A powerful Pacific storm system generated heavy snow in excess of eight inches and gusty winds to the higher elevations on the Continental Divide of southern Colorado. Some of the higher reported snow totals were near and on Wolf Creek Pass, where 12 to 20 inches occurred.
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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 powerful Pacific storm system generated heavy snow in excess of eight inches and gusty winds to the higher elevations on the Continental Divide of southern Colorado. Some of the higher reported snow totals were near and on Wolf Creek Pass, where 12 to 20 inches occurred.
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 Feb 28, 10:36 PM MST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1036 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 508 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 UPDATED FOR EXPIRATION OF RED FLAG WARNING...AND TO CANCEL BLOWING DUST ADVISORY. ALSO INCREASED CHANCES FOR PCPN OVR THE ERN MTS FOR LATE TONIGHT. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 252 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 CURRENTLY... CURRENT OBS AND SATELLITE SHOW A COLD FRONT...LOCATED NORTHEAST OF EL PASO COUNTY...MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHWEST. TEMPERATURES IN LIMON HAVE ALREADY FALLEN TO THE UPPER FORTIES. MEANWHILE...WELL DEFINED PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM IS SLOWLY PUSHING EASY TOWARDS THE CA COAST. THE CIRRUS SHIELD AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM HAS ALREADY MADE ITS WAY IN TO SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO. CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO THICKEN AND SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. WINDS HAVE BECOME VERY GUSTY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND I-25 CORRIDOR...WITH GUSTS OF 30-45MPH BEING REPORTED ACROSS MANY LOCATIONS. THIS HAS CREATED RED FLAG CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR. RED FLAG WARNINGS WILL EXPIRE AT 5PM. TONIGHT AND TOMORROW... PRIMARY CONCERNS FOR THE SHORT TERM ARE HEAVY SNOWS ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...AND FREEZING DZ/RA POTENTIAL ACROSS THE FAR EAST PLAINS. WITH RESPECT TO ICING POTENTIAL ACROSS THE PLAINS... THE NAM/GFS HAVE COME IN TO SOMEWHAT BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE HANDLING OF THE COLD FRONT OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THE GFS STILL BRINGS THE FRONT FARTHER WEST TOWARDS THE I-25 CORRIDOR...WHILE THE NAM ONLY BRINGS IT HAS FAR WEST AS EASTERN EL PASO COUNTY...SOUTHEASTWARD TO BENT COUNTY (BOTH BY AROUND 15Z SATURDAY) HAVE LOWERED MAX TEMPERATURES ACROSS KIOWA...PROWERS... AND BACA COUNTIES AND ADDED THE CHANCE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE. ALSO ISSUED AN SPS HIGHLIGHTING THE POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING RAIN AND POSSIBLY THE NEED FOR WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS SATURDAY MORNING. NAM AND GFS BUFKIT SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW/WAA AROUND 800MB...WHILE KEEPING A 3K FT LAYER OF COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE UNDER SOUTHEAST FLOW. PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY VERY LIGHT...DRIZZLE AT BEST...AND HAVE HELD OFF ON HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS TIME. ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...HEAVY SNOW SHOULD BEGIN THIS EVENING ACROSS THE SAN JUANS FIRST...AND THEN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATER TONIGHT. HAVE ALSO ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...BEGINNING AT 06Z TONIGHT...FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN SANGRES AS THE 12Z NAM/GFS ARE SHOWING 6-10 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY TOMORROW ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AS 40 TO 50KT 700MB WINDS PASS OVER THE REGION. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS IN THE WARNING AREA AND IS NOT ADVISED. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 252 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 ...CONTINUED FAIRLY ACTIVE... SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...THE MOIST PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT EAST ACROSS COLORADO. THIS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THE SNOWFALL OVER THE MOUNTAINS...AND PROBABLY BRING THE BEST SHOT OF PRECIPITATION TO THE PLAINS. SOUNDINGS STILL SHOW FREEZING RAIN POTENTIAL INTO SATURDAY EVENING ACROSS THE PLAINS...AND THEN TRANSITIONING OVER TO MAINLY JUST SNOW BY SUNDAY MORNING AS THE ATMOSPHERE ALOFT COOLS BACK BELOW FREEZING AT ALL LEVELS. COULD STILL BE SOME SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IN THE MOUNTAINS SATURDAY NIGHT SO HIGHLIGHTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT...BUT ACTIVITY WILL BE ON THE DECREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT. FOR THE VALLEYS AND PLAINS... AMOUNTS OF PRECIP ARE UNCLEAR...AS RECENT RUNS HAVE BEEN WAVERING ON QPF AMOUNTS AND LOCATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE...12Z NAM12 HAD SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOWFALL ACROSS THE PLAINS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY WHILE THE 18Z RUN HAD