A weather disturbance produced heavy snow across the higher elevations of Chaffee and Lake Counties. A few of the higher reported snow totals included 8 inches near Monarch Pass (Chaffee County), 12 inches around Leadville, and 13 inches near Climax (Lake County).
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A weather disturbance produced heavy snow across the higher elevations of Chaffee and Lake Counties. A few of the higher reported snow totals included 8 inches near Monarch Pass (Chaffee County), 12 inches around Leadville, and 13 inches near Climax (Lake 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 Dec 10, 10:22 AM MST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1022 AM MST Sat Dec 10 2016 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 457 AM MST Sat Dec 10 2016 ...Strong winds mountains with Heavy snow and Blowing snow central mountains this afternoon through tonight... Upper jet is sagging southward across the Pacific NW/Rocky Mtn region as the next Pacific trof drops southeastward and moves across the northern U.S. Rockies later tonight. This will shift the 110- 120 kt upper jet southward over CO by late tonight. Quite a bit of precipitation in area radars out west across CA/Nrn NV/Nrn UT...and this will be spreading in the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges this afternoon as deeper moisture spreads in. Favorable orographics...along with strong higher elevation winds has prompted an upgrade from a winter storm watch to a winter storm warning for the central mountain areas...with advisories spreading into the adjacent lower elevations down to 9000-10000 feet including the LXV area. Getting amounts of 8-14 inches through 12z...with additional amounts expected into early Sunday which will bring totals into the 12+ range for most of the higher elevations north of Cottonwood pass. Lower elevations of central Lake county should see solid advisory amounts in the 4 to 8" range. With considerable blowing snow expected...travel conditions will become hazardous tonight across the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges. For the southeast mountains...potential for strong to near damaging wind gusts will be the primary concern from this afternoon through tonight. Best reverse shear occurs from this afternoon through early evening...however it appears we lack a Mtn top inversion to help transport that momentum down into the lower elevations. There is always a chance that a wave induced critical later could develop...and model cross-sections off the local 4 KM WRF suggest this could occur. However...the HRRR run is less aggressive and keeps wind gusts below high wind thresholds...suggesting the lack of a reflecting mechanism will be the overwhelming factor. After 03z...winds go pretty quickly forward shear as upper jet moves in. Given WRF's propensity to overdo winds...have leaned more towards the HRRR for now. Will have to watch the trends in the 12z runs and latest mesonet observations and see how this pans out. Otherwise...temperatures today should warm nicely over yesterday with most areas warming into the upper 50s to mid 60s across the plains. There may still be a cool pocket across Prowers and Kiowa counties today where winds will stay south easterly...but even here expect temperatures to moderate into the 50s. Lee trof tonight should keep lower eastern slopes of the southeast mountains on the mild side. Winds spread down into the lower elevations as the upper trof cross the mountains towards morning...but given the strong forward shear...wind profile doesn't look as conducive for a mtn wave wind storm. Any potential for high winds will be over the peaks and through the gaps towards morning. Will keep winds just below high wind thresholds for now. Meanwhile...snow will spread southward into the southwest mountains and portions of the Sangre De Cristo mountains towards morning. Snow amounts should stay sub advisory. -KT .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 457 AM MST Sat Dec 10 2016 .Sunday and Monday...Disturbance moves east of the region with drier air aloft moving into the area. Snow over the Continental Divide region will decrease by midday Sunday with only periods of light snow continuing through Sunday afternoon for the Sawatch Range. Flow aloft remains brisk during the day with gusty winds mostly over and near the mountains. On Monday, a cold front will start moving southward over the eastern plains during the afternoon. The core of the cold air remains well to the north of the area. Grids currently have frontal passage during the afternoon on Monday which will allow for some warming ahead of the front. .Tuesday and Wednesday...Next disturbance moves into the region with northwest flow aloft. Currently model consensus has most of the moisture with this system staying over the northern half of Colorado. The best chances for precipitation in our CWA will be over the mountains of Lake and Chaffee Counties, and the northwest flow aloft is not very favorable for snow in the eastern San Juan Mountains. Further east, shallow cold air mass will move into the eastern plains resulting in some cooler weather, especially Wednesday. Not much moisture is expected on the plains and eastern mountains as the upslope airmass will be shallow and there will be no forcing aloft. .Thursday and Friday...Model consensus is to have a trough dig into the Great Basin around Friday with a disturbance moving into the state by the end of the week. Some moisture will move into the mountains on Thursday with snow mainly over the Continental Divide region. On Friday, the amount of moisture increases with increasing snowfall over the mountains. With the models indicating southwest flow aloft, the eastern San Juans will have better chances for more significant snowfall. Further east, pattern does not look favorable for much precipitation. Any upslope airmass will be shallow, and a lee trough could develop on Friday as the disturbance approaches from the southwest. --PGW-- && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1020 AM MST Sat Dec 10 2016 VFR conditions through the next 24 hours at all three terminals with mid and high clouds spreading across the region. Winds will be breezy this afternoon with gusts 20 to 25 kts expected. Strong jet energy will move across Colorado tonight. Added LLWS to KPUB based on model guidance, with the most prone time period from 04-14z tonight. Mozley && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 AM MST Sunday for COZ059-061. Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 AM MST Sunday for COZ058-060. && SHORT TERM...KT LONG TERM...PGW AVIATION...MOZLEY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 638 AM MST SAT DEC 10 2016 COZ058>089-093>099-111400- 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- 638 AM MST SAT DEC 10 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANOTHER ROUND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY WIND DRIVEN SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE EASTERN SAWATCH AND WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGES THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 18 INCHES WILL FALL BY SUNDAY MORNING. CENTRAL LAKE COUNTY AND THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE SAWATCH RANGE IN CHAFFEE COUNTY WILL SEE 4 TO 8 INCHES...WHILE THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS SEE 1 TO 4 INCHES. STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH A JET STREAM WILL SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. WEST WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 60 TO 70 MPH ABOVE TIMBERLINE...WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH SPREADING INTO THE EAST FACING SLOPES. A FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN WIND PRONE AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF I-25 TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO RESULT IN CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WHICH WILL CAUSE REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A STORM WILL MOVE OVER THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS TUESDAY THROUGH MIDDAY WEDNESDAY. THIS STORM WILL HAVE NORTHWEST WINDS ALOFT, AND THE BEST CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL BE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS MIDDAY THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THIS STORM WILL HAVE SOUTHWEST WINDS ALOFT, AND THE BEST CHANCES OR SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL BE OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. 31/06
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
803 AM MST SAT DEC 10 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0730 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
12/10/2016 M79 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION PIKES PEAK SUMMIT /PIKES/.
&&
NWS PUEBLO CO
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
826 AM MST SAT DEC 10 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
12/10/2016 M88 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION PIKES PEAK SUMMIT /PIKES/.
&&
NWS PUEBLO CO
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
914 AM MST SAT DEC 10 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0815 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
12/10/2016 M89 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION PIKES PEAK SUMMIT /PIKES/.
&&
NWS PUEBLO CO
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
935 AM MST SAT DEC 10 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
12/10/2016 M91 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION PIKES PEAK SUMMIT /PIKES/.
&&
NWS PUEBLO CO
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1017 AM MST SAT DEC 10 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0930 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
12/10/2016 M92 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION PIKES PEAK SUMMIT /PIKES/.
&&
NWS PUEBLO CO
IRIS SYSTEMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 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, December 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: 670351, 670352.