A high based heavy rain shower passed through the central parts of Prowers County on the evening of Saturday, April 20th. Sub-cloud layer dry air was in place allowing for enhanced downdraft activity.
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A high based heavy rain shower passed through the central parts of Prowers County on the evening of Saturday, April 20th. Sub-cloud layer dry air was in place allowing for enhanced downdraft activity. The shower, as it passed over KLAA producing an 82 MPH wind gust. Subsequently a severe thunderstorm was issued as winds blew to 70 MPH at the Prowers County EOC.
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 Apr 20, 5:19 PM MST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 619 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 .UPDATE... Issued at 619 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 Updated the forecast and issued an SPS for high based showers across the San Luis Valley, with web cams in ALS supporting the "virga bombs" along with the 59 mph gust and blowing dust at the Alamosa Airport. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday) Issued at 250 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 Currently...a quick moving upper level disturbance is moving out of Utah and into Colorado late this afternoon. Clouds have increased with this upper level disturbance based on satellite imagery. Radar indicates a few light echoes showing up over the mountain areas so far. Temperatures are quite warm with mid 70s to mid 80s across the lower elevations. Winds have been increasing this afternoon as westerlies push out into the I-25 corridor. Gusts to near 30 mph will remain possible into this evening. Through Tonight...the upper level disturbance will quickly move northeast across Colorado and into Nebraska tonight. Expect isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop over the mountains through this evening. A few may become strong with outflow winds to near 45 mph and lightning being the primary threats. Snow levels will remain high, generally above 10 kft where a couple of inches of snow may be possible by morning. Otherwise, expect dry conditions by midnight to prevail across the region into Sunday morning. Overnight lows will be mild with 40s to lower 50s expected. Sunday...a secondary upper level disturbance is forecast to eject northeastward out of the Desert Southwest by the afternoon hours. Models in good agreement with generally dry conditions early before showers and thunderstorms develop in the afternoon. Expect initial shower and thunderstorm development by mid to late morning over the mountains, spreading northeast into the Palmer Divide by mid afternoon. The primary focus over the Palmer Divide will be a surface boundary which is forecast to stall during the afternoon hours, before making a push south into our northern plains zones during the late afternoon and evening. The potential exists for one or two of these storms to become strong along the frontal boundary. Hail, up to one inch in diameter, along with outflow winds approaching 60 mph, lightning and locally heavy rainfall may be possible with stronger storms. Straight line hodographs will likely favor left splits with stronger storms as they move across the plains. Temperatures will remain warm with 70s across the region. Snow will remain possible over the mountains, but generally above 10 kft. A few inches may be possible, especially given the convective nature of the storms. Right now, it looks like there will not be enough to warrant winter weather highlights at this time. But caution is still advised for travelers over high mountain passes. Mozley .LONG TERM...(Sunday night through Saturday) Issued at 250 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 Cold front drops through the plains Sunday night, with shallow upslope flow and low clouds filling in behind the boundary along and east of the mountains into Mon morning. Best forcing for precip overnight is from the Palmer Divide into nern CO, though with instability decreasing rapidly across the region, any showers/isolated thunderstorms Sun evening will fade to just some sprinkles or drizzle over/near the ern mountains by early Mon. Upper low then slowly moves eastward across AZ into wrn NM Mon/Tue, while cool/stable air mass persists across the ern plains. Upslope flow deepens slightly during the day Mon, which should keep clouds in place over the plains and will provide some added upward motion to convection over the mountains in the afternoon and evening. Should be just enough instability over the higher terrain for at least isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon, as model CAPES rise into the 200-400 J/KG range. Snow levels look rather high through the day, generally above 10000 feet. Precip chances will fall off quickly away from the mountains, with best chance for rainfall at lower elevations into Mon night along the NM border where upward motion is slightly stronger closer to the upper low. Similar conditions in place across the area again on Tue, with convection over the mountains in the afternoon drifting across lower elevations and weakening late in the day. Better moisture and lift again will be found along the NM border back into the ern San Juans, as upper low slowly sinks sewd along the AZ/NM border. Given clouds and precip, max temps Mon/Tue will run cooler than average across much of the region. Overnight lows in the mountains and high valleys will still fall below freezing through the period, with some patchy frost possible along the I-25 corridor Wed morning if clouds can clear. A gradual return to warmer/drier weather then develops from Wed into next weekend as upper level low finally begins to push eastward across TX. Still enough residual moisture in place for mainly isolated afternoon convection over the mountains Wed/Thu before precip chances decrease toward the end of the week in response to strengthening wly flow. As heights build, max temps will begin to respond, with readings rising back to well above average levels by Fri/Sat. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Sunday evening) Issued at 250 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 VFR conditions through much of the next 24 hours at all three terminals. A few showers may be possible through this evening across the mountain areas but do not look to hit any of the terminals at this time. Southwesterly winds gusting 25 to 30 kts will be possible into this evening, especially at KALS and KCOS. Expect more widespread shower and thunderstorm activity across the region on Sunday afternoon. KCOS and KALS will likely see the highest probability of seeing a thunderstorm. Mozley && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...MW SHORT TERM...MOZLEY LONG TERM...PETERSEN AVIATION...MOZLEY
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1203 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 COZ058>089-093>099-211815- 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- 1203 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Isolated showers and thunderstorms will be possible across the mountains today. A few of these may drift off into the adjacent plains through this evening though these will quickly diminish in strength as they move off the mountains. The main threat with thunderstorms across the mountains today will be lightning and locally gusty winds up to 45 mph. Across the plains, high based showers will produce local wind gusts up to 45 mph but little to no rainfall. Snow levels will remain above 11000 feet today with local accumulations of up to an inch possible across the higher peaks along the Continental Divide. Dry humidity values along with breezy to windy conditions this afternoon will result in an elevated fire danger today. Fine vegetation entering greenup should limit the potential for extreme fire behavior. However pockets of dry fuels may still carry fire and caution is still advised to avoid fire starts this afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Snow, heavy at times, is expected over the mountains above 10,000 feet Sunday through Wednesday, generally during the afternoon hours. Isolated thunderstorms, some severe, are possible over the eastern plains on Sunday evening. The main risk will be winds up to 60 mph under the strongest storms. There is a smaller chance for severe criteria hail, but the chance exists, otherwise lightning and brief moderate to heavy rains are expected. Daily thunderstorms are possible Wednesday through Friday mainly over the mountains. An isolated storm may make it over the eastern plains or over the San Luis Valley during the afternoon hours. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible over the mountains along the Continental Divide this afternoon and tonight. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible over the mountains along the Continental Divide this afternoon and tonight. 88/88
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Pueblo Co 605 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 COZ069>071-210215- Del Norte Vicinity/Northern San Luis Valley Below 8500 Feet- Alamosa Vicinity/Central San Luis Valley Below 8500 Feet- Southern San Luis Valley- INCLUDING Center, Del Norte, Alamosa, Monte Vista, Manassa, La Jara, Antonito, Sanford, San Luis, Fort Garland, and Blanca 605 PM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 High based showers moving across the San Luis Valley late this afternoon will produce gusty winds of 30 to 60 mph but little to no rainfall. These strong gusty winds could also produce a period of reduced visibility in blowing dust. Showers will diminish and end with loss of solar heating associated with the setting sun.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
612 PM MDT SAT APR 20 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0607 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 S ALAMOSA 37.43N 105.87W
04/20/2019 M59 MPH ALAMOSA CO ASOS
ASOS STATION KALS ALAMOSA AIRPORT. WIND
GUSTS LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH VIRGA.
&&Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
656 PM MDT SAT APR 20 2019
COZ061>063-072-073-076-077-210130-
Western/Central Fremont County Below 8500 Ft CO-
Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft CO-
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 And 11000 Ft CO-
Western Chaffee County Between 9000 and 11000 Ft CO-
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains above 11000 Ft CO-
Northwestern Fremont County Above 8500Ft CO-
Western Mosquito Range/East Chaffee County above 9000Ft CO-
656 PM MDT SAT APR 20 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN CHAFFEE...
NORTHWESTERN FREMONT AND NORTHEASTERN SAGUACHE COUNTIES UNTIL 730 PM
MDT...
At 655 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a high based storm over
Salida, or 18 miles northwest of Hayden Pass Burn Scar, moving
northeast at 15 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Salida, Poncha Springs, Swissvale and Howard.
LAT...LON 3869 10583 3854 10567 3835 10597 3852 10616
3870 10595 3869 10594
TIME...MOT...LOC 0055Z 229DEG 12KT 3852 10598
mwThe Pueblo radar (KPUX), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:47 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Lamar Airport, KLAA, gusted to 81 MPH as a strong rain shower passed overhead. No lightning was detected with the shower.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2019
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: 820155.