NOTHING...SHIFTING ALL THE ACCUMULATION SOUTH OF OUR BORDER. RIGHT NOW...LEANING TOWARD JUST LIGHT AMOUNTS ANYWAY...AS CONCEPTUALLY...JUST DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A CLASSIC WIDESPREAD SNOW MAKER FOR THE EAST. HOWEVER...I'LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY...YOU NEVER KNOW...ESPECIALLY IN MARCH WHEN YOU PUT INSTABILITY BACK INTO THE EQUATION. THE PLAINS SURE NEED THE SNOW...LET'S HOPE THEY GET SOME. IN ANY EVENT...THE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT PERIOD LOOKS VERY COLD AND DAMP ACROSS THE PLAINS...WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW AVERAGE AND A MIX OF WINTRY WEATHER CONDITIONS AROUND. MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...PATTERN DRIES OUT FOR MOST AREAS BUT STILL REMAINS UNSETTLED OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WHERE WEAK DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH DROPPING INTERMITTENT AMOUNTS OF LIGHT SNOW. TEMPERATURES MAY START OUT A LITTLE BELOW AVERAGE ON MONDAY BUT THEN SHOULD REBOUND TO ABOVE AVERAGE LEVELS AGAIN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES MAY LAG OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS...ESPECIALLY ON MONDAY...AS SOME ARCTIC AIR WILL REMAIN CLOSE BY...ACROSS THE CENTRAL US PLAINS. THURSDAY...WE BEGIN TO SEE THE IMPACTS OF THE NEXT POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM DUE TO ARRIVE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. CENTRAL MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL WILL PICK UP LATE IN THE DAY...AS WARM PREFRONTAL WESTERLY WINDS SWEEP ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA. COULD BE ANOTHER PERIOD OF FIRE WEATHER/BLOWING DUST CONCERNS ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THEN...THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...THE SYSTEM DROPS SOUTHEAST ACROSS COLORADO...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW AND COLD AGAIN FOR MOST AREAS. STILL 7 DAYS AWAY...SO NOT A WHOLE LOT OF CONFIDENCE AT THIS POINT...BUT SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON. LW && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1030 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 STRATUS WILL MOVE INTO KCOS AND KPUB TONIGHT WITH IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT KCOS AND MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS AT KPUB. KCOS COULD ALSO HAVE SOME LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE IN THE MORNING HOURS SATURDAY. BY LATE MORNING THE STRATUS CIG IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE WITH VFR CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AT KCOS AND KPUB...HOWEVER AFT 01Z A STRATUS CIG MAY AGAIN DEVELOP. KALS IS EXPECTED TO HAVE VFR CONDITIONS TONIGHT...BUT AFTER ABOUT 12Z THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR PCPN AND LOWER CIGS THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS WHICH COULD BRIEFLY BE MVFR. IN THE AFTERNOON SOME SHOWERS MAY STILL BE IN THE VCNTY OF KALS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ073-075. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ059-061-064- 067. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST SUNDAY FOR COZ058-060-066- 068. && UPDATE...28 SHORT TERM...PJC LONG TERM...LW AVIATION...28
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 808 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 COZ058>089-093>099-020315- 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- 808 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING INCREASING CHANCES FOR SNOW TONIGHT ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WITH SNOW SPREADING TO THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAIN TOWARD MORNING. SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR BEING LIKELY. WINDS GUSTING TO 50 TO 60 MPH WILL BRING WHITE OUT CONDITIONS TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE. ONLY LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE MOST INTENSE SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED SATURDAY MORNING...WHEN SNOWFALL RATES OF 2 INCHES PER HOUR OR MORE WILL BE POSSIBLE. TRAVEL OVER THE PASSES WILL BE VERY HAZARDOUS. TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 1 TO 2 FEET IS EXPECTED BY SUNDAY...AND HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY OCCUR OVER WESTERN SLOPES IN THE SAN JUANS. AVALANCHE DANGER WILL RISE TO CONSIDERABLE OR EXTREME OVER THE WEEKEND. OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAIN RANGES...MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9000 FEET. LIGHTER SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. SNOW SHOULD WIND DOWN OVER MOST OF THE AREA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING. ANOTHER WEAK STORM SYSTEM COULD BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT. THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS NORTH OF MONARCH PASS WILL SEE THE BEST CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL OCCUR ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TONIGHT...AND WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. 28/28
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 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, March 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: 503744, 503741, 503743.