The West Fork Complex consisted of three wildfires, the West Fork, Windy Pass, and Papoose. All three wildfires were probably lightning starts, and burned through spruce beetle-kill trees, causing an explosive nature to the fire behavior.
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.
The West Fork Complex consisted of three wildfires, the West Fork, Windy Pass, and Papoose. All three wildfires were probably lightning starts, and burned through spruce beetle-kill trees, causing an explosive nature to the fire behavior. For several days, the Town of South Fork was in imminent danger, with the entire population of around 400 evacuated. The Windy Pass wildfire threatened the Wolf Creek Ski Area near the summit of Wolf Creek Pass. The Papoose wildfire threatened a number of subdivisions in western Mineral County. Over 1500 firefighters worked the blazes, which scorched 109,615 acres, the second largest wildfire in modern Colorado history. The cost of fighting the wildfire was likely a few million dollars.
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 Jun 5, 10:27 AM MST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1127 AM MDT WED JUN 5 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1045 AM MDT WED JUN 5 2013 UPDATED GRIDS/ZONES...MAINLY TO ADJUST POPS FOR WIDESPREAD LIGHT PRECIP OVER THE ERN PLAINS...AND TO REFLECT SOLID OVC CONDITIONS FOR THE PLAINS. STILL EXPECTING SOME TS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE SRN MTS...MOVING E TO THE SE PLAINS BY EARLY EVE. A COUPLE OF THESE CELLS COULD BE ON THE STRONG SIDE...ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUD SHIELD EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. ROSE && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 513 AM MDT WED JUN 5 2013 ...COOL AND CLOUDY ACROSS THE EAST...SCATTERED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE MOUNTAINS... UPPER TROF CONTINUES TO DRAG ACROSS NORTHEAST CO THIS MORNING...WITH SECONDARY SHORTWAVE/PV LOBE NEARING THE 4 CORNERS REGION MOVING ACROSS NRN NM TODAY. COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS WITH WIDESPREAD STRATUS QUICKLY FILLING IN BEHIND. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CORNER ASSOC WITH LOW LEVEL JET CONTINUES TO GENERATE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN BACA COUNTY...PRODUCING SOME MUCH NEEDED RAINFALL. BUT THIS AXIS SHOULD BE SHIFTING SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. FOR TODAY...MODELS HAVE BEEN OVERDOING THE SECOND ROUND OF PRECIPITATION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO DROP SOUTHWARD ACROSS SE CO IN THE WAKE OF LAST NIGHTS CONVECTION. INSTEAD...A SPOTTY LINE OF SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAS BEEN PROGRESSING SOUTH ALONG/BEHIND THE SECONDARY PUSH OF THE COLD FRONT ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS...GENERALLY EAST OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR. HAVE FOLLOWED A BLEND OF THE HRRR AND RUC13 FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING WITH SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS CONTINUING ACROSS THE PLAINS THIS MORNING. DEW POINTS SHOULD STAY IN THE UPPER 40S/LOWER 50S ACROSS THE PLAIN TODAY...WITH DEW POINT GRADIENT LYING UP ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS. WITH AFTN HEATING AND SOME INCOMING FORCING FROM THE SHORTWAVE PASSING TO THE SOUTH...THIS SHOULD PROVIDE FUEL FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS. SOUNDINGS REMAIN PRETTY STABLE ACROSS THE PLAINS THOUGH DEEPLY SATURATED...SO THINK MAJORITY OF LIGHT PRECIP WILL BE IN THE FORM OF SOME SHOWERS. WITH AFTN HEATING...THE RATON MESA REGION COULD SEE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP. CAPE VALUES OVER THE MOUNTAINS WILL RANGE FROM 500-1000 J/KG WITH AXIS OF HIGHER CAPE EXTENDING SOUTHWARD ALONG/SOUTH OF THE RATON MESA REGION IN THE AFTERNOON. DEEP LAYER SHEARS WILL BE LIGHTER THAN YESTERDAY...AROUND 20-30 KTS...SO THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE PULSEY IN NATURE. COULD SEE SOME BRIEF HAIL WITH THE STRONGER CORES...THOUGH SUSPECT IT WILL REMAIN UNDER AN INCH IN DIAMETER...THUS THREAT FOR SEVERE LOOKS LOW AT THIS POINT. FOR THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...DRIER AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THIS REGION WITH INVERTED V SOUNDINGS IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS...WITH GREATEST STORM COVERAGE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS IN CLOSER TO PROXIMITY TO ENERGY FROM PASSING SHORTWAVE. OVERNIGHT...CONVECTION SHOULD DIMINISH QUICKLY WITH LACK OF FORCING TO KEEP IT GOING. LOW CLOUDS WILL HOLD IN STRONG ACROSS THE PLAINS OVERNIGHT WHICH SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES MILD (MID 40S TO LOWER 50S) IN SPITE OF COOLER MID LEVEL TEMPS ALOFT. MAY HAVE TO INTRODUCE SOME PATCHY FOG ACROSS THE LOWER SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE PALMER DIVIDE AND LOWER EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SE MTS. FOR NOW THOUGH...UPSLOPE LOOKS FAIRLY LIGHT...AND THINK THIS WILL BE MORE STRATUS THAN A FOG EVENT. BUT THIS MAY NEED TO BE RE-EVALUATED. