A strong storm system produced blizzard conditions at times over the eastern San Juan mountains. Up to 14 inches of snow occurred around the summit of Wolf Creek Pass in 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.
A strong storm system produced blizzard conditions at times over the eastern San Juan mountains. Up to 14 inches of snow occurred around the summit of Wolf Creek Pass in 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 Jan 10, 3:11 PM MST, 2 hours 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 311 PM MST THU JAN 10 2013 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND FRIDAY) A STRONG UPR TROF WL MOVE INTO THE GREAT BASIN TONIGHT AND WILL MOVE ACRS CO ON FRI...WITH THE UPR LOW TRACKING ACRS SRN WY. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ALONG THE CONTDVD THIS EVENING AND INCREASE OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE ON FRI. GOOD MSTR AND OROGRAPHIC FLOW INTO THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MTS SHOULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THRU THE NEXT 24 HRS...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND EARLY FRI WHEN THE OROGRAPHICS ARE MOST FAVORABLE. WITH THE WINDS INCREASING ALONG THE CONTDVD THIS EVENING AND CONTINUING THRU FRI...THE BLIZZARD WARNING STILL LOOKS GOOD FOR ZONE 68. THE REST OF THE HYR ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTDVD WL ALSO SEE SNOW...BUT ACCUMULATIONS DO NOT LOOK AS SIGNIFICANT AS OVER ZONE 68...SO THE SNOW ADVISORY STILL LOOKS OK FOR THOSE OTHER AREAS. OVERNIGHT A 140KT JET MOVES OVERHEAD AND MID LEVEL WINDS INCREASE ACRS ALL THE AREA TONIGHT WITH 50 KT H7 WINDS OVR THE SERN MTS...SPREADING OVR THE SERN PLAINS FRI MORNING WITH 60-70KT WINDS OVR THE PLAINS. TONIGHT THE WINDS WL BE MOST NOTICED IN THE AND NR THE MOUNTAIN AREAS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE ERN MTS AREAS WL SEE HIGH WIND CRITERIA DEVELOP SO WL GO AHEAD AND ISSUE THE WARNING. SFC GRADIENT STARTS TO INCREASE ALONG THE I25 CORRIDOR IN THE MORNING AND SOME AREAS WL LIKELY SEE HIGH WINDS DEVELOP...MEETING HIGH WIND CRITERIA IN SOME LOCATIONS. THEN BY LATE MORNING WL LIKELY SEE THE STRONGER WINDS MIX DOWN TO THE SFC OVR THE FAR SERN PLAINS AS WELL. THE WINDS OVR THE MTS AND HIGH VALLEYS WL MAKE THE LOW TEMPS FORECAST FOR TONIGHT A BIT CHALLENGING...AS AREAS WITH THE WIND WL STAY RELATIVELY MILD. THE SAN LUIS VALLEY HAS BEEN SO COLD FOR QUITE SOME TIME...BUT TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE THE WIND WL STAY UP ENOUGH THAT TEMPS WL NOT BE ALL THAT COLD. LOOKS LIKE ANY PCPN THAT WL DEVELOP OVR THE SERN MTS WL HOLD OFF UNTIL LATE NIGHT AND SHOULD ONLY BE OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS...WITH CHANCES CONTINUING THRU AT LEAST SOME OF THE DAY FRIDAY...WITH ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. WL ALSO HAVE SOME LOW CHANCES OVR THE PIKES PEAK AREA AND MAYBE THE WET MTS. .LONG TERM... (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY) MODELS HAVE AN OVERALL PATTERN AGREEMENT WITH DIFFERENCES IN THE DETAILS AND LATER PERIOD EVOLUTION. FOR NOW USED A BLEND OF THE NAM...GFS AND ECMWF THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. BEYOND MONDAY NIGHT THE FORECAST TRENDS WITH THE MORE PROGRESSIVE GFS SOLUTION. A BAGGY TROUGH WILL SIT ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS...SOUTHWEST INTO THE ROCKIES FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY WITH SEVERAL PIECES OF ENERGY EJECTING ACROSS THE REGION. WINDS WILL STILL BE QUITE STRONG FRIDAY EVENING ACROSS THE PLAINS AS THE FIRST MAIN DISTURBANCE EJECTS INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND STRONG JET MOVES OVERHEAD. WIND GUSTS DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS WILL LIKELY BE NEAR HIGH WIND CRITERIA BUT SHOULD DIMINISH QUICKLY ONCE THE SUN GOES DOWN AND MIXING DECREASES. CAUTION IS ADVISED ON NORTH TO SOUTH HIGHWAYS THROUGH AT LEAST 9PM FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW WILL BE ONGOING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE FRIDAY EVENING BUT SHOULD DECREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE AS THE UPPER SYSTEM SPLITS AND DIVES SOUTH INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. ONCE NOW DIES DOWN...ONLY MINOR ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE LATE HOURS FRIDAY NIGHT. FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...THE TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVERHEAD WITH ENERGY ROTATING ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO PASS ACROSS THE PLAINS BY SATURDAY MORNING WITH COLD AIR FILTERING IN ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL LIMIT AFTERNOON WARMING WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE UPPER TEENS TO LOWER 20S FOR THE PLAINS. MODELS VARY ON THE AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS. BOTH THE GFS AND NAM DROP A WEAK DISTURBANCE IN THE NORTH FLOW ACROSS THE ROCKIES WITH A PERIOD OF MORE MODERATE SNOWFALL POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIGHT WITH ONLY A COUPLE OF INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO COOL ACROSS THE REGION WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS ACROSS THE REGION NEAR ZERO. ANY SNOWFALL IN THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE LIGHT WITH NO ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. BY SUNDAY...ENERGY DROPPING SOUTH OUT OF THE GREAT BASIN WILL PINCH OFF OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA WITH COLORADO IN BETWEEN IT...AND THE MAIN TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLD WITH HIGHS SUNDAY GENERALLY IN THE 20S. LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN AREAS WITH LITTLE IF ANY ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE A BIT HEADING INTO MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE GFS IS PROGRESSIVE WITH THE LOW THAT PINCHES OFF OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST EJECTING QUICKLY ACROSS NEW MEXICO AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE ECMWF ON THE OTHER HAND CUTS THE LOW OFF OVER ARIZONA WHERE IT SPINS AND SLOWLY DRIFTS EAST INTO TEXAS BY THURSDAY. THE ENSEMBLES SEEM SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO SOLUTIONS. THE MAIN ISSUE WILL BE WHEN AND EVEN IF AREAS ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER SEE ANY PRECIPITATION AS THE LOW EJECTS EASTWARD. FOR NOW HAVE LOW POPS ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER MONDAY INTO TUESDAY BASED ON THE GFS FORECAST. THESE MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED LATER IN THE WEEK OR REMOVED BASED ON STORM TRACK AND TIMING. ONCE THIS SYSTEM EJECTS EASTWARD...