Winds in excess of 75 mph were experienced over portions of Huerfano and Las Animas Counties.
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.
Winds in excess of 75 mph were experienced over portions of Huerfano and Las Animas Counties.
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 Dec 25, 10:39 AM MST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1039 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1028 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 CURRENT BLIZZARD WARNING OVER THE SAN JUANS LOOKS GOOD...AS CDOT WEB CAMS INDICATE NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY WITH EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AT BOTH WOLF CREEK AND CUMBRES PASSES. STILL APPEARS WE'LL HAVE SEVERAL MORE HOURS OF HEAVIER SNOW ALONG THE DIVIDE BEFORE PRECIP INTENSITY BEGINS TO WANE LATE THIS AFTERNOON. UPDATE ISSUED AT 745 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 BASED ON LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND WEB CAMS ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUANS...UPGRADED THE WINTER STORM WARNING TO A BLIZZARD WARNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. HIGH RES MODELS SHOW HEAVIEST SNOW IMPACTING THE REGION THIS MORNING THROUGH MID AFTERNOON...WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN SNOW AND WIND THIS EVENING. SUSPECT THAT THE BLIZZARD WARNING MAY BE ABLE TO BE DOWNGRADED EARLY THIS EVENING...BUT LET LATER SHIFTS MONITOR AND REVISE AS NECESSARY. -KT && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 435 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 ...WINDY WITH HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TODAY... SHORTWAVE ACROSS SOUTHERN NV/WRN UT WILL EJECT TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS CO TODAY AS JET ENERGY DIGS DOWN THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE MEAN TROF...CARVING OUT A CLOSED LOW OVER AZ BY TONIGHT. MOISTURE ALREADY ON THE INCREASE ACROSS WESTERN CO...WITH GJX RADAR SHOWING INCREASING ECHOES EARLY THIS MORNING. ALL MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH HEAVY SNOW SPREADING INTO THE CONTDVD BY EARLY MORNING...AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...SPREADING EASTWARD WITH TIME...AS THE SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS. HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WHERE SOUTHWEST FLOW PROVIDES THE MOST FAVORABLE OROGRAPHIC LIFT. A FOOT OR BETTER WILL FALL OVER THE REGION BY THE END OF TODAY AND CURRENT WARNING STILL LOOKS ON TARGET. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN TODAY WITH HIGH RES MODELS SHOWING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND EASTERN SLOPES. THIS RAISES THE POSSIBILITY OF NEEDING A BLIZZARD WARNING FOR ZONE 68...BUT NOT SURE HOW WIDESPREAD THESE CONDITIONS WILL BE. WILL LET THE CURRENT WINTER STORM WARNING RIDE FOR NOW AND MONITOR WEB CAMS FOR POTENTIAL UPGRADE. REMAINDER OF THE CONTDVD WILL SEE SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE 4 TO 8 INCH RANGE...WITH LOCALLY UP TO A FOOT POSSIBLE FOR THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SAWATCH RANGE. SNOW WILL SPREAD EASTWARD INTO THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS BY AFTERNOON...WITH BANDS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE. THESE SHOULD BE MOVING FAIRLY QUICKLY THOUGH WHICH SHOULD LIMIT ACCUMULATIONS TO AN INCH OR TWO FOR LOCATIONS IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. EXCEPTION WILL BE THE CREST OF THE NORTHERN SANGRE WHERE 4-8 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE FIGHTING A STRONG DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT AS THEY COME OFF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS TODAY...WHICH SHOULD LIMIT POPS TO ISOLATED FOR THE MOST PART. OF GREATER CONCERN FOR THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS AND SAN LUIS VALLEY WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON. GUSTS TO 40 TO AROUND 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY TO THE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50. ANY SHOWERS WHICH MOVE OFF THE MOUNTAINS COULD NUDGE WIND GUSTS A LITTLE HIGHER THOUGH THINK THIS WILL BE SPOTTY AND CONFINED TO LOCATIONS CLOSER TO THE MOUNTAINS. SNOW WANES ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT...BUT HAVE OPTED TO EXTEND ADVISORIES ALONG THE CONTDVD UNTIL 06Z AS WINDS MAY STILL BE CAUSING SOME BLOWING CONCERNS DURING THE EARLY EVENING. MEANWHILE...COLD FRONT WILL DROP THROUGH THE PLAINS...WHICH WILL BRING A BETTER CHANCE OF SNOW TO THE PALMER DIVIDE...AND STRATUS AND LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS TO THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF THE RATON BY EARLY MORNING. GIVEN THE INITIAL SHALLOW PUSH OF THE FRONT INTO SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE AREA...IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME FOR SNOW TO DEVELOP ALONG THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF THE RATON MESA...AND HAVE DELAYED POPS A BIT. -KT .