A strong upper level disturbance produced locally heavy snow in excess of 8 inches across the La Garita and the eastern San Juan Mountains.
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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 upper level disturbance produced locally heavy snow in excess of 8 inches across the La Garita and the 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 Apr 26, 10:30 AM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1130 AM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 UPPER LOW OVER THE SOUTHWEST U.S. EARLY THIS MORNING WILL LIFT E-NE TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH MOST MODELS CONVERGING ON A TRACK WHICH TAKES THE MID LEVEL CIRCULATION ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO OVERNIGHT...BEFORE RAPIDLY DEEPENING THE SYSTEM OVER THE HIGH PLAINS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. SHOULD SEE SNOW DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS BY MIDDAY...WITH PRECIP SPREADING NORTH AND EAST OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE MOUNTAINS BY LATE AFTERNOON. MODELS CONTINUE TO GENERATE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ABOVE 10K FEET ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT...SO UPGRADED WINTER STORM WATCH TO A WARNING FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. HIGHER PEAKS OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS WILL SEE ACCUMULATING SNOW AS WELL...THOUGH AMOUNTS LOOK LIGHTER AS PRECIP DURATION WILL BE FAIRLY SHORT. OVER THE PLAINS TODAY...RED FLAG WARNING LOOKS GOOD AS STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP BY LATE MORNING WHILE RELATIVE HUMIDITY DROPS BELOW 10 PERCENT. THOUGHT ABOUT ADDING A WARNING FOR THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WHERE WINDS WILL BE VERY STRONG...BUT WITH CLOUD SHIELD AND POTENTIAL FOR A FEW SHOWERS BY LATE AFTERNOON...SUSPECT RH WILL HOLD AT OR ABOVE 15 PERCENT AND WILL HOLD OFF ON A HIGHLIGHT FOR NOW. TONIGHT...MAY SEE BAND OF SHOWERS PUSH AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN INTO THE I-25 CORRIDOR AS LOW MOVES OVERHEAD...THOUGH PRECIP AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT WITH DRY LOW LEVELS. BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...WRAP AROUND BAND BEGINS TO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS...AND WITH SNOW LEVEL FALLING MAY SEE AT LEAST A BRIEF BURST OF HEAVIER SNOW DOWN TO THE PALMER DIVIDE AROUND SUNRISE...ALONG WITH INCREASING NW WINDS AS 700 MB FLOW CRANKS UP TO 50 KNOTS. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 MODELS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO COME INTO AGREEMENT IN REGARDS TO THIS WEEKENDS STORM TRACK. THE 06Z NAM HAS TRENDED SLIGHTLY NORTH AND TENDS TO MATCH THE 00Z GFS...WHILE THE ECMWF REMAINS THE FURTHEST NORTH SOLUTION. SUNDAY...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO BE POSITIONED OVER EASTERN COLORADO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AND TRACK SLOWLY NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA THROUGH THE DAY. THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES AT HAND...WIND...PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURES. WINDS COULD BE VERY STRONG SUNDAY. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS 700 MB WINDS OF 60 TO 70 KTS WRAPPING AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF THE STORM SYSTEM...RIGHT DOWN THE I-25 CORRIDOR THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. THIS TRANSLATES DOWN TO THE SURFACE WITH 5O TO 60 KT GUSTS THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...WITH THE MOST LIKELY IMPACTED AREA BEING THE I-25 CORRIDOR. ANY LOOSE OUTDOOR ITEMS SUCH AS PATIO FURNITURE AND PLANTS SHOULD BE BROUGHT INDOORS. DANGEROUS CROSS WINDS WILL ALSO IMPACT EAST-WEST HIGHWAYS. TEMPERATURES SUNDAY WILL LIKELY DEPEND ON CLOUD COVER AND DEGREE OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE REGION. MODEL GUIDANCE HAS LARGE SPREADS AND HAVE TRENDED ON THE LOW SIDE WITH GENERALLY 50S FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. IT COULD END UP BEING COOLER...ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50 WHERE THE MOST WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST TO BE. AS FOR PRECIPITATION...SNOW WILL BE ONGOING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE SUNDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW ARE POSSIBLE EARLY IN THE DAY...WITH SNOW DECREASING IN INTENSITY BY THE AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER SYSTEM PULLS AWAY. ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS...PRECIPITATION WILL DEPEND HIGHLY ON STORM TRACK. MODELS STILL GENERATING A TROWAL WRAPPING AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW SUNDAY MORNING. GIVEN THE CURRENT STORM TRACK...IT LOOKS LIKE AREAS OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE...DOWN TO NEAR PUEBLO WILL SEE SHOWER ACTIVITY EARLY IN THE DAY. THIS TROWAL AND ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION BAND WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO NORTHEAST COLORADO THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS...AND CLEAR OUR EASTERN PLAINS BY EARLY SUNDAY EVENING. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WILL FALL OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE. GIVEN THE WARM ATMOSPHERIC PROFILE WITH THIS STORM...IT MAY BE HARD GETTING SNOW TO FALL BELOW 8 TO 9 KFT SUNDAY MORNING. IF HEAVIER SHOWER ACTIVITY CAN GET GOING OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE...IT COULD FORCE SNOW LEVELS DOWN LOCALLY WITH PERIODS OF SNOW SUNDAY MORNING. LITTLE IF ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED BELOW 9 KFT GIVEN THE WARM TEMPERATURES. BEYOND SUNDAY...MODELS STILL STRUGGLING WITH WHAT TO DO WITH THE UPPER LOW. MOST LONG RANGE GUIDANCE MEANDERS THE LOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL TO NORTHERN PLAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY. ENSEMBLES REALLY SHOW HIGH SPREADS BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK LEADING TO LOW CONFIDENCE IN ANY GIVEN MODEL SOLUTION. THE MAIN PATTERN WILL BE DOMINATED BY PERSISTENT NORTHERLY FLOW ACROSS COLORADO. THIS WILL LEAD TO COOL TEMPERATURES WITH MOST OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS LIKELY SEEING HIGHS IN THE 50S TO LOWER 60S EACH AFTERNOON...WHILE OVERNIGHT LOWS FALL INTO THE LOWER TO MID 30S. A DISTURBANCE IN THE NORTH FLOW WILL LIKELY DROP ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS ON TUESDAY...WITH VERY STRONG WINDS EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. AS FAR AS PRECIPITATION...IT WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON INDIVIDUAL DISTURBANCES IN THE FLOW. TUESDAY MAY BE THE BEST CHANCE FOR THE PLAINS...WHILE PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL LIKELY PERSIST OVER THE MOUNTAIN REGIONS THROUGH THE EXTENDED. MOZLEY && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1111 AM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE 3 MAIN TAF SITES OF KCOS...KPUB AND KALS THROUGH MUCH OF TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES THE STATE TODAY...THEN TRACKS ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT...VERY STRONG AND GUSTY S-SW WINDS WILL DEVELOP AND LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. GUSTS OF 30-45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL INITIALLY BEGIN ALONG THE CONTDVD THIS AFTN...PRODUCING OBSCD CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGHER PASSES. SHOWERS WILL SPREAD TO THE EASTERN MTS THROUGH THE AFTN AND EVE...WITH SHOWERS BEGINNING AT KALS BETWEEN 02Z-04Z. AS THE SYSTEM TRACKS TO THE NE ACROSS COLORADO TONIGHT...A COLD FRONT WILL DROP DOWN THE E PLAINS...CROSSING THE PALMER DVD BETWEEN 06Z-09Z. WRAPAROUND FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE THE GUSTY WINDS FOR THE PLAINS...FROM A MORE NW DIRECTION. CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT WILL AFFECT KCOS STARTING AT 06Z AND WILL LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. SHOWERS WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF KPUB BY 12Z. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ222-226>237. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON MDT SUNDAY FOR COZ058-060-061- 066-068. && SHORT TERM...PETERSEN LONG TERM...MOZLEY AVIATION...MOORE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1110 AM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 COZ058>089-093>099-271300- 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- 1110 AM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO FOUR CORNERS REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON...BEFORE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO OVERNIGHT. SNOW WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON WITH SNOW LEVELS INITIALLY AROUND 11000 FEET...BEFORE FALLING TO AROUND 6500 FEET TONIGHT. HEAVY SNOW IS LIKELY OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS FROM LATE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF OVER A FOOT POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER PEAKS. FARTHER EAST...RAIN AND SNOW WILL DEVELOP BY LATE AFTERNOON OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND THE PIKES PEAK REGION...AND SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS OVERNIGHT. BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...RAIN MAY MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SNOW ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE AS WELL...WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL THE MAIN THREAT WITH ANY STORMS. DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON...AS STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 45 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH VERY LOW HUMIDITY VALUES TO PRODUCE EXTREME AND ERRATIC FIRE BEHAVIOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM ACROSS COLORADO ON SUNDAY WILL LEAD TO STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION. NORTH WINDS WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN COLORADO SUNDAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH ARE LIKELY AND COULD BE STRONGER. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL PRODUCE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ON EAST-WEST HIGHWAYS. ALSO...ANY OUTDOOR LAWN FURNITURE OR PLANTS SHOULD BE BROUGHT INDOORS FROM THE WIND. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL BE ONGOING SUNDAY MORNING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BEFORE WEAKENING BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERAL ADDITIONAL INCHES OF WET SNOW ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY ABOVE 9000 TO 10000 FEET. SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY MORNING OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE UNDER HEAVIER SHOWER ACTIVITY. LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. PERSISTENT NORTH WINDS WILL EMBEDDED ENERGY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE FORECAST FOR TUESDAY...OUT NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. PERIODS OF LIGHT SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHERN COLORAD0 MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. 27/40
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 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2014
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: 505612, 505613.