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 513 AM MDT WED JUN 5 2013 PRIMARY LONGER TERM METEOROLOGICAL MESSAGE WILL BE WARMING TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL AS SOME ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AT TIMES. LATEST LONGER TERM COMPUTER SIMULATIONS...FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS...ETC. INDICATE THAT AN UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER WESTERN NEVADA AT 12Z THURSDAY WILL SLOWLY BUILD INTO NEW MEXICO BY LATER SUNDAY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO PUSH EAST INTO ARKANSAS BY TUESDAY. AS THIS HAPPENS...EXPECT THAT MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO THE FORECAST DISTRICT BY LATE THIS WEEK AND ESPECIALLY FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK(WHEN COMPARED TO TODAYS TEMPERATURES) AS PROJECTED I-25 CORRIDOR 700 MB TEMPERATURES CLIMB FROM AFTERNOON READINGS AROUND 7C TODAY TO AROUND 20C OR HIGHER FROM SUNDAY INTO AT LEAST TUESDAY. ALSO...EASTERN COLORADO SURFACE LEE-SIDE TROUGHING IS EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE FROM FRIDAY INTO TUESDAY. GENERALLY LOW-GRADE GRADIENT WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED DURING THE MAJORITY OF THE LONGER TERM WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT TIME-FRAME...WHERE SOME GUSTY GRADIENT WINDS MAY DEVELOP. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED FROM THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY EVENING WITH PRECIPITATION ACTIVITY THEN BECOMING MORE ISOLATED IN NATURE FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. LOCALIZED NEAR CRITICAL TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS(PRIMARILY OVER PORTIONS OF THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 224) ARE PROJECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS FROM SATURDAY INTO MONDAY. LATEST FUELS PAGE STILL INDICATES THAT FUELS ARE NOT FAVORABLE FOR LARGE FIRE GROWTH IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...SO FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS WILL NOT BE NEEDED IN THIS REGION UNTIL THE FUELS STATUS CHANGES. THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT MORE WIDESPREAD ELEVATED FIRE CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST DISTRICT ON TUESDAY. WFO PUEBLO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES RUNNING NEAR OR BELOW EARLY JUNE CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES ARE ANTICIPATED FROM THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY BEFORE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES START RUNNING ABOVE CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO AT LEAST EARLY NEXT WEEK. IF LATEST TRENDS CONTINUE...MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES OVER SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS BY MONDAY AND TUESDAY MAY APPROACH AND/OR EXCEED 100F. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1117 AM MDT WED JUN 5 2013 MAIN CONCERNS WILL BE CURRENT IFR-MVFR CONDITIONS...POTENTIAL FOR TS THIS AFTERNOON AT KALS...AND FG CHANCES TOMORROW MORNING. AT KCOS AND KPUB...LOW CLOUDS WILL HANG ON FOR MOST OF THE AFTERNOON. IFR CIGS AT KPUB SHOULD COME UP A BIT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...BUT MVFR LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH EVE. A BETTER CHANCE AT KCOS FOR CIGS TO LIFT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVE...BUT MVFR CIGS STILL A POSSIBILITY. AT KALS...VFR WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT 24 H. COULD SEE SOME SCT TS DEVELOP OVER THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AFTER 21Z...BUT THESE STORMS WILL DISSIPATE BY EARLY EVE. GREATEST CONCERN WILL BE FOR FG EARLY THU MORNING. FG COULD OCCUR AT KPUB AND KCOS AFTER 06Z TONIGHT...BUT APPEARS HIGHEST AT KCOS. WILL STILL LIKELY SEE LOW CIGS AT KPUB. CIGS SHOULD BREAK UP BY 14-16Z THU MORNING. ROSE && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...ROSE SHORT TERM...KT LONG TERM...77 AVIATION...ROSE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1134 AM MDT WED JUN 5 2013 COZ058>089-093>099-061745- 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- 1134 AM MDT WED JUN 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW STORMS COULD BRIEFLY BECOME STRONG IN AND NEAR THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS WITH HAIL TO NEAR 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...LOCAL WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND SAN LUIS VALLEY...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND LIGHTNING...BUT ONLY BRIEF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY FOR THURSDAY...A COUPLE OF STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE AFTERNOON OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. HAIL UP TO ONE INCH DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. ELSEWHERE...ISOLATED STORMS WITH LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE. THEN FROM FRIDAY INTO TUESDAY...THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE ISOLATED IN NATURE AS DRIER AIR MOVES OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO. HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF RECEIVING PRECIPITATION. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND RATON MESA. 44/10
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1117 AM MDT WED JUN 05 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0759 PM TSTM WND GST 4 SW CAMPO 37.06N 102.63W
06/04/2013 M72 MPH BACA CO OTHER FEDERAL
UTE CANYON RAWS
&&
PJCThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 wildfire. 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, June 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: 450317, 450318.