A storm system produced heavy snow accumulations across portions of southern Colorado. Maysville and Monarch Pass (Chaffee County).
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 storm system produced heavy snow accumulations across portions of southern Colorado. Some of the higher reported snow totals included: 6 to 10 inches near Walsenburg (Huerfano County)...Sargents (Saguache County)...Woodland Park and Cripple Creek (Teller County)...Salida...Maysville and Monarch Pass (Chaffee County). In the Winter Storm Warning areas 8 to 10 inches was noted near Rye (Pueblo County) and across the higher elevations of the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Wet 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 Feb 10, 9:01 PM MST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 901 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 843 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 UPDATED THE FORECAST BASED ON CURRENT RADAR AND OBSERVATION TRENDS. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS CURRENTLY SET UP ACROSS FREMONT COUNTY...INTO SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY AND SHOULD CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS THE UPPER SYSTEM SLIDES ACROSS THE AREA. SNOW LEVELS HAVE BEEN TRICKY...WITH BANDING AND CONVECTIVE BURSTS BRINGING THEM DOWN TEMPORARILY TO AROUND 6500 FEET. MOST PLACES HAVE SEEN SNOW ABOVE 8000 FEET SO FAR...BUT THEY SHOULD LOWER TO AROUND 6000 FEET THROUGH MIDNIGHT. MOZLEY && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 400 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 ...GOOD PRECIPITATION EVENT FOR PARTS OF THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS... SATELLITE AND RADAR SHOWS THINGS BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE FOR A GOOD PRECIPITATION EVENT FOR PARTS OF THE AREA. SATELLITE SHOWS A TROUGH DROPPING SOUTHEAST...SLOWLY DIGGING AND STRENGTHENING. RADAR SHOWS EARLY BANDS OF PRECIPITATION BEGINNING TO FORM. WINDS ALONG THE SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE ARE COMING AROUND FROM THE EAST AND STRENGTHENING. BLENDED SATELLITE PICTURES THAT CALCULATE THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE FOR PRECIPITATION ALL SHOW GENEROUS AMOUNTS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. WITH A GOOD SOURCE OF UPPER LIFT ON THE WAY...GOOD MOISTURE AVAILABLE AND DEVELOPING LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW...ALL SIGNS ARE POSITIVE THAT MANY OF THE MOUNTAIN AREAS AND ADJACENT PLAINS WILL SEE A GOOD PRECIPITATION EVENT BETWEEN NOW AND NOON TOMORROW. LOOKS LIKE MANY OF THE PLAINS AND MOUNTAIN AREAS FROM THE I-25 CORRIDOR WESTWARD WILL SEE ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT A QUARTER INCH OF LIQUID PRECIPITATION UP TO ABOUT AN INCH IN SOME THE EASTERN MOUNTAIN AREAS. ELSEWHERE...AMOUNTS WILL BE CONSIDERABLY LIGHTER. SNOW LEVEL IS A BIG QUESTION WITH THIS ONE. AIRMASS COMING IS IN IN NOT VERY COLD. AFTER SOME INITIAL RAIN...WOULD EXPECT SNOW LEVELS TO DROP DOWN TO AT LEAST 6000 FEET TONIGHT. HOWEVER...IN AREAS WHERE THE PRECIPITATION GETS HEAVY ENOUGH...IT COULD GO DOWN TO NEAR 4500 FEET. THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOULD FALL OVER THE WET MOUNTAINS... PARTS OF FREMONT COUNT...THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY AND THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS. THESE AREAS SHOULD SEE 6 O 12 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS. THE MOUNTAIN AREAS ADJACENT TO THIS AREA SHOULD SEE 4 TO 8 WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER. FOR THE SPRINGS PROPER...PROBABLY 1 TO 3...MUCH MORE THE HIGHER UP YOU GO. FOR PUEBLO PROPER...PROBABLY ONLY AN INCH OR LESS. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 400 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 AT THIS TIME...LONGER TERM METEOROLOGICAL ISSUES APPEAR TO BE AMOUNT OF IMPACT THAT NEXT UPPER DISTURBANCE WILL HAVE ON THE FORECAST DISTRICT BY EARLY NEXT WEEK AS WELL AS WINDS AND TEMPERATURES. LONGER TERM FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS...COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AND PV ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT BASICALLY DRY NORTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW WILL BE NOTED OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND AS UPPER RIDGING PREVAILS OVER CALIFORNIA AND THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES DURING THIS TIME-FRAME AND THIS WILL BE REFLECTED IN GRIDS/ZONES. IN COMBINATION WITH THE GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED OVER THE CWA FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND...EXPECT