREAM WILL MOVE OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS...MAINLY IN AND NEAR THE EASTERN MOUNTAIN RANGES. H7 WINDS UP TO 75 KNOTS AND STRONG DOWNSLOPE PRESSURE GRADIENTS ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD MAKE FOR SOME VERY HIGH WINDS. GUSTS OVER 75 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE LOWER AREAS ADJACENT TO THE MOUNTAINS. THIS THREAT WILL ESCALATE BETWEEN 03Z AND 06Z...PERSIST THROUGH 12Z...AND THEN DEESCALATE BETWEEN 12Z AND 15Z. THE PRIMARY AREA OF CONCERN IS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT AREAS...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF I-25. ON A FINAL NOTE...SNOW WILL BEGIN MOVING INTO THE HIGH COUNTRY OVERNIGHT BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE BULK OF IT WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 09Z AND BE CONFINED MAINLY TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS NORTH OF COTTONWOOD PASS. SO...THE START TIME OF THE WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK A LITTLE TO 12Z. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 332 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 A LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY WILL ESSENTIALLY REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD...KEEPING COLD AIR AND THE THREAT OF SNOW FOR THE CWA THROUGH SUNDAY. THE NAM...GFS AND EC MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT...BUT THERE IS ONE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE TO START OFF THE EVENT. TUESDAY...SNOW MOVES INTO THE CONTDVD RIGHT AROUND 12Z TUE MORNING...AND PERSISTS THROUGH WED. LATEST MODEL RUNS DID NOT SHOW MUCH ACTIVITY SAVE FOR WIND PRIOR TO THIS TIME...SO AMENDED ONGOING WATCH FOR A SLIGHTLY LATER STARTING TIME. WHILE SNOW IS OCCURRING ALONG THE CONTDVD...A SFC HIGH WILL DROP SOUTH ALONG THE MIDSECTION OF THE COUNTRY WHICH WILL PUSH A FAIRLY STRONG COLD FRONT INTO COLORADO. THE MODEL DISAGREEMENT DEALS WITH TIMING OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE AND THE RESULTANT MAX TEMP PRIOR TO PASSAGE. THE NAM PUSHES THE COLD FRONT SOUTH ACROSS THE PALMER DVD RIGHT AROUND 21Z...WHILE THE GFS HAS IT ALREADY CROSSING THE DVD BY 18Z. THIS 3-5 HR DIFFERENCE WILL GREATLY AFFECT EXPECTED MAX TEMPS FOR THE PLAINS. TAKING INTO ACCT THAT FRONTS USUALLY MOVE A BIT FASTER THAN MODELS NORMALLY INDICATE...WILL SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE AND TRY TO SHOW A TAPERED MAX T GRID ON TUE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH...WITH TAD AND THE SOUTHERN BORDER WARMING INTO THE LOWER 50S. TEMPS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO QUICKLY FALL THROUGH THE AFTN. ONE OTHER THING TO NOTE...BRISK WINDS THROUGH THE PRIOR NIGHT AND EARLY TUE MORN WILL KEEP THE MORNING TEMPS HIGHER THAN NORMAL...WHICH MEANS THE WARMING FOR THE DAY WILL GET A HEAD START. PCPN THAT WILL INITIALLY BE AFFECTING THE CONTDVD TUE MORN...WILL THEN SPREAD TO THE E MTS AND ADJACENT PLAINS WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE...AND BY TUE NIGHT MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE COLD WITH A GOOD CHANCE OF SEEING SOME SNOW. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...IT IS HARD TO PINPOINT EXACT TIMING AND SNOW AMOUNTS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...BUT THE UPPER TROUGH REMAINS IN PLACE. TAKING A BLEND OF THE EC AND GFS MODELS...THERE WILL BE AN ENHANCED PROBABILITY OF SNOW ACROSS THE AREA WED AND THU...PERHAPS A BREAK ON FRI...THEN A SECOND ROUND FOR SAT INTO SUN AS ANOTHER LOBE OF ENERGY ROTATES ACROSS COLORADO. SFC HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS FIRMLY IN PLACE ACROSS THE CENTRAL US THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD...SO EASTERLY UPSLOPE SFC FLOW WILL PERSIST. LOOK FOR HIGH TEMPS IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S...AND MIN TEMPS FROM 10 BELOW TO 10 ABOVE ZERO EACH DAY. AS FOR SNOW AMOUNTS...THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS FORECAST FOR THE WATCH AREA COMES IN BETWEEN ONE TO TWO FEET OF NEW SNOW. FOR THE REST OF THE CWA...THE E MTS AND I25 CORRIDOR COULD SEE 2-6 INCHES FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...AND IN EXCESS OF 8 INCHES FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OVER A 36 TO 48 HR PERIOD. THIS WILL BE AN EXCEPTIONAL PERIOD OF COLD FOR SOUTHERN COLORADO. PREPARE YOUR HOME...AUTO OR BUSINESS. CHECK YOUR FURNACE. INSULATE EXPOSED WATER PIPES. MAKE SURE YOUR CAR HAS A STRONG BATTERY... PROPER ANTIFREEZE PROTECTION AND A GOOD SET OF ALL SEASON OR SNOW TIRES. MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS DRESS WARMLY BEFORE HEADING TO SCHOOL AND GIVE YOUR PETS ADEQUATE SHELTER FROM THE COLD. THIS WILL BE AN UNUSUALLY LONG PERIOD FOR SOUTHERN COLORADO TO BE IN THE DEEP FREEZE. GET READY FOR IT NOW WHILE THE TEMPERATURES ARE STILL MILD. MOORE && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1032 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 MTN WAVE INDUCED LLWS AND TURBULENCE THE MAIN CONCERN FOR THE SHORT TERM. MODELS SUGGEST WEST WINDS WILL BEGIN AFFECTING THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY LATER THIS AFTERNOON...AND MAY BRING A PERIOD OF LLWS TO THE KCOS TERMINAL AFTER 22 TO 23Z. HAVE INTRODUCED THIS INTO THE 18Z TAFS. AFTER 04Z...MTN WAVE SEEMS TO TUCK BACK UP NEXT TO THE MTS...SO WILL END LLWS AT THAT TIME. FOR KPUB...SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE PERIODS OF WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS SPREADING INTO THE TERMINAL THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE...FOG AT KALS HAS DISSIPATED. DID BRING A PERIOD OF MVFR VIS IN BR BACK INTO THE TAF AROUND 03Z...BUT THICKENING HIGH CLOUD COVER AND INCREASING WINDS ALOFT SHOULD ERODE IT AFTER 07Z. COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH OF THE PALMER DIVIDE TOMORROW AFTERNOON BRINGING A PERIOD OF STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS AND INCREASING CHANCES OF SNOW FOR KCOS AND KPUB TUESDAY EVENING. -KT && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR COZ058>061-066-068. HIGH WIND WATCH FROM 8 PM MST THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR COZ072>075-078>080-087. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR COZ076-081-082-084-085. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ081-082-084-085. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1133 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 COZ058>089-093>099-031845- 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- 1133 AM MST MON DEC 2 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG PACIFIC JET STREAM WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA TONIGHT. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS ALOFT AND STRONG DOWN SLOPE PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL RESULT IN A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE PIKES PEAK REGION...THEN MAXIMIZE AGAIN BETWEEN 11 PM AND 5 AM...BEFORE DECREASING TUESDAY MORNING. THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS WILL SPREAD TO THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS...AND THE ADJACENT PLAINS ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 25 LATER THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. IN THE MOUNTAINS...WEST WINDS 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 75 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ADJACENT TO THE MOUNTAINS...WEST WINDS 20 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR 2 WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES BY TUESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FORECAST MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON MOVING COLD AND SNOWY WEATHER INTO SOUTHERN COLORADO...ARRIVING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TUESDAY AND MOVING INTO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS TUESDAY NIGHT. A LARGE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CARVE OUT OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES DURING THIS PERIOD...ALLOWING ARCTIC AIR TO PLUMMET SOUTHWARD INTO COLORADO. THE COMBINATION OF MOIST PACIFIC AIR ALOFT...AND VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR AT THE SURFACE...WILL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND PERIODS OF SNOW OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO. THE EXCEPTIONAL ASPECT OF THIS ARCTIC OUTBREAK WILL BE THE LENGTH OF TIME IT STICKS AROUND. SOUTHERN COLORADO IS FREQUENTLY VISITED BY ARCTIC AIR MASSES DURING THE WINTER...BUT THEY USUALLY ONLY STICK AROUND FOR A DAY OR TWO. THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE IT WILL MOVE IN LATE TUESDAY AND LINGER THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY. THE AIR WILL BE VERY COLD DURING THIS PERIOD WITH HIGHS LIKELY NOT OUT OF THE TEENS AND 20S MOST DAYS...AND LOWS RANGING FROM 10 BELOW ZERO TO 10 ABOVE. THERE IS ALSO GOOD SNOWFALL POTENTIAL WITH THIS STORM. WHILE IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO NAIL DOWN SPECIFIC AMOUNTS...IT IS A GOOD BET THAT THE MOUNTAINS WILL SEE AT LEAST A FOOT OR TWO OF NEW SNOW DURING THIS EVENT...WHILE THE LOWER ELEVATIONS CAN EXPECT TO SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOWFALL. TAKE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE COLD NOW. THIS WILL BE AN EXCEPTIONAL PERIOD OF COLD FOR SOUTHERN COLORADO. PREPARE YOUR HOME...AUTO OR BUSINESS. CHECK YOUR FURNACE. INSULATE EXPOSED WATER PIPES. MAKE SURE YOUR CAR HAS A STRONG BATTERY...PROPER ANTIFREEZE PROTECTION AND A GOOD SET OF ALL SEASON OR SNOW TIRES. MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS DRESS WARMLY BEFORE HEADING TO SCHOOL AND GIVE YOUR PETS ADEQUATE SHELTER FROM THE COLD. THIS WILL BE AN UNUSUALLY LONG PERIOD FOR SOUTHERN COLORADO TO BE IN THE DEEP FREEZE. GET READY FOR IT NOW WHILE THE TEMPERATURES ARE STILL MILD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 25 THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. 31/31
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter storm, 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 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2013
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: 484571, 484572, 484573, 484574, 483003, 483002, 483004, 483005, 483006, 483007.