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS WITH DRY NORTHWESTERLY FLOW SETTING UP OVER COLORADO. THIS WILL ALLOW SOME WARMING BY LATE IN THE WEEK WITH DRY CONDITIONS. MOZLEY && .AVIATION... KCOS SHOULD HAVE VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT 24 HRS. LATE TONIGHT THERE COULD BE A PERIOD OF LIGHT OR SERLY WINDS AT KCOS...WITH STRONGER SW TO W WINDS JUST OFF THE SFC CAUSING A WIND SHEAR PROBLEM. BY EARLY TO MID MORNING FRIDAY SW TO W WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY. KPUB SHOULD HAVE VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT 24 HRS. BY EARLY TO MID MORNING FRIDAY SW TO W WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY. KALS SHOULD HAVE VFR CONDITIONS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...WITH S TO SW WINDS TONIGHT KEEPING FOG FROM FORMING. BY EARLY FRI KALS SHOULD SEE SW WINDS BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ089- 093>099. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 AM TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ084>088. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ072>075-078>082. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ058-060. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ066-067. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY FOR COZ068. && 28/88
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 658 AM MST THU JAN 10 2013 COZ058>089-093>099-111400- 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- 658 AM MST THU JAN 10 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A BLIZZARD WILL MOVE INTO THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. A STRONG AND MOIST PACIFIC JETSTREAM WILL BRING SEVERAL HOURS OF HEAVY...BLOWING SNOW TO THE EASTERN SAN JUANS TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES WILL COMBINE WITH WINDS GUSTING TO 60 MPH TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE OVER WOLF CREEK AND CUMBRES PASSES DUE TO A COMBINATION OF HEAVY...BLOWING SNOW...WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND ICY...SNOW COVERED ROADS. THE MOUNTAINS FARTHER NORTH ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...INCLUDING THE LA GARITA...SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES...WILL ALSO SEE SNOW AND WIND DEVELOP TONIGHT...BUT NOT WITH NEARLY AS MUCH INTENSITY. THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DUE TO SNOW...BLOWING SNOW... POOR VISIBILITIES AND ICY...SNOW COVERED ROADS. FOR THE EASTERN MOUNTAIN RANGES...THERE COULD BE SOME SNOW BY LATE TONIGHT BUT THE MAIN STORY WILL BE THE WIND. STARTING AROUND MIDNIGHT...STRONG WINDS MAY BEGIN TO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAIN AREAS...WITH GUST SPEEDS UP TO 75 MPH POSSIBLE BY SUNRISE FRIDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL BE IMPACTING COLORADO THROUGH FRIDAY...BRINGING A PERIOD OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FEET WHERE TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH AT TIMES MAY RESULT IN DANGEROUS WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. THE REMAINDER OF THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL PICK UP 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH LOCAL SNOW AMOUNTS OF UP TO A FOOT ACROSS THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SAWATCH RANGE. FOR THE REMAINING MOUNTAIN AREAS...GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH FRIDAY. HIGH WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS...PLAINS AND SAN LUIS VALLEY FROM LATER THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT DRIVEN BY POWERFUL JET STREAM WINDS TRACKS EAST ACROSS THE REGION. WESTERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH WITH WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AT TIMES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. WESTERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH GUSTING TO 75 MPH AT TIMES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. OVER THE WEEKEND...A COLD UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL SETTLE OVER COLORADO. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING VERY COLD AIR AND ISOLATED TO SCATTERED LIGHT SNOWFALL TO THE REGION. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY NOT GET OUT OF THE TEENS AND 20S OVER THE ENTIRE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY WITH SOME WARMING EXPECTED BY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO...INCLUDING WELL BELOW ZERO READINGS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS. WHILE THERE WILL BE LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES AT TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK...OVERALL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE GREAT DURING THIS PERIOD. MOST AREAS WILL PROBABLY JUST SEE A DUSTING OF SNOW DURING THIS TIME-FRAME...ALTHOUGH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AROUND AN INCH OR TWO ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY IN THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT.
The 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 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 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: 431068.