THAT TEMPERATURES WILL RUN ABOVE MID FEBRUARY CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES DURING THIS TIME-FRAME WITH WARMEST CONDITIONS PROJECTED TO OCCUR ON SATURDAY. A STORM SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT THE FORECAST DISTRICT WITH UNSETTLED METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS FROM MONDAY INTO NEXT TUESDAY(ESPECIALLY IF THE 12Z GFS40 VERIFIES). THIS SYSTEM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING INCREASED PRECIPITATION CHANCES(INCLUDING ACCUMULATING SNOW) AS WELL AS A RETURN TO BELOW SEASONAL TEMPERATURES WITH COOLEST TEMPERATURES OF THE LONGER TERM ANTICIPATED BY NEXT TUESDAY. FINALLY...GUSTY WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT AND THEN AGAIN BY NEXT MONDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 350 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALL AREAS THROUGH EARLY EVENING. SHOULD SEE SNOW SPREAD INTO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND PIKES PEAK REGION EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH RAIN DEVELOPING AT KCOS 00Z-02Z. SWITCH OVER TO SNOW AND IFR AT KCOS MAY OCCUR AROUND 02-03Z...WITH IFR CONDITIONS INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. SHOWERS WILL SPREAD SOUTHWARD INTO THE KPUB AREA BY 03Z...WITH MVFR CIGS AND MAINLY RAIN UNTIL UNTIL 09Z-12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING...WHEN A SWITCH OVER TO SNOW WILL BRING A PERIOD OF IFR CIGS/VIS. KALS WILL STAY VFR UNTIL 06Z...THEN PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS AND IFR CONDITIONS INTO EARLY WED MORNING. MOUNTAINS WILL BECOME OBSCURED ALL AREAS BY LATE AFTERNOON...WITH IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT INTO MIDDAY WED. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM AN INCH OR TWO AT KCOS...MAINLY ON GRASSY SURFACES...TO UNDER AN INCH AT KPUB...TO AROUND 2 INCHES AT KALS BY LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR COZ072-073- 077>080. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR COZ060>066- 074>076. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR COZ081-082. && UPDATE...MOZLEY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 501 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 COZ058>089-093>099-120015- 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- 501 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS COLORADO TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY BRINGING PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL COLORADO. EXPECT HIGH ELEVATION SNOW TO DEVELOP OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE THIS EVENING...WITH A BAND DEVELOP SOUTHWARD ALONG THE HIGHWAY 50 CORRIDOR BY MIDNIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL INITIALLY BE HIGH...ABOVE 8000 FEET...LOWER TO AROUND 5000 FEET BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS FORECAST TO OCCUR ALONG THE HIGHWAY 50 CORRIDOR...FROM MONARCH PASS...THROUGH BIGHORN SHEEP CANYON TO NEAR PUEBLO WEST...AND SOUTH ALONG THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS. GIVEN THE WARM ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AND HIGH INITIAL SNOW LEVELS...AREAS ABOVE 8000 FEET COULD SEE 8 TO 12 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW...WHILE AREAS ABOVE 6000 FEET WILL SEE AROUND 4 TO 8 INCHES. THERE IS ALSO A CONVECTIVE NATURE TO THIS SYSTEM...ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING...WHICH MAY HELP PRODUCE BANDING AND HEAVY SNOW BURSTS...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST UNDER ANY SNOW BANDS AND BURSTS THAT DEVELOP. LOCATIONS 5000 FEET AND LOWER WILL LIKELY SEE RAIN THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE NIGHT...WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW MIXING IN BY WEDNESDAY MORNING AS COLD AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION. SLICK ROADWAYS DUE TO WET SNOW PACK AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES DUE TO HEAVY SNOW RATES OF UP TO 2.5 INCHES PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ALONG HIGHWAY 50 WEST OF CANON CITY...AND COLORADO HIGHWAY 69 THROUGH THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY. EXTREME CAUTION IS ADVISED IF DRIVING THROUGH THESE AREAS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW SHOULD WIND DOWN FROM NORTH TO SOUTH BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY OVER THE MOUNTAINS...VALLEYS AND I-25 CORRIDOR TONIGHT. 88/88
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm. 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, February 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: 559915, 559917, 559925, 559927.