A late season winter storm produced over 6 inches of snow across much of the Pikes Peak Region and the eastern mountain valleys, and generally 8 to 12 inches of snow across the Sawatch Range and Upper Arkansas Valley, Sangre de Cristo and Wet Mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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 late season winter storm produced over 6 inches of snow across much of the Pikes Peak Region and the eastern mountain valleys, and generally 8 to 12 inches of snow across the Sawatch Range and Upper Arkansas Valley, Sangre de Cristo 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 Apr 28, 4:42 AM MST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 542 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016 ...WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA... CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATING INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE STATE AHEAD OF STRONG UPPER LOW DIGGING INTO NORTHWEST ARIZONA AT THIS TIME. REGIONAL SATELLITE AND RADARS INDICATING A FEW LIGHT WAA SHOWERS ACROSS THE EASTERN MTS AND SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR WITH ENHANCED CLOUDS AND A BETTER COVERAGE OF ECHOES SPREADING INTO WESTERN COLORADO AT THIS TIME. LATEST MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT OF UPPER LOW CONTINUING TO DIG INTO WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA THIS MORNING BEFORE LIFTING OUT INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION TONIGHT. MOVEMENT OF THIS SYSTEM WILL ALLOW FOR WIDESPREAD RAIN SHOWERS AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MTS THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH RAIN AND SNOW SPREADING NORTH AND EAST ACROSS THE HIGH VALLEYS AND EASTERN MTS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND THEN CONTINUE SPREADING NORTH AND EAST ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS TO REMAIN RELATIVELY HIGH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...AOA 9000 FT...WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT. SNOW LEVELS LOOK TO FALL TO AROUND 6000 FEET THROUGH THE EVENING AND INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. WITH THAT SAID...HAVE UPGRADED MOST OF THE WINTER STORM WATCHES ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY TO WARNINGS. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMS EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...1 TO LOCALLY 2 FEET OF WET HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN MTS...AND 6 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS FOR THE LOWER MT AREAS...THE UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY...THE WET MT VALLEY AND NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE. WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING TO AROUND 6000 FEET...WILL LIKELY SEE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LATER TONIGHT AND INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING IN THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA...WITH 1 TO 4 INCHES...GREATEST ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CITY...MAKING FOR A MESSY FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE...ESPECIALLY NORTH AND WEST OF THE CITY. THE SAN LUIS VALLEY WILL ALSO SEE ACCUMS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES LATER TONIGHT...WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNTS CLOSER TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE FAR SE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AS MOIST EASTERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL BRING IN INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO THE AREA. THE LATEST NAM IS INDICATING CAPES OF 1000-1500 J/KG ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY AND BACA COUNTY. THIS...ALONG WITH AMPLE SHEAR...WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS SUPPORTING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. HOWEVER...THE GFS KEEPS THE THETA-E AXIS FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN TX AND OK PANHANDLES. AT ANY RATE...THE SPC DAY 1 OUTLOOK HAS THIS AREA IN A MARGINAL RISK AND WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016 UPPER LOW LIFTS NORTHEAST ACROSS COLORADO DURING THE DAY FRI...THEN CRAWLS SLOWLY EASTWARD ALONG THE KS/NE BORDER FRI NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. STRONGEST FORCING AND HEAVIEST PRECIP WILL OCCUR THROUGH ABOUT MID-AFTERNOON FRI...WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY FROM LATE FRI AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AS MID LEVEL CIRCULATION LIFTS NORTH...ALLOWING LOW/MID LEVEL FLOW TO BECOME INCREASING W-NW OVERNIGHT. RAIN/SNOW LINE AROUND 6000 FEET FRI MORNING WILL SLOWLY CREEP UPWARD TO ABOUT 7000 FEET DURING THE DAY AS BOUNDARY LAYER WARMS AND PRECIP INTENSITY DECREASES...WITH A SLUSHY FEW INCHES OF ACCUMULATION LIKELY ACROSS COLORADO SPRINGS BEFORE SWITCH BACK TO RAIN OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX OCCURS AROUND MIDDAY. UPPER ARKANSAS VALLEY FROM CANON CITY WESTWARD THROUGH SALIDA AND UP TO BUENA VISTA COULD ALSO SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW FRI MORNING BEFORE TRANSITIONING BACK TO RAIN LATE IN THE DAY. OVERALL...WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR MOST MOUNTAINS/PALMER DIVIDE AND UPPER ARKANSAS VALLEY LOOK ON TRACK...WITH A SHARP DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN RAIN AND ACCUMULATING SNOW SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6-7K FEET. WILL KEEP A MENTION OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN MOST ZONES THROUGH THE DAY FRI...THOUGH INSTABILITY WILL BE RATHER MARGINAL...WHICH SHOULD HOLD STORM INTENSITY AND COVERAGE DOWN. STILL APPEARS TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THU-FRI WILL EXCEED AN INCH IN MANY LOCATIONS...WITH POCKETS OF UP TO 2 INCHES OF LIQUID POSSIBLE OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. CLOUDS AND PRECIP WILL KEEP MAX TEMPS COOL FRI...WITH MOST LOCATIONS IN THE 30S/40S ACROSS THE AREA. STILL APPEARS WE'LL SEE A RELATIVE LULL IN PRECIP FRI NIGHT INTO SAT AS FIRST UPPER LOW DRIFTS EASTWARD THROUGH THE PLAINS WHILE SECONDARY ENERGY CARVES OUT A NEW LOW OVER THE DESERT SW. TOUGH TO RULE OUT SHOWERS COMPLETELY THROUGH THE PERIOD AS COLDER AIR ALOFT ROTATES SOUTH ACROSS THE STATE...SO WILL KEEP ISOLATED TO SCATTERED MENTION IN MOST ZONES THROUGH SAT AFTERNOON. AS UPPER LOW OVER AZ SLOWLY MOVES EASTWARD SAT NIGHT INTO SUN...UPWARD MOTION STRENGTHENS AGAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO WITH LOW AND MID LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE PLAINS TURNING EASTERLY THROUGH THE DAY SUN. SHOULD THUS SEE PRECIP CHANCES INCREASE ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION...WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW RETURNING TO MOST MOUNTAIN AREAS FROM OVERNIGHT SAT INTO AT LEAST MON MORNING. MAY NEED A NEW ROUND OF HIGHLIGHTS FOR SNOW FOR HIGHER MOUNTAINS...THOUGH IN GENERAL 28/00Z MODELS HAVE LESS PRECIP AND A WEAKER LOW THAN SOLUTIONS FROM 24 HRS AGO. WILL KEEP POPS RATHER HIGH AND TEMPS COOL SUN INTO MON...WITH PRECIP TAPERING OFF MON EVENING AS LOW WALLOWS BACK NORTH AND BEGINS TO DISSIPATE OVER THE GREAT BASIN. WARMING AND DRYING TREND BEGINS TUE AND CONTINUES THROUGH MID- WEEK...THOUGH WITH FLOW ALOFT WEAKENING SUSPECT ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL LINGER ACROSS THE AREA TO FIRE AT LEAST ISOLATED WEAK MOUNTAIN CONVECTION EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM TUE INTO THU. MAX TEMPS WILL CLIMB BACK TOWARD SEASONAL AVERAGES TUE...THEN PUSH TO ABOVE AVERAGE LEVELS WED/THU AS HEIGHT FINALLY BUILD ACROSS THE ROCKIES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016 A SIGNIFICANT LATE SEASON WINTER WEATHER EVENT WILL AFFECT THE TAF SITES THIS PERIOD. SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT AND WAA WILL PRODUCE OCCASIONAL MVFR CONDITIONS AND SHOWERS AT ALS...COS AND PUB THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS DURING THE AFTERNOON...SPREADING EASTWARD INTO THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND COS AND PUB TERMINALS THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CIGS WILL DROP AGAIN...ESPECIALLY FOR COS INTO THE IFR CATEGORY AS -RA MIXES WITH AND CHANGES OVER PUB && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT FRIDAY NIGHT FOR COZ058>061-073-075-080>082. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT MDT FRIDAY NIGHT FOR COZ062-063-072-074-076>079-084. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT FRIDAY NIGHT FOR COZ066-068. && SHORT TERM...MW LONG TERM...PETERSEN AVIATION...MW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 649 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016 COZ058>089-093>099-291300- 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 9000FT- 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 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500FT/PIKE'S 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 VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FEET- 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- 649 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM WILL SPREAD RAIN AND SNOW INTO SOUTHERN COLORADO THIS MORNING...WITH PRECIPITATION INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS IT SPREADS NORTH AND EAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS AT AND ABOVE 8500 FEET THIS AFTERNOON WILL FALL TO AROUND 6000 FEET LATER TONIGHT...WITH HEAVY WET SNOW EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE LOWER EAST FACING SLOPES ABOVE 6000-7000 FEET THROUGH FRIDAY. HEAVY WET SNOW WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY OVER AND NEAR THE HIGHER TERRAIN. WET AND HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATING ON TREE BRANCHES AND POWER LINES COULD ALSO LEAD TO TREE DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS FAR SOUTHEAST COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON. HAIL UP TO AROUND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER FAR EASTERN LAS ANIMAS AND BACA COUNTIES THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. ISOLATED EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH COULD PRODUCE SOME SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY RAIN AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAY FRIDAY...WITH THE SNOW LEVEL GRADUALLY CLIMBING TO AROUND 7000 FEET DURING THE DAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH WILL PRODUCE LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL...WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF TO SHOWERS FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH ISOLATED RAIN AND HIGH MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS THEN PERSISTING THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY. BY THE TIME SNOW TAPERS TO FLURRIES FRIDAY EVENING...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF A FOOT OR MORE WILL BE LIKELY FOR THE MOUNTAIN AREAS...WITH UP TO 2 FEET OR MORE POSSIBLE FOR THE HIGHER PEAKS...INCLUDING PIKES PEAK. THE UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY AND THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY...AS WELL AS NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY AND THE PALMER DIVIDE COULD PICK UP 6 INCHES TO AROUND A FOOT OF SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA AND IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY BY MID-MORNING FRIDAY. FOR SUNDAY INTO TUESDAY...CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED ACROSS THE REGION...WITH LOW ELEVATION RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE ABOUT 8000 FEET. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. 23/10
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
716 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0645 AM SNOW GARDNER 37.78N 105.17W
04/28/2016 E2.0 INCH HUERFANO CO FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
TWO HOUR DURATION. REPORT SAYS HEAVY WET
SNOW.
&&
RMGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
723 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0722 AM SNOW 2 W RYE 37.92N 104.96W
04/28/2016 M1.3 INCH PUEBLO CO NWS EMPLOYEE
TRACE ON PAVEMENTS.
&&
RMGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
744 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0744 AM SNOW 1 WSW ROSITA 38.09N 105.35W
04/28/2016 M1.5 INCH CUSTER CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
RMGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
759 AM MDT THU APR 28 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0758 AM SNOW 8 E CRESTONE 37.99N 105.54W
04/28/2016 E1.0 INCH CUSTER CO PUBLIC
SE WIND 18 MPH GUSTING 23 MPH
&&
RMGThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
17 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2016
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: 632627, 632628, 632630, 632634, 632636, 632638, 632639, 632640, 632643, 632645, 632647, 632648, 632651, 632652, 632656, 632653, 632655.