The Spring Creek Wildfire was fully contained by the end of July. See previous month for a full narrative of this episode.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
The Spring Creek Wildfire was fully contained by the end of July. See previous month for a full narrative of this episode.
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 Jun 30, 10:15 PM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1115 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018 .UPDATE... Issued at 731 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018 Updated forecast to take down the severe thunderstorm watch for El Paso county as previous storms have worked over the atmosphere and stabilized things. Will still have to watch for potential thunderstorm redevelopment tonight across the southeast plains as a reinforcing surge behind the front moves through. Right now, not expecting the potential for severe thunderstorms to be all that great. -KT && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday) Issued at 349 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018 ...Upper Disturbance and Cold Front to Move through this Evening... An upper level disturbance will track southeast across the Palmer Divide and far southeast plains this evening. The disturbance will likely trigger a few evening showers and thunderstorms along this trajectory, with a limited amount of this activity making it's way farther south across the plains. After conferring with the Storm Prediction Center, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for El Paso County this evening. Several hi res model runs have shown severe potential, primarily along the Palmer Divide associated with a shortwave moving through. There will be a window of opportunity for some strong to severe convection right along and near the Palmer Divide late this afternoon and a lesser potential farther south across El Paso County. Then, the severe potential will shift southeastward to the far eastern plains along the Kansas border into the evening as the upper shortwave moves through. Primary severe threats this evening will be wind gusts to 60 mph and 1 inch diameter hail. Spotty showers and storms will be possible elsewhere across the east this evening with primary threats of wind gusts to around 50 mph. As always, lightning will be a major concern with all storms this evening. With the cold front will come a reinforcing surge of northeast winds across the plains gusting up to around 40 mph or so as it moves south. The front is poised to organize and make a good push south across the Palmer Divide by around 3 to 4 PM MDT. It should then make it south to the US50 corridor by around 6 to 7 PM. The front should make it all the way south to the New Mexico border by around midnight or so. For the Chateau Fire, this means northerly winds reaching the site along with shower/storm chances, primarily around or a little after 5 pm. For the Spring Fire, looks like northeast winds could spread across the site around 7-8 pm. .LONG TERM...(Sunday night through Saturday) Issued at 349 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018 Will keep forecast discussion brief due to ongoing active weather. Relatively minor revisions required from earlier meteorological reasoning with primary longer term meteorological issues being pops(including locally heavy rainfall at times), temperatures and localized fire weather conditions at times. Latest longer term forecast model soundings, computer simulations and PV/Precipitable water analysis indicate that increasing/more widespread deeper atmospheric moisture will begin moving into the forecast by mid-week and especially by late week with some of the stronger storms having the potential of producing heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding(especially over recent burn scars). In addition, elevated fire weather conditions will be possible during the afternoon and evening hours from Monday into Wednesday, with fire weather potential then decreasing from Thursday into Saturday as deeper moisture develops over the CWA. Warmest temperatures during the longer term should be realized from Monday into Wednesday with coolest temperatures anticipated Thursday and Friday. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night) Issued at 1109 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018 VFR to patchy MVFR stratus will fill in across the southeast plains tonight, particularly along the lower east slopes of the southeast mountains/Pikes Peak region as low level winds shift from the southeast then south. Cigs will break for both KCOS and KPUB by 16Z with southeast winds gusting up to 25 kts at both terminals during the afternoon. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will develop across the southeast mountains during the afternoon with the potential for a few to drift eastward into the I-25 corridor affecting the terminals. Will carry VCTS for KCOS for now, but its not out of the question that KPUB may need VCTS added to the terminal. Cold front has pushed through the valleys resulting in an easterly wind at KALS which has boosted moisture and brought smoke from the Spring Fire into the taf site. Think that main vis restriction is due to smoke and will keep vis/cigs in the MVFR category through the night. With low level moisture increasing across the San Luis valley, its not out of the question that IFR conditions in fog could develop at KALS overnight. Will keep conditions MVFR for now but further updates may become necessary. South to southwest winds will increase by Sunday afternoon which should help mix smoke out some, improving vis during the afternoon. -KT && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...KT AVIATION...KT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 753 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018 COZ058>089-093>099-020200- 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- 753 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Tonight Isolated thunderstorms will be possible across the southeast plains tonight. Lightning, wind gusts up to 40 mph, small hail and brief heavy rain will be the primary storm threats until midnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Thunderstorm chances will exist across the forecast area Sunday through Friday. Chances across the plains will remain isolated to widely scattered, while chances over the mountains will increase through the week. Lightning and heavy rain will be the main threats with these storms. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will possible this afternoon and evening along the Palmer Divide and also across the far southeast plains along the Kansas border. 31/31
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Pueblo CO 821 PM MDT SAT JUN 30 2018 COZ093-097-010300- Las Animas Vicinity/Bent County CO-La Junta Vicinity/Otero County CO- 821 PM MDT SAT JUN 30 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL OTERO AND WEST CENTRAL BENT COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM MDT... At 820 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near North La Junta, moving east at 15 mph. Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Las Animas. LAT...LON 3789 10351 3807 10351 3813 10321 3789 10316 TIME...MOT...LOC 0220Z 266DEG 13KT 3799 10341 KTS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
906 PM MDT SAT JUN 30 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0834 PM NON-TSTM WND GST LAMAR AIRPORT 38.07N 102.69W
06/30/2018 M59 MPH PROWERS CO ASOS
ASOS STATION LAA, LAMAR AIRPORT.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. 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, July 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: 766143.