An quick moving upper level system generated up to 9 inches of snow and blowing snow across higher terrain locations. Eight inches of snow occurred near Leadville (Lake County), while nine inches of snow graced 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.
An quick moving upper level system generated up to 9 inches of snow and blowing snow across higher terrain locations. Eight inches of snow occurred near Leadville (Lake County), while nine inches of snow graced Monarch Pass(Chaffee 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 24, 10:40 PM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1040 PM MST Sun Dec 24 2017 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday) Issued at 254 PM MST Sun Dec 24 2017 The next weather disturbance will move into wrn CO tonight and will bring snow to the Continental Dvd once again, beginning later this evening and increasing overnight. The snow along the Continental Dvd is expected to start tapering off by late Mon morning. Some light snow will likely continue, mainly over the central mtns, thru the afternoon hours. There will be fairly strong winds over the higher elevations, and along the Continental Dvd, and this will cause blowing and drifting snow that could cause poor visibilities and hazardous driving conditions over the mtn passes along the Continental Dvd. Total accumulations with this system will likely be in the 4-8 inch range, but some locally higher amounts will be possible, especially on west facing slopes. Although there may be some light snow over the eastern mtns late tonight and Sun morning, any accumulations would be light. The rest of the area will be dry tonight and on Monday. Temps on Mon are expected to be warmer than today in most locations. However, acrs the sern plains the sfc winds are forecast to be easterly which will limit the warmup a bit, and so will go with high temps that are closer to the cooler guidance values. The lower east slopes of the ern mtns and the lower elevations near the eastern mtns are expected to see some breezy westerly winds that will help warm temps in these areas. .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Sunday) Issued at 254 PM MST Sun Dec 24 2017 Long range models continue to agree on a persistent brisk nw flow aloft across the region, with the majority of the energy and pcpn from passing shortwaves staying to northern CO and northward. This will keep the forecast area mainly dry and mild, save for one cold day on on the front end on Tue. There is the chance that a stronger disturbance will sag further south late Sat, bringing isolated to low end scattered pcpn chances to the central mts for Sun. On Tue, look for forecast high temps in the mid 20s to mid 30s across much of the plains, 40s for the high valleys, and 40s right along the eastern edges of the Wets, Sangres and Rampart Range where the sharp boundary will exist between downslope w-nw winds and the encroaching easterly llvl flow. For Wed through Sat, expect highs in the 40s to mid 50s for most areas. On Sun the temps drop again, with highs in the upper 30s through the 40s. Moore && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) Issued at 1034 PM MST Sun Dec 24 2017 VFR conditions expected the next 24 hrs at KCOS, KPUB and KALS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 2 PM MST Monday for COZ058-060. && SHORT TERM...28 LONG TERM...MOORE AVIATION...TM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 924 PM MST Sun Dec 24 2017 COZ058>089-093>099-260430- 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- 924 PM MST Sun Dec 24 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Tonight Snow will develop and increase in intensity along the Continental Divide overnight, primarily across the eastern Sawatch and Mosquito Ranges. In addition to the falling snow, blowing and drifting snow will bring hazardous travel conditions across mountain passes. Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches are probable by Christmas morning, with locally higher amounts on west facing slopes. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Along the Continental Divide, snow will continue through midday Christmas, with an additional 1 to 4 inches of accumulation from Monarch Pass northward, and only an inch or two farther southwest. In addition to the falling snow, blowing and drifting of snow will continue to produce hazardous travel conditions across the high mountain passes. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be likely overnight across much of Lake county and the higher elevations of western Chaffee county, and will be possible across the La Garita Mountains of Saguache County. 13/13
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather, 1 avalanche. 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: 730577, 730578, 730579, 730580.