over the La Garita and Eastern San Juan mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 series of weather disturbances produced heavy snow at times...in excess of 12 inches...over the La Garita and Eastern San Juan mountains.
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 28, 3:39 AM MST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 339 AM MST MON JAN 28 2013 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) ...SNOW FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE... ...CAUTION STRONGLY ADVISED REGARDING OUTDOOR BURNING ON THE PLAINS... CURRENTLY...THE SNOW MACHINE IS REVVING UP ACROSS THE CONTDVD. CDOT CAMS SHOW THAT WOLF CREEK PASS IS SNOWING. WINDS WERE GUSTING TO OVER 40 MPH AT WOLF CREEK AWOS. RADAR SHOWS ECHOES INCREASING ACROSS SW CO...AND IR SAT PIX SHOW CLOUD TOPS COOLING OVER THE GREATER 4 CORNERS REGION. OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...TEMPS ARE QUITE WARM FOR THIS TIME OF THE NIGHT...WITH 40S OVER MANY AREAS OF THE PLAINS. EVEN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WAS 34F AT 3 AM. TODAY... SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...HEAVY MOST OF THE TIME...WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE SAN JUAN REGION TODAY. EXPECT 8-12"...WITH HEAVIER AMOUNTS ON SW SLOPES...TO FALL DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. TRAVEL ACROSS WOLF CREEK AND CUMBRES WILL BE DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. I WOULD NOT BE TOO SURPRISED IF WE SEE SOME ROAD CLOSURES DUE TO THE SNOW. CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL SEE LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW LATER TODAY...AND THESE AREAS WILL SEE 3-6". SNOW THIS REGION WILL PICK UP AS BAROCLINIC BAND APPROACHES THE REGION DURING THE AFTERNOON. SOME CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE TODAY OVER THE MTNS...BUT ACTIVITY WILL BE RATHER ISOLATED. FOR THE PLAINS...IT WILL BE WARM AND WINDY. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH WILL BE COMMON ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLAINS. PUEBLO AREA MAY BE SHELTERED UNTIL AFTER THE NOON HOUR. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE 50S ACROSS THE KCOS AREA WHILE OVER THE FAR EAST TEMPS WILL APPROACH 70. DWPTS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY UP IN THE 20S (AS PER HIRES GUIDANCE)...AND THIS SHOULD KEEP RH VALUES ABOVE 20%. WE WILL LIKELY NOT SEE RED FLAG CRITERIA BE MET...BUT CAUTION IS STRONGLY ADVISED REGARDING OUTDOOR BURNING. TONIGHT... TROUGH AXIS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. FLOW WILL TRANSITION FROM SW TO W THEN NW. AS FLOW TRANSITIONS AROUND...SNOW WILL DECREASE OVER THE SAN JUANS LATER TONIGHT. HOWEVER DURING THE EARLIER EVENING HOURS...HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE SW MTNS...ESPECIALLY THE WESTERN SLOPES. QUITE A FEW MORE INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE. AS FLOW GOES NW...C MTNS WILL BECOME MORE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVIER ACCUMULATIONS AND EXPECT AN ADDITIONAL 4-6" C MTN REGIONS. SANGRE DE CRISTOS ALONG WITH THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WILL SEE THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERAL INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SANGRES. MIXED PRECIP (IN THE AFTERNOON) ALONG WITH ISOLD 1-3" AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY FLOOR...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MTNS. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE PALMER DIVIDE PRIOR TO SUNRISE...AND EXPECT SOME SNOW TO BE FALLING ON TOP OF THE PALMER DIVIDE AFTER 4 AM. \/HODANISH .LONG TERM... (TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED WITH MODEL DIFFERENCES POPPING UP BY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL BE SHIFTING EAST ACROSS COLORADO DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY WITH SNOW ONGOING ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...NORTHEAST INTO THE PALMER DIVIDE. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS BY 15-18Z TUESDAY MORNING. GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE MAIN MODEL DIFFERENCE LOOKS TO BE PRECIPITATION CHANCES FOR THE PLAINS WITH THIS FRONT. AREAS OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE...THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND RATON MESA WILL LIKELY SEE THE BEST CHANCES FOR RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THE DAY. GIVEN THE NORTHERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY FLOW FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH THE MID LEVELS...HAVE A FEELING DOWNSLOPE WILL PLAY A ROLE AND LIMIT THE CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION SOUTH OF THE PALMER DIVIDE...AND NORTH OF THE RATON MESA. FOR NOW WILL STICK WITH LOW POPS OVER MUCH OF THE PLAINS...WITH THE HIGHEST PROBABILITIES OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE TUESDAY MORNING...SPREADING SOUTH ALONG THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND RATON MESA BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS NEAR THE MONUMENT AREA...SOUTH INTO COLORADO SPRINGS ON TUESDAY MORNING AND CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MONITORED. TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE 30S BEHIND THE FRONT FOR THE EASTERN PLAINS. THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL SHIFT EAST INTO THE MISSOURI VALLEY TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH BROAD NORTHWESTERLY FLOW SETTING UP ACROSS THE ROCKIES. EXPECT SNOW AND WIND TO WIND DOWN TUESDAY EVENING EXCEPT FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WHERE FAVORABLE OROGRAPHICS AND NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL KEEP LIGHT SNOW FALLING DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT...WITH MOUNTAIN AREAS SEEING AROUND 3 TO 6 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. AREAS OVER THE PLAINS WILL SEE LESS THAN AN INCH. THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN BECOMES AMPLIFIED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH A LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE WEST COAST. THIS WILL KEEP SOUTHERN COLORADO UNDER NORTHWESTERLY FLOW. LIGHT SNOW WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO FALL OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS IN OROGRAPHICALLY FAVORED AREAS IN NORTHWEST FLOW. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT...WITH A FEW INCHES POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH LOWER TO MID 50S BY THURSDAY. EXPECT SNOW TO COME TO AN END THURSDAY NIGHT OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN AS MID AND UPPER LEVEL FLOW TURNS MORE WESTERLY. A WEAK DISTURBANCE OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS COLORADO FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MODELS DIFFER ON PRECIPITATION CHANCES WITH THIS DISTURBANCE WITH THE ECMWF A BIT DEEPER WITH THE SHORTWAVE. THE ECMWF BRINGS A QUICK SHOT OF SNOW TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS FRIDAY EVENING AS THE DISTURBANCE PASSES. THE GFS ON THE OTHER HAND IS WEAKER WITH THIS SYSTEM AND KEEPS DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION. OVERALL ANY IMPACTS FROM THIS DISTURBANCE LOOK TO BE MINOR. MODELS DIVERGE HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND. THE GFS REMAINS HIGHLY AMPLIFIED WITH THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN CONUS SHIFTING EAST INTO THE ROCKIES. THE ECMWF BRINGS THE RIDGE OVERHEAD AS WELL BUT IS MUCH LESS AMPLIFIED WITH ENERGY FLATTENING THE RIDGE BY SUNDAY. FOR NOW MAINTAINED A DRY FORECAST SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WITH SOME UPPER LEVEL RIDGING OVERHEAD...WE SHOULD SEE ANOTHER PERIOD OF WARM TEMPERATURES AS WELL...WITH MUCH OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS POSSIBLY BACK INTO THE 60S FOR THE WEEKEND. MOZLEY && .AVIATION... WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN ISSUE TODAY FOR ALL TAF SITES. EXPECT SW WINDS IN THE 20 TO 35 KT RANGE MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. KALS WILL SEE SCATTERED PRECIP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TEMPORARY MVFR WILL BE POSSIBLE. KCOS MAY SEE SOME SNOW AT THE AIRPORT TOWARDS SUNRISE TOMORROW. A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA LATER TONIGHT...06-08 UTC. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT ALL 3 TAF SITES. MTNS WILL BE BLASTED TODAY WITH SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES. LIFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALONG THE CONTDVD NEXT 24H. SANGRE DE CRISTOS WILL SOCK IN LATER TODAY. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ058-060- 061-067. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR COZ066-068. && 34/88
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1207 PM MST SUN JAN 27 2013 COZ058>089-093>099-281915- 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- 1207 PM MST SUN JAN 27 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE DURING THE DAY OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION. DURING THE EVENING...THE SNOW WILL INTENSIFY OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...LA GARITA MOUNTAINS AND UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 8 INCHES OVER THE MOUNTAINS BY SUNRISE MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE DURING THIS PERIOD. HEAVY SNOW WILL LIKELY BE OCCURRING ACROSS THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS THROUGHOUT THE DAY MONDAY. UP TO A FOOT OF NEW SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS ON MONDAY. THE SNOW WILL DECREASE DURING THE EVENING HOURS ON MONDAY. ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...SNOW WILL ALSO OCCUR. THE SNOW WILL BE LIGHT DURING THE EARLY PART OF MONDAY...BUT WILL INTENSIFY LATER IN THE DAY AND BECOME HEAVY MONDAY AFTERNOON AND MONDAY NIGHT. SIX TO 12 INCHES OF NEW SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...SNOW...POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. LIGHTER ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE MOUNTAINS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COLORADO REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...LA GARITA MOUNTAINS...AND UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY TONIGHT. 06/34
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 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: 431072, 431074.