Another storm system producing strong winds, gusting in excess of 80 mph at times were experienced over sections of southern Colorado during the 18th and 19th. Some of the highest reported wind gusts with this event included wind gusts between 58 mph and 64 mph near Black Forest and La Veta, wind gusts between 65 and 74 mph near the Air Force Academy, and wind gusts between 75 and 84 mph near La…
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
Another storm system producing strong winds, gusting in excess of 80 mph at times were experienced over sections of southern Colorado during the 18th and 19th. Some of the highest reported wind gusts with this event included wind gusts between 58 mph and 64 mph near Black Forest and La Veta, wind gusts between 65 and 74 mph near the Air Force Academy, and wind gusts between 75 and 84 mph near La Veta 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 17, 10:48 AM MST, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1048 AM MST Sat Feb 17 2018 .UPDATE... Issued at 707 AM MST Sat Feb 17 2018 Updated fcst to expire high wind warning which was in effect for the Pikes Peak region. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 317 AM MST Sat Feb 17 2018 ..Windy this morning along I-25 over El Paso County... Currently...satellite imagery indicates northwest flow spread across the region with a weak disturbance entering into the Northern Plains. Areas around the Air Force Academy are quite gusty this morning, with gusts around 60 to 80 mph. This may cause travel concerns this morning along I-25, before dissipating later this morning. Elsewhere, temperatures have fallen into the 20s to lower 30s for lows. Today...westerly flow aloft will transition through this afternoon with dry conditions expected through this afternoon. Conditions across the high country will continue to be gusty. Mixing out across the Plains will keep temperatures mild for this afternoon. Highs will reach into the 50s to lower 60s for highs. Tonight...models are indicating the potential for a high wind event later tonight into Sunday morning. Expect dry conditions to remain in place across the region through tonight. As far as cross sectional analysis, have looked at the layers critical for high winds. Looks like a mountain top inversion develops late tonight, with wave breaking and downslope potential becoming higher by morning. Went ahead and issues a high wind watch for the northern portions of Teller and El Paso Counties, generally along and west of I-25, and also for areas over the higher terrain including the Wet Mountain Valley, and along and west of the I-25 corridor for later tonight, lasting into Sunday morning. This will need to be monitored closely. Overnight lows will be tricky and depend on winds. Locations along the eastern lee slopes will likely remain in the 40s, while areas out east fall into the 20s. Mozley .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 317 AM MST Sat Feb 17 2018 An active pattern is expected during this period as significant mid level troughieness continues over the western CONUS. The first concern will be a continued high wind threat early in the period (Sunday morning) as a favorable mtn wave pattern sets up along mtn/plains interface. The second concern will be RED FLAG conditions developing over the plains Sunday afternoon as strong winds and temperatures nearing 80F combine with humidity values as low as 10%. The third concern will be a amplifying trough developing over the 4 corners region early next week that will likely bring snow to most areas, with the heaviest snow occuring over the mtns, especially over the southwest mtns. Late in the period another trough coming off the Pacific will likely bring more active weather to the region, although guidance products show some disagreement in its' evolution. As per the short term forecast discussion above, a favorable mtn wave setup will be established over the east slopes of the southern mtns Sunday morning, and a high wind watch is in effect for this region. The damaging wind potential will occur during the morning hours with the winds decreasing by late morning. Winds of 60 to 70 mph will be possible on the east slopes early in the morning, with winds gusting to 85 mph higher up. As the morning progresses, the winds over the plains will increase and temperatures will rise well into the 70s. This will allow for critical fire weather conditions to develop over the plains by late morning and last into early to mid afternoon. Guidance shows winds decreasing after mid afternoon as the pressure gradient lessens over the plains. A fire weather watch has been issued for all of the plains starting late Sunday morning and lasting into the afternoon. By Sunday night, the deepening trough over the west will continue to move east and moisture and wind will increase over the western slope. This trough is not moving too fast so an extended period of snow...heavy at times...will occur over the contdvd region, with the southwest mtns being favored from Sunday night through Tuesday. For now have issued winter weather hilites for the sw mtns, but these hilites will have to be extended for most of the other higher terrain in later forecasts. For Monday, weather on the plains will be a bit cooler but still unseasonably warm, especially early in the day. Near critical fire weather conditions will once again be possible at lower elevations. The cold front will move across the plains monday evening. As for the plains, overall pattern does not favor a heavy precip event, although there will be a chance of some snow over the lower elevations, with the best chance Monday night into Tuesday morning. Much colder temps will move in Monday night into Tuesday across the lower elevations. Late in the week, another trough will affect the region. All guidance shows this feature, but the amplitude of the trough varies amongst the guidance. \/Hodanish && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1043 AM MST Sat Feb 17 2018 VFR conditions expected over the next 24 hours with dry conditions. However winds will increase across the region again tonight with winds spreading into the adjacent plains again during the overnight hours. This will lead to the potential for Low level wind shear at COS overnight from roughly 06z through 16z. Winds will increase from the southwest at all three taf sites tomorrow afternoon with gusts in the 25-35 kt range. -KT && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Fire Weather Watch from Sunday morning through Sunday afternoon for COZ222-226>237. High Wind Watch from this evening through Sunday morning for COZ072>075-078>082-084-085-087-088. Winter Storm Watch from Sunday evening through Monday evening for COZ068. && UPDATE...HODANISH SHORT TERM...MOZLEY LONG TERM...HODANISH AVIATION...KT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 710 AM MST Sat Feb 17 2018 COZ058>089-093>099-181415- 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- 710 AM MST Sat Feb 17 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Strong downslope winds will be possible tonight into early Sunday morning. Locations over the high elevations, down into the lee slopes of the eastern mountains late tonight into Sunday morning. Winds over the high elevations will gust in excess of 75 mph, while winds generally along and west of Interstate 25 corridor the Interstate 25 corridor see gusts in excess of 60 mph. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Damaging downslope winds will be possible early Sunday morning along the east slopes of the southern mountains. Critical fire weather conditions are expected to occur from late Sunday morning into Sunday afternoon across all of the southeast plains and Fremont county. Near critical fire weather conditions will occur once again across the same regions Monday afternoon. Heavy snow will affect the mountains from Sunday night into Tuesday. The heaviest snow will occur across the Continental Divide, especially across the southwest mountains. Some accumulating snow will be possible across the plains Monday night into Tuesday morning. Another Pacific storm will affect the region late in the week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be necessary this morning over western El Paso County, and again tonight over the higher elevations and lee slopes west of Interstate 25. 34/34
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree limbs down in Colorado Springs.
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: 732581, 732430, 732582, 732432, 732578, 732579, 732580, 732583, 732434.