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 435 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 OVERALL...MAJORITY OF COMPUTER SIMULATIONS CONTINUE SOUTHERN TRACK OF INCOMING STORM DURING THE LONGER TERM WITH PRIMARY METEOROLOGICAL CONCERNS BEING POPS...TEMPERATURES AND WINDS. RECENT LONGER TERM COMPUTER SIMULATIONS...FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS AND PV ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT VIGOROUS CLOSED UPPER LOW CENTERED NEAR FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA AT 12Z SATURDAY SHIFTS TO EAST OF EL PASO TEXAS BY 12Z SUNDAY AND THEN MOVES INTO FAR NORTHEASTERN TEXAS BY 12Z MONDAY BEFORE MAKING ITS WAY INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST BY 12Z TUESDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT SOUTHERN LOCATIONS WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF RECEIVING MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION IN COMBINATION WITH GUSTY WINDS WITH THIS SYSTEM. CONTEMPLATED ISSUING A WINTER STORM WATCH...ESPECIALLY OVER PORTIONS OF COSTILLA...LAS ANIMAS AND BACA COUNTIES...HOWEVER REFRAINED AS MAJORITY OF POTENTIAL PRECIPITATION OCCURS IN 5TH AND 6TH PERIODS(SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT)...AND SOME RECENT COMPUTER SIMULATIONS ARE FAVORING A MORE SOUTHERN TREND IN RESPECT TO QPF TOTALS. AS ALWAYS...WFO PUEBLO WILL MONITOR CLOSELY AND ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS IF NEEDED(ESPECIALLY IF STORM TRACK SHIFTS SLIGHTLY NORTH). THEN NEXT GENERALLY WEAKER AND DRIER SYSTEMS ARE PROJECTED TO IMPACT THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM LATER TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...ALTHOUGH AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WILL REMAIN ON THE LIGHTER SIDE. STRONGEST GRADIENT WINDS DURING THE LONGER TERM ARE EXPECTED FROM LATER SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT(PRIMARILY FAVORING EASTERN SECTIONS). FINALLY...BELOW SEASONAL LATE DECEMBER TEMPERATURES ARE ANTICIPATED DURING THE LONGER TERM WITH COOLEST TEMPERATURES PROJECTED THIS WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1028 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 WIDESPREAD SN/BLSN WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CONTDVD AND HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SANGRES AND PIKES PEAK TODAY...WITH IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS AND MTN OBSCURATIONS. SOME IMPROVEMENT IS THEN EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AS SNOWFALL AND WIND DIMINISH. FOR THE TAF SITES...GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS TO 45 KTS POSSIBLE AT KALS...AND 35 KTS AT KCOS AND KPUB THROUGH 01Z. PASSING SHOWERS COULD BRING SOME BRIEF VFR TO LOCALIZED MVFR CIGS TO KALS AND KCOS THIS AFTERNOON...BUT STRONG DOWNSLOPE SHOULD KEEP PREVAILING CONDITIONS VFR. COLD FRONT DROPS THROUGH THE PLAINS AFTER 06Z...WITH GUSTY NORTH WINDS TO 25 TO 30 KTS. CIGS WILL DROP INTO THE MVFR TO IFR CATEGORY OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE AND RATON RIDGE TOWARDS MORNING...WHILE KPUB AND KALS STAY VFR. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ073. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ058>061-063-064-066-067. BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR COZ068. && UPDATE...PETERSEN AVIATION...PETERSEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 639 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 COZ058>089-093>099-261345- 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- 639 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TODAY WITH THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS OF WIND DRIVEN SNOW OCCURRING ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. EIGHT TO 15 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL OVER THIS REGION TODAY WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES. THE REMAINDER OF THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL SEE AROUND 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH UP TO 10 INCHES ACROSS THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES. THREE TO 8 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CREST OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...WITH 1 TO LOCALLY UP TO 4 INCHES IN AND NEAR THE REMAINDER OF THE MOUNTAINS. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO BUFFET THE REGION TODAY...WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 65 MPH POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER PEAKS AND PASSES...AND GUSTS TO AROUND 55 MPH ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR. GUST UP TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS TODAY. THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TODAY...WITH WHITE OUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT TIMES ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. STRONG CROSS WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR THIS AFTERNOON...PARTICULARLY TO THE SOUTH OF PUEBLO. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL SPREAD INTO NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY AND THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF THE RATON RIDGE LATE TONIGHT BEHIND A COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MOVING SOUTH OF COLORADO WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ACCUMULATING SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS...PRIMARILY OVER FAR SOUTHERN COLORADO...ESPECIALLY FROM LATER SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW MAY BE REALIZED OVER FAR SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO DURING THIS TIME-FRAME. ELSEWHERE...GENERALLY LIGHT SNOW IS ANTICIPATED. GUSTY NORTH WINDS IN COMBINATION WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND. STAY WEATHER ALERT AND CHECK THE LATEST FORECASTS FREQUENTLY OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY WEEKEND. ADDITIONAL STORM SYSTEMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GENERALLY LIGHT SNOW AT TIMES TO PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO FROM LATER TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS TODAY AND TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
855 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0831 AM SNOW 1 SSE WOLF CREEK PASS 37.47N 106.79W
12/25/2015 M19.0 INCH MINERAL CO TRAINED SPOTTER
REPORTED BY WOLF CREEK SKI PATROL IN THE PAST 24 HOURS.
&&
MNThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2015
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: 611558, 611557.