A storm system produced winds, gusting to 80 mph at times over portions of southern Colorado. Wind gusts between 58 mph and 65 mph were recorded near Walsenburg, Springfield, Hoehne, Sargents, Cheraw, Peterson Air Force Base, Lamar and Fountain.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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.
A storm system produced winds, gusting to 80 mph at times over portions of southern Colorado. Wind gusts between 58 mph and 65 mph were recorded near Walsenburg, Springfield, Hoehne, Sargents, Cheraw, Peterson Air Force Base, Lamar and Fountain. Wind gusts between 66 mph and 70 mph were measured near Weston and the Air Force Academy. Finally, a wind gust that clocked 80 mph was realized near the Pikes Peak summit.
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 Nov 24, 6:59 AM MST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 659 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 .UPDATE... Issued at 656 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 Have fine tuned the NPW (High Wind Warning product) to include eastern Fremont and Baca counties...and changed beginning/ending times for some of the zones. UPDATE Issued at 631 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 The forecast was updated after numerous runs of high resolution model guidance resolved High Wind Warning criteria winds across the I-25 corridor, north of highway 50, and across the eastern plains, north of highway 50. The secondary trough and its associated cold front is stronger than originally forecast. The high wind warning was initiated at 1200 MST to incorporate the strong gap flows, but the anticipated strongest winds will occur during the late evening hours. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 355 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 Currently there is a Winter Storm Warning, a Winter Weather Advisory, and a High Wind Warning in effect for the mountainous regions of our forecasting region. First, let's talk about the snow. The Sawatch and Mosquito Mountains have started experiencing snow early this morning and will continue to see snowfall throughout the day. The snow is in response to an upper level low pressure system propagating over the northwestern portion of Colorado. The low is tracking so that there is favorable upslope flow over the central mountains. Associated with the low is Pacific based moisture, hence the higher snowfall totals. The northern portions of the Sawatch and Mosquito Ranges will see the highest snowfall totals, with values ranging 8 to 12 inches with locally higher amounts up to 20 inches. Moving further south the values decrease to around 6 to 10 inches, with locally higher amounts. The southern mountains will also see some snow, but the values will be below advisory criteria. The winds will be gusty in the regions that have winter highlights over them, so expect lower visibilities due to blowing snow. Now for the High Wind Warning that is in effect for the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The polar jet appears to be making a more southerly and more perpendicular approach to the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Continental Divide. There is model agreement indicating that the mid level winds will be gusting to around 70 kts at times. Note that the area under the strongest winds is the Spring Burn Scar, which has freshly burnt and weak trees. There is the hazard for trees to fall down under these incredibly strong gusts. Winds will be strong across the plains today as well. The prefrontal gap flow winds across the greater Walsenburg and Arkansas River Valley region will be the strongest, with magnitudes gusting up to around 40 kts. There will also be two fronts that pass over the region today, the first being around 1700 MST, in which the winds will shift to the north and will gust around 40 kts. A secondary, stronger front will pass over the region around 2100 MST, which will bring gusts closer to 50 kts as the colder air mass accelerates down the Palmer Divide. The strongest gusts will only exist for a few hours, but gusts will remain around 20 to 30 kts for the rest of the overnight period. The windy conditions will also bring downslope, warmer, air across the plains today. High temperatures will range the 60s across the plains, the 40s over the mountain valleys, and 20s and 30s over the mountains. The latest forecast package lowered temperatures over El Paso County, with anticipation of the frontal passage to cut off the full potential of daytime heating. Low temperatures will be cooler across the San Luis Valley tonight as the new air mass takes place, but the lows over the plains will remain similar to what they were tonight, since the winds will be mixing the atmosphere. -Skelly .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 355 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 It will be windy over the eastern plains at the very beginning (Sunday morning) of this long term discussion as storm system over central plains cranks up and moves east. Weather Monday and Tuesday should be dry and tranquil with seasonable temperatures. By midweek another short wave will move across the region bringing additional snow to the Contdvd region. By the end of the week another storm will move across, and this event may be stronger and bring some precip to the plains. Sunday... We will be on the backside of the surface cyclone which will be well ot our east. Strong gusty NNW winds will likely be ongoing Sunday morning across the eastern plains, especially over the far southeast plains. Except for some snow showers over the central mtns, it should be dry over the region Sunday. By later Sunday afternoon, winds will be winding down most area, and it will be cool, with