A weather disturbance generated snow amounts in excess of 8 inches across the eastern San Juan Mountains in Mineral county.
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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 weather disturbance generated snow amounts in excess of 8 inches across the eastern San Juan Mountains in Mineral county.
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 May 15, 3:30 AM MST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 430 AM MDT FRI MAY 15 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 407 AM MDT FRI MAY 15 2015 UPPER LOW WILL PUSH ONSHORE ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EARLY THIS MORNING...TRACKING E-NE TOWARD NRN UTAH BY SUNRISE SAT. AS A RESULT...DEEP S-SW FLOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS COLORADO TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH PRECIP INCREASING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AS STRONGER UPWARD MOTION MOVES INTO THE STATE. ADVANCED THE START TIME OF WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS TO MIDDAY FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS ALONG THE DIVIDE...WITH WARNINGS OVER THE SAN JUANS/LA GARITAS AND ADVISORIES FARTHER NORTH WHERE S-SW FLOW IS LESS FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY PRECIP. FARTHER EAST...LAPSE RATES STEEPEN ACROSS MOST VALLEYS AND HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF THE DIVIDE...LEADING TO AT LEAST ISOLATED HIGH BASED CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...THOUGH DRY LOW LEVELS SUGGEST MORE WIND THAN RAIN WITH MOST STORMS...ESPECIALLY VALLEYS AND I-25 CORRIDOR. OVER THE PLAINS...DRY LINE PUSHES EASTWARD AS SURFACE LOW DEEPENS UNDER THE NOSE OF THE UPPER JET...WITH DEEPER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY SHIFTING INTO KS AFTER 18Z. AS A RESULT...CHANCES FOR DAYTIME CONVECTION LOOK LOW AND WILL KEEP MOST PLAINS EAST OF I-25 DRY UNTIL THE EVENING. AFTER 00Z...DRY LINE DOES PUSH BACK WESTWARD TO A POSITION 20-40 NM WEST OF THE KS/CO LINE...LEADING TO AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME STRONGER STORMS NEAR THE BORDER 00Z-09Z. REMAINDER OF THE AREA WILL SEE AT SCT/ISOLD -SHRA/-TSRA DURING THE EVENING AS LIFT INCREASES AHEAD OF UPPER JET STREAK PUSHING NORTHWARD OUT OF NM. MAX TEMPS TODAY WILL CONTINUE TO WARM WITH DEEP MIXING...AND EXPECT READINGS TO REACH THE SEASONAL AVERAGE MANY LOCATIONS FOR A CHANGE. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 407 AM MDT FRI MAY 15 2015 ...SNOW FOR THE MOUNTAINS THIS WEEKEND... ...HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE EARLY NEXT WEEK... A DEEP TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE ROCKIES THIS WEEKEND...BRINGING SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG WITH HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE MAIN LOW CENTER WILL BE OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...IN MT AND WY...BUT A SECONDARY H5 CENTER WILL MOVE THROUGH NRN CO ON SAT. THE NAM AND GFS HAVE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT IN PROGGING SOME LOCALIZED HIGHER QPF OVER THE PIKES PEAK REGION SAT AFTERNOON...SO THE WALDO SCAR WILL ONCE AGAIN BE A CONCERN. OVER THE MTS... SNOW LEVELS WILL BE FAIRLY STEADY AT 8500-9500 FEET...AND ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIKELY ABOVE 10K FEET. HEAVIEST ACCUMS WILL BE OVER THE SAN JUANS AND LA GARITAS...WHERE SNOW TOTALS MAY APPROACH A FOOT AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO A WARNING FOR THE SW MTS AND AN ADVISORY FOR THE NRN RANGES...WHERE TOTALS WILL PROBABLY BE MORE IN THE 3-6 INCH RANGE. THIS FIRST SYSTEM WILL PULL AWAY TO OUR NE ON SUNDAY...WITH SHORT WAVE RIDGING TO FOLLOW. SHOWERS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE...ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS N OF HIGHWAY 50...AS A FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS ERN CO SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL KEEP TEMPS OVER THE PLAINS IN THE 60S FOR THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS OF NEXT WEEK. NEXT SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE DESERT SW ON MONDAY...THEN TAKE A TRAJECTORY NE THROUGH UT ON TUE AND WED. LATEST GUIDANCE KEEPS BETTER INSTABILITY TO OUR SOUTH ON TUESDAY...WHICH WOULD LIMIT THE SVR WX THREAT...BUT STILL BRINGS SOME APPRECIABLE MOISTURE INTO ERN CO MON NIGHT INTO TUE. HEAVY RAIN THREAT LOOKS TO BE GREATEST DURING THIS PERIOD. AFTER THIS SYSTEM PASSES TO OUR NE ON WED...IT LOOKS LIKE A THIRD TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE DESERT SW LATE IN THE WEEK. SO...OUR MOIST AND COOL PATTERN LOOKS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE EXTENDED. ROSE && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 407 AM MDT FRI MAY 15 2015 VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE AND BECOME GUSTY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH GUSTS TO 30 KTS AT KALS FROM 19Z- 01Z...WHILE KPUB AND KCOS GUST TO AROUND 25 KTS FOR A FEW HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON. MOUNTAINS WILL SEE TSRA DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND AN ISOLATED STORM MAY DRIFT TOWARD KALS AND KCOS BY LATE AFTERNOON...THOUGH WITH DRY LOW LEVELS ANY MVFR CIGS/VIS WILL BE RATHER BRIEF AS STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE MORE WIND THAN PRECIP. ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...MOUNTAINS AND HIGH PASSES WILL BECOME OBSCURED BY CLOUDS AND PRECIP BY MIDDAY...CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT SATURDAY FOR COZ066-068. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT SATURDAY FOR COZ058-060. && SHORT TERM...PETERSEN LONG TERM...ROSE AVIATION...PETERSEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 654 AM MDT FRI MAY 15 2015 COZ058>089-093>099-161300- 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- 654 AM MDT FRI MAY 15 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ISOLATED STORMS DRIFTING ACROSS THE VALLEYS AND EASTERN PLAINS LATE IN THE DAY. A FEW STORMS MAY THEN CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING AND THROUGH THE NIGHT...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. ONE OR TWO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS BACA...PROWERS AND KIOWA COUNTIES...WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...ALONG WITH LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINFALL. OUTSIDE THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS...THE MAIN STORM THREATS WILL BE LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH...ALTHOUGH ONE OR TWO OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. A STRONG SPRING STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING WINTER-LIKE CONDITIONS TO THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION IS LIKELY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 10000 FEET...PRODUCING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS OVER HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS. LIGHTER ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS THE STORM SYSTEM PULLS AWAY FROM THE AREA. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. A COUPLE STORMS ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL POSSIBLE OVER ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. 10/44
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 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, May 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: 573528.