A weather system generated high winds across the southern I-25 corridor includings the Walsenburg and Trinidad areas. Winds gusted over 60 mph.
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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 system generated high winds across the southern I-25 corridor includings the Walsenburg and Trinidad areas. Winds gusted over 60 mph.
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 Feb 23, 8:54 AM MST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 854 AM MST Thu Feb 23 2017 .UPDATE... Issued at 852 AM MST Thu Feb 23 2017 Looks like a band of precip will move across the northern and western parts of the Pikes Peak region this morning. Have increased pops and clouds this region. Still looks like it is going to howl later this afternoon across most of the plains per latest HRRR guidance. \/Hodanish && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 327 AM MST Thu Feb 23 2017 Strong winds and high fire danger are the main concerns for today. An upper level low will be moving acrs southern WY today and into NE this evening. This system will bring strong winds to much of the forecast area today. Winds are already strong over the mtn areas and quite breezy in the San Luis Valley. Strong southwest to west winds will spread along the srn I-25 corridor around midmorning and then acrs the rest of the I-25 corridor and the southeast plains in the late morning and early afternoon hours. The winds will be strongest over southern portions of the forecast area, especially over Huerfano, Las Animas, and Baca counties. However, the HRRR is is showing the strongest gusts of around 60 mph occurring over Huerfano and western Las Animas counties, with 70-75 mph gusts over the southern Sangre De Cristo mtns, and will therefore issue a High Wind Warning for these locations from midmorning thru the afternoon hours. By late afternoon the winds are expected to decrease, although it will still be windy. Winds will then quickly decrease in the evening. The other concern for today is the high fire danger. There is already a Red Flag Warning in effect for the southeast plains today and see no reason to make any changes to this warning. Min RH values are still looking like they will be around 15% and lower this afternoon, and as already stated, the winds will be strong. As the upper trof moves acrs the state today, snow is expected in the mountain areas, with a few inches of accumulation along the Continental Divide, and maybe some light accumulations over the higher elevations of the eastern mtns. Pcpn chances look like they'll decrease late this afternoon over most of the eastern mtns and should lighten up along the Continental Divide. With the upper trof moving east of the area tonight, a front will move southward into southeast CO. In the wake of the front showers are expected to develop, but mostly over El Paso, Crowley and Kiowa counties. However, some areas further south may also see some light pcpn tonight. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 327 AM MST Thu Feb 23 2017 Friday and Saturday...As the upper low pressure system continues east out of the area early Friday, isolated to low-end scattered pops will continue across the Palmer Dvd as well as the central mts. By Fri evening the flow aloft will become more westerly, with pcpn potential lessening and shifting to the central mts. The flow then becomes more southwesterly on Sat, ahead of the next approaching low pressure trough, and snow chances will remain restricted to the ContDvd and specifically the higher elevations of Lake and Chaffee Counties. In the wake of the cold front, Fri is forecast to be a very cool day with max temps all areas remaining in the 30s to around 40F. Max temps are expected to warm about 5 to 10 deg F for Sat. Sunday through Wednesday...Southwest flow aloft strengthens on Sunday as the next Pacific storm system digs south across the Pacific NW. This will bring even more new snow to the ContDvd, while keeping the plains essentially dry, through Tue. Look for temps in the 30s to upper 40s on Sun, then warmer with gusty winds for Mon and Tue with max temps in the 40s and 50s, and around 60F for the plains. There is the chance that critical fire weather conditions will return to the plains for Mon and Tue. Extended models indicate that conditions will then dry out for Wed. Moore && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Friday morning) Issued at 327 AM MST Thu Feb 23 2017 KCOS and KPUB should expect VFR conditions today along with strong westerly winds. The winds will become westerly later this morning and will become strong in the late morning or early afternoon hours. Winds will be about 25-35kts with stronger gusts, especially at KPUB. The strong winds could cause areas of BLDU which may at times cause restrictions to the VSBY. A front moving thru sern CO this evening will bring northerly winds at 15-25kts thru around 06Z. Some showers will be possible at or near KCOS after 02Z. KALS will have gusty southwesterly winds through the day. The winds will be about 15-25kts this morning and will be 25-35 kts with possibly some stronger gusts this afternoon. The strong winds may cause BLDU which could create restrictions to the VSBY at times. Some showers are possible in the VCNTY of KALS this morning and possibly into the early afternoon, but chances are too low to include in the forecast. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 6 PM MST this evening for COZ227>237. High Wind Warning until 4 PM MST this afternoon for COZ074-075- 087-088. && UPDATE...HODANISH SHORT TERM...28 LONG TERM...MOORE AVIATION...28
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 614 AM MST Thu Feb 23 2017 COZ058>089-093>099-241400- 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- 614 AM MST Thu Feb 23 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Strong winds, low humidities and dry fuels will result in another day of high fire danger across the plains. Burning or any other activities that could accidentally start a fire should be postponed. Wind gusts of 40 to 55 mph will be possible over much of the area today, with gusts around 60 mph expected along the southern I-25 corridor in Huerfano and Las Animas counties. Some mountain locations could see gusts in excess of 70 mph. The strong winds may cause areas of blowing dust which could limit the visibility at times in some locations. Additionally, they can lead to hazardous travel conditions, particularly for high profile vehicles. Snow is expected over the mountain areas, with one to four inches of accumulation possible, with the highest amounts expected along the Continental Divide. Blowing snow may cause poor visibility on some mountain passes today. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Snow is expected across the higher terrain, especially along the Continental Divide through Friday afternoon. Total snow accumulations of 4 to locally 8 inches will be possible across the higher peaks of the central mountains, with 2 to 4 inches possible across the southwest mountains and generally 2 inches or less across the rest of the higher terrain. More snow is expected along the Continental Divide Saturday afternoon through Sunday, with yet another round of snow for the higher terrain expected Monday through Tuesday, with the main focus expected to be along and west of the Continental Divide. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible over the mountain along the continental divide today and tonight, and possible over the southern I-25 corridor today. 28/27
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, February 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: 674772, 674773.