max temps in the 30s and 40s. Monday... A cold start to the morning as temps as min temps will be in the teens most of the plains and single digits/10s in the mtns and valleys. With light winds anticipated, and temps warming into the 40s most of the plains and valleys, it will be a relatively nice day. Tuesday... A pleasant day with light winds and temps in the 50s most of the plains, and 40s in the valleys. Wednesday... Guidance products show another broad quick moving moist pacific weather system moving across the region, and this system should bring some additional snow to the Contdvd region on this day. At lower elevations it will be dry and mild, with max temps similar to Tuesdays high temps For later in the week, guidance products show the weather becoming more active, although there are timing/intensity differences between the guidance. EC wants to bring a stronger closed low over the region late in the week and into the weekend while the GFS is slower with this system and brings a stout short wave over the region during the weekend. Although timing/intensity differences exist, all the guidance shows a much more active pattern as the main polar jet is fcst to be over or south of Colorado next weekend. \/Hodanish && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Sunday morning) Issued at 355 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 VFR conditions are expected for the entire forecast period for KALS, KCOS, and KPUB, but winds will be the forecast issue today. KALS should see some gusty afternoon winds, whereas KCOS and KPUB have the potential to see gusty gap flow winds and frontal passage winds. Expect the initial frontal passage northerly wind shift to occur during the early evening hours and a secondary, stronger front around 2100. The gusty winds will improve by tomorrow morning. Strong turbulence is expected over the mountains today since the polar jet will set up orthogonally to the topography. Expect the strongest turbulence over the Continental Divide and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from noon today to 2 AM MST Sunday for COZ083>086-089-093. High Wind Warning from noon today to 5 AM MST Sunday for COZ095>098. High Wind Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Sunday for COZ099. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST Sunday for COZ059-061. Winter Storm Warning until 5 AM MST Sunday for COZ058-060. High Wind Warning until 6 PM MST this evening for COZ074-075. High Wind Warning from noon today to 6 PM MST this evening for COZ087. && UPDATE...Hodanish SHORT TERM...SKELLY LONG TERM...HODANISH AVIATION...SKELLY
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 524 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 COZ058>089-093>099-251230- 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- 524 AM MST Sat Nov 24 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Additional snow accumulation will range from 5 to 10 inches, with locally higher amounts, over the Continental Divide. Snow is also expected over the La Garita, eastern San Juan, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains, but only ranging from 2 to 4 inches. Windy conditions are expected over the mountains as well. The strongest winds will be found over the Sangre de Cristo mountains with gusts up to 85 mph possible. The Continental divide will also have strong winds, but only up to 50 mph. The plains will have two surges of gust winds today, the first around 1700 MST with northerly gusts up to 30 to 40 mph, but the secondary front will bring gusts up to 60 mph around 2200 MST. Over the mountains, expect lower visibilities due to blowing snow and overall hazardous travel conditions. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Gusty winds will remain over the far eastern plains on Sunday, but will dissipate by the end of the day. Drier conditions are expected through the rest of the week, with the next chance at precipitation possible Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters is likely tonight over the central Colorado mountains. SKELLY/SKELLY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
419 AM MST SAT NOV 24 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0330 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SSW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.98N 104.87W
11/23/2018 M59 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION AFA04, 1 SSW AIR FORCE
ACADEMY.
0330 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 S AIR FORCE ACADEMY 38.93N 104.85W
11/23/2018 M58 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION D3529, 5 S AIR FORCE
ACADEMY.
0218 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW AIR FORCE ACADEMY 39.01N 104.89W
11/23/2018 M63 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION AFA03, 1 WNW AIR FORCE
ACADEMY.
0945 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N PIKES PEAK 38.84N 105.04W
11/23/2018 M80 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION PIKES, PIKES PEAK SUMMIT.
0758 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 11 WSW FOUNTAIN 38.61N 104.89W
11/23/2018 M63 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION FCRC2, 10 WSW FOUNTAIN.
0758 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 11 WSW FOUNTAIN 38.61N 104.89W
11/23/2018 M63 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION FCRC2, 10 WSW FOUNTAIN.
0700 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 S PETERSON AFB 38.80N 104.70W
11/23/2018 M58 MPH EL PASO CO ASOS
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 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, November 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: 793054, 793059, 793075, 793078, 793079, 793080, 793082, 793084, 793087, 793091, 793092, 793093, 793094, 793090, 793096.