Strong winds, gusting in excess of 75 mph at times were noted over portions of Chaffee and Lake counties. The highest reported wind gust with this event was 78 mph, measured near Monarch Pass during the evening of the 23rd.
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.
Strong winds, gusting in excess of 75 mph at times were noted over portions of Chaffee and Lake counties. The highest reported wind gust with this event was 78 mph, measured near Monarch Pass during the evening of the 23rd.
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 23, 3:16 PM MST, 5 hours 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 316 PM MST Sat Dec 23 2017 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday) Issued at 316 PM MST Sat Dec 23 2017 The main forecast concern is the winds for tonight. Snow is ongoing in the central mtns and will continue through the evening hours with some additions accumulations. However, later tonight as an upper level disturbance moves out of the area, snow will decrease or end in the central mtns, with maybe just some light showers lingering. A 140 kt jet will be over the area tonight. There are already strong winds being reported in the central mtns, with gusts of 60+ kts at KMYP, and gusts near 50 kt at KVTP. MOS guidance for KMYP has very strong winds with most values being between 50 and 60 kts, while the MAV guidance has 70+ kts. The HRRR is showing potential gusts of 65 kts. Have decided to go with a High Wind Warning thru late tonight for zones 58 and 60. Will go with strong gusts over all the mtn areas tonight, but will keep gusts under 75 mph in those areas in the forecast. A cold front will make its way south through the southeast plains tonight. At this time, the HRRR is showing it moving thru KCOS between 03Z and 04Z, and then through KPUB around 05Z. MOS guidance has been showing some strong winds behind the cold front and we currently have 40-45 mph winds in the forecast. However, the latest HRRR graphics are coming in with winds that are not quite as strong. There will still be the potential for some light snow over the Palmer Divide and northern Teller counties after the front moves thru, but nothing significant is expected and it should be fairly short lived. Generally dry weather is expected on Sun, although some snow showers will likely develop late in the day over the central CO mtns ahead of the next weather system. Temps will be below average over the southeast plains on Sun, and should be around or slightly above average in the San Luis and Upper Arkansas River Valleys. .LONG TERM...(Sunday night through Saturday) Issued at 316 PM MST Sat Dec 23 2017 Sunday night and Monday...NAM, EC and GFS models agree on an upper disturbance crossing the region Sunday and Monday, with strong west to northwest flow aloft. Snow will develop along the Continental Divide Sun evening and spill over to the remainder of the higher terrain overnight, with the focus area being the central mts. The central mts may see new snow accumulations of up to 8 inches through Monday evening, while the rest of the peaks may receive 1 to 3 inches. Since the central mts are currently in a winter highlight, will not hoist another to avoid confusion. Look for min temps Christmas Eve to fall into the teens to lower 20s for most areas, then the brisk nw flow aloft will help boost aftn readings on Christmas into the mid 40s to lower 50s for the plains, and 40s for the high valleys. A cold front is forecast to drop south across the Palmer Divide Monday aftn, but the true effects of the front are not anticipated until the overnight hours. Tuesday through Saturday...Extended models agree on not a lot of change overall in the weather pattern for the rest of the week. Brisk w-nw flow aloft continues across the region, with an occasional isolated threat of some showers for the central mts, most notably on Wed. Otherwise, predominately dry. Tuesday will be the coldest day due to the cold front from the previous day, and due to strong high pressure at the surface pushing back into the eastern plains and offsetting the general wind flow. On Tue, forecast maximum temps will range from the mid 20s to mid 30s across much of the plains, 40s for the high valleys, and perhaps 40s right along the eastern edges of the Wets, Sangres and Rampart Range where the downslope w-nw winds will hold at bay the encroaching easterly llvl flow. Where that exact boundary sets up is going to be a challenge. For Wed through Sat, expect highs in the upper 30s to upper 40s for most areas. Moore && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Sunday evening) Issued at 316 PM MST Sat Dec 23 2017 VFR conditions are expected the next 24 hrs at KCOS, KPUB and KALS. A cold front will move through southeast Colorado tonight, KCOS will likely see frontal passage and gusty north winds between about 03Z and 04Z, and KPUB should see it move thru around 05Z. Some gusty westerly winds will be found early this evening at KALS, but these are expected to decrease later in the evening. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until 4 AM MST Sunday for COZ058-060. Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST this evening for COZ058- 060. && SHORT TERM...28 LONG TERM...MOORE AVIATION...28
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 548 AM MST Sat Dec 23 2017 COZ058>089-093>099-241300- Western Mosquito Range/East Lake County Above 11000 Feet- Leadville Vicinity/Lake County Below 11000 Feet- Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Feet- Western Chaffee County Between 9000 and 11000 Feet- Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Feet- Western Mosquito Range/East Chaffee County Above 9000 Feet- Saguache County West of Continental Divide Below 10000 Feet- Saguache County East of Continental Divide Below 10000 Feet- La Garita Mountains Above 10000 Feet- Upper Rio Grande Valley/Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Feet-Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Feet- Del Norte Vicinity/Northern San Luis Valley Below 8500 Feet- Alamosa Vicinity/Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Feet- Southern San Luis Valley- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 And 11000 Feet- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Feet- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 7500 and 11000 Feet- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Feet- Northwestern Fremont County Above 8500 Feet- Western/Central Fremont County Below 8500 Feet- Wet Mountain Valley Below 8500 Feet- Wet Mountains between 6300 and 10000 Feet- Wet Mountains Above 10000 Feet- Teller County/Rampart Range Above 7500 Feet/Pikes Peak Between 7500 And 11000 Feet-Pikes Peak Above 11000 Feet- Canon City Vicinity/Eastern Fremont County- Northern El Paso County/Monument Ridge/Rampart Range Below 7500 Feet- Colorado Springs Vicinity/Southern El Paso County/Rampart Range Below 7400 Feet-Pueblo Vicinity/Pueblo County Below 6300 Feet- Walsenburg Vicinity/Upper Huerfano River Basin Below 7500 Feet- Trinidad Vicinity/Western Las Animas County Below 7500 Feet- 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- 548 AM MST Sat Dec 23 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Snow is expected over along the Continental Divide, especially from the La Garita Range, north into the Central Mountains. Snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are possible over the Central Mountains with locally higher amounts possible on west facing slopes. In addition, strong winds, with gusts in excess of 60 mph, will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow over the Central Mountains. This will cause hazardous driving conditions over area mountain passes. Snow will subside this evening, with just flurries expected by Sunday morning. There may be a brief period of light, wind driven snow over the Palmer Divide this evening behind a cold front. Little if any snow accumulation is expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Another period of accumulating snow will be possible along the Continental Divide from Sunday Night into Monday, with the best chance for snow from Monarch Pass northward. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible through this evening over the eastern Sawatch and western Mosquito Ranges. 88/10
The 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 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2017
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: 774101, 730581.