Strong winds, gusting in excess of 75 mph at times were noted over portions of the southern Sangre De Cristo mountains. The highest reported wind gust with this event was 83 mph, measured near La Veta Pass during the early morning hours of the 26th.
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
Strong winds, gusting in excess of 75 mph at times were noted over portions of the southern Sangre De Cristo mountains. The highest reported wind gust with this event was 83 mph, measured near La Veta Pass during the early morning hours of the 26th.
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 Jan 25, 10:28 PM MST, 5 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1028 PM MST Thu Jan 25 2018 .UPDATE... Issued at 500 PM MST Thu Jan 25 2018 Updated for expiration of Red Flag Warning. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday) Issued at 256 PM MST Thu Jan 25 2018 ...Brief near critical fire weather conditions may return again Friday across portions of the Plains... Winds and relative humidity values have hit fire weather critical thresholds across the lower eastern slopes of the southeast mountains, Fremont county...southern El Paso county and the southern and eastern portions of the southeast plains. As expected, winds have stayed on the light side across Pueblo, Crowley, Otero, Bent and Kiowa counties where the surface pressure gradient is weaker within the sfc lee trof axis. Gusts in the mountains have been in the 40 to 45 mph range, while gusts across the southern and eastern portions of the plains have been more in the 30 to 40 mph range. These conditions will continue until 5 PM before winds decrease. Tonight, approaching upper trof will start to ramp up snow across the Continental Divide region with the heaviest accumulations impacting the central mountains during the 06z to 15z timeframe. Getting 2 to 5 inches of snow across the higher peaks of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges, with amounts up to an inch possible across the higher peaks of the La Garita and Eastern San Juan mountains. Winds will also increase tonight across the high country with gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range. There could be some near high wind gust criteria (75 mph) met across the higher peaks of the southern Sangre De Cristo mountains with some gusts to near 58 mph across the southern I-25 corridor just west of Walsenburg. This looks more driven by brute force mixing as the upper trof axis moves through...but window for the strongest winds appears to be in the 06z to 15z time frame. Given the very limited area for this threat across the higher peaks, and the likelihood that it will stay just below high wind criteria, do not anticipate the need for any high wind highlights at this time. Gusty winds and dry dew points behind the surface front may produce another critical to near critical fire weather day across portions of the southeast plains, particularly Pueblo, southern El Paso, Crowley, Otero, Las Animas and Bent counties. Have undercut the dew points behind the front, leaning on high res models and soundings. Even with this, am only ending up with 2 hours of critical fire weather conditions, which is 1 hour shy of the required 3 hour duration. Will let later shifts get a look at some of the new model runs before hoisting any fire highlights, but main message for tomorrow is to refrain from starting any wildfires across the southeast plains. Although humidity values may not hit the required 15% threshold for long, fires will still be capable of spreading rapidly. -KT .LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday) Issued at 256 PM MST Thu Jan 25 2018 Friday night-Sunday...Moderate to strong northwest flow aloft across the region continues through Saturday night before weakening through the day Sunday, as an embedded short wave translates across the Northern Tier Friday night and into the Upper Midwest through Sunday. This will lead to a mainly dry forecast through the period, though can't rule out a few flurries across the higher terrain of the Central Mountains Friday night and again Saturday afternoon and evening. Cold air in place across the region Friday night will lead to cool morning lows Saturday, mainly in the teens across the plains and in the single digits above and below zero across the higher terrain. At and below seasonal temperatures on Saturday, with highs mainly in the 40s across the plains and 20s and 30s across the higher terrain, will warm back to above seasonal levels into Sunday, with highs in the mainly in 50s across the plains and in the 30s and 40s across the higher terrain. Monday-Tuesday...Flow aloft becomes more westerly through the day Monday and increases through the day Tuesday, ahead of a stronger system moving onshore across the Pac Northwest Coast. Pattern keeps area dry and warm weather in place, with above to well above seasonal temperatures expected by Tuesday with highs in the 60s to lower 70s across the plains. Breezy to windy conditions will be possible over and near the higher terrain on Tuesday, leading to the potential for critical fire weather conditions. Wednesday-Thursday...Models continue to differ on strength of the Pac Northwest system as it translates across the Rockies Wednesday and Wednesday night. The EC continues to be the strongest with the trough and associated cold front, brining better chances of precipitation to areas over and near the higher terrain, including areas along and west of the I-25 corridor. The GFS and its ensemble data bring a much more broad trough across the area with less expected precipitation. At any rate, could see critical fire weather conditions across portions of the area on Wednesday, depending on how fast the cold front moves across the plains, with cooler temperatures expected areawide on through the end of the work week. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday night) Issued at 1023 PM MST Thu Jan 25 2018 VFR at all TAF sites the next 24 hrs with occasional cirrus overcast as weather system passes by to the north. Winds will turn more W-NW during the day Thu, and some gusts in the 20-30kt range will be possible after 15z at all terminals. Winds will then diminish Fri evening. Over the mountains, areas along the Continental Divide will become IFR to LIFR overnight through Friday morning as snow develops, with conditions improving after 18z-20z as snowfall gradually ends. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...PETERSEN SHORT TERM...KT LONG TERM...MW AVIATION...PETERSEN
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 506 PM MST Thu Jan 25 2018 COZ058>089-093>099-270015- 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- 506 PM MST Thu Jan 25 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Tonight Snow will occur tonight across the central mountains and four to six inches of snowfall is likely by early Friday morning. The heaviest accumulations will occur on north and west facing slopes, generally north of Cottonwood Pass. Very strong winds of 50 to 70 mph will occur across the mountain peaks tonight. The strongest winds will occur across the southern Sangre De Cristo mountains. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday A fast moving weather system will move across the region through Friday, bringing snow to much of the higher terrain. The Continental Divide, and especially the central mountains, will have the greatest chance to see accumulating snow. 4 to 6 inches of wind-driven snow is expected across the central mountains through Friday evening, while the remaining mountain areas may see up to 2 inches of new snow. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be needed tonight across the central mountains. 10/23
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 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 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: 730645, 730646.