Favorable moist southwest flow produced 22 inches of snow near Wolf Creek Pass.
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
Favorable moist southwest flow produced 22 inches of snow near Wolf Creek Pass.
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 11, 10:36 PM MST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1036 PM MST Sun Feb 11 2018 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday) Issued at 308 PM MST Sun Feb 11 2018 ...Snow Coming for the Continental Divide... A Pacific storm system is crossing into the Great Basin this afternoon. This system will bring a period of moist, southwest flow to the region that will deliver about 24 hours of orographic (upslope) snowfall to the Continental Divide. The San Juans should do quite well with this event as they will be in the path of the most direct and prolonged period of lift. However, the La Garita, the Sawatch and the Mosquito Ranges should also do pretty well over the 24 hour event. The eastern mountains will see snow showers move through at times during the period but most of this activity will be fleeting and confined to the highest elevations. The remainder of the forecast area will generally miss out on any precipitation from this event. It'll be a bit windy over the southwest mountains, the San Luis Valley, and southern/eastern parts of the plains on Monday in response to the system moving through the mountains. Gusts up to around 40 mph will be possible. Due to the added mixing in the atmosphere tied to the system moving through, temperatures across the area should show a nice warm up from today's readings with most areas getting back to average or even above average levels for this time of year. .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Sunday) Issued at 308 PM MST Sun Feb 11 2018 There is still a lack of confidence beyond Thursday. Both the operational models could not be more different and ensembles spreads increase significantly Thursday and beyond. Monday night through Wednesday...models in good agreement with with through this period. An upper disturbance is forecast to drop south across along the west coast before falling offshore. Energy will be moving across Colorado Monday night before dissipating Tuesday morning. Beyond Tuesday, there will likely be periods of light snowfall over the Continental Divide. Areas over the Southern San Juan Range will see the highest totals, while areas over the Central Mountains see lesser amounts. As the upper low falls off shore. Temperatures will be moderating across the Plains with 50s for highs on Tuesday, then into the 60s to lower 70s on Wednesday. In addition, the jet energy moving over the region will lead to gusty winds initially over the mountains, down into the lee slopes by dawn on Wednesday. Thursday through Sunday...the GFS wants to bring an upper level disturbance across the Desert Southwest and east across the region on Thursday into Friday. The ECMWF brings an upper level disturbance south and east out of the Pacific Northwest and across Colorado Thursday into Friday. The GFS track would bring a round of mountain snow to the area. The ECMWF track would bring a decent round of snow the for the whole CWA Thursday into Friday. Beyond Friday and through the weekend, we will likely see mild conditions with highs in the 50s. Generally dry conditions are expected across the area. But this could all change by the time the weekend arrives. Mozley && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) Issued at 1031 PM MST Sun Feb 11 2018 Broken high cloudiness has spread in across the area which will likely inhibit the formation of shallow ground fog at KPUB through the early morning hours. Meanwhile increasing moisture will spread into the Continental Divide towards morning with lower cigs and vis as snow breaks out by 12z. Taf sites will remain VFR but could see some VCSH for KALS Monday morning. Southwest winds will gust to around 30 kts for KALS during the afternoon. Winds at KCOS and KPUB will be around 10 kts or less from the southeast.-KT && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Monday to 5 AM MST Tuesday for COZ058-060-066. Winter Storm Warning from 5 AM Monday to 5 AM MST Tuesday for COZ068. && SHORT TERM...LW LONG TERM...MOZLEY AVIATION...KT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 354 PM MST Sun Feb 11 2018 COZ058>089-093>099-122300- 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- 354 PM MST Sun Feb 11 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Snow will develop along the Continental Divide early Monday morning and continue through Tuesday morning. Total snowfall amounts of 8 to 12 and locally up to 16 inches are expected over the eastern San Juan Mountains. Farther north along the Divide, from the La Garitas northward across the eastern Sawatch and western Mosquito Ranges, amounts of 3 to 5 and locally up to 10 inches are expected. The remainder of the mountains will see snow showers move through at times but accumulations will generally be localized and light, amounting to about 1 to 4 inches. Another round of light snowfall will be possible over the higher terrain Wednesday night through Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters will not be needed tonight. 50/50
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, February 2018
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: 732399.