Another passing storm system produced moderate to heavy snow at times over portions of southern Colorado. Trinidad received six inches of snow with this event, while locations near Black Forest measured seven inches.
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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.
Another passing storm system produced moderate to heavy snow at times over portions of southern Colorado.
Trinidad received six inches of snow with this event, while locations near Black Forest measured seven inches. Eight inches of snow graced locations near the Spanish Peaks, while 9 inches of snow was recorded near Monument.
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 Dec 26, 10:50 AM MST, 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1050 AM MST Thu Dec 26 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 522 AM MST Thu Dec 26 2019 Currently... Deep broad trough was located over the western CONUS. Main closed low associated with this trough was offshore the central CA coast. A weak wave ahead of this system was moving over the 4 corners at this time. Radar and obs were indicating areas of snow were occurring over the Western Slope and possibly along the Sangres. Locally, temps over the region at 3 am were generally in the 20s over most of the plains except L30s just east of the southern mtns. and across far se CO. Temps across the higher terrain were generally in the single digits and tens. Today... Main jet with this trough was south of the fcst area and will gradually push south. Lead short wave will move across the area this morning, and this will cause snow over the San Juans and N Sangres early this morning, with the snow ending by early afternoon. Region will come under the influence of colder air aloft as the day progresses, and this will cool max temps down into the 40s to lower 50s across the plains this afternoon, with 20s and 30s in the higher valleys and mtns. Surface flow over the plains will gradually shift into an upslope component as the afternoon progresses. Clouds should mainly be over the mtns, although periods of mainly thin high clouds will move over the plains throughout the day. Tonight... Precip chances will ramp up across the SW mtns late tonight and possibly the plains towards morning. Winter storm warnings will go into effect at 06Z for the SW mtns. Some additional snow will also be possible across the N Sangres towards sunrise. The plains may also see some light freezing drizzle and light snow. At this time the best chance of this precip will generally be south and east of a line from north of La Junta to Trinidad. Low clouds and areas of fog are near certain over the plains as moist upslope increases after midnight tonight. By 12Z Friday, the closed 500 mb circulation associated with the trough should be located over the CA/AZ border. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 522 AM MST Thu Dec 26 2019 Primary meteorological focus is the amount of impact that vigorous system will provide the CWA from Friday into Saturday. Recent GOES satellite imagery, PVA analysis, high resolution computer simulations, forecast model soundings and real-time data/etc. suggest that closed upper low centered over southwestern Arizona at sunrise Friday will rotate across southern Colorado from Friday night into Saturday, allowing for increasingly unsettled conditions during this time-frame. In addition, healthy northerly component surface surge will be moving across eastern locations from later Friday night into Saturday morning. For sensible weather, initial impact with this system will be noted over the eastern San Juan Mountains beginning later tonight and continuing into Friday night with snow, heavy at times in combination with gusty winds. Therefore have extended/expanded and upgraded previous Winter Weather Advisory to a Winter Storm Warning during this time-frame. Next meteorological concern is the amount of impact that this system will provide other portions of the CWA from later Friday morning into Saturday evening. For now, in addition to generally below seasonal temperatures, have increased pops from Friday into Saturday with a noticeable increase in surface winds expected over eastern locations by Saturday. At this time, have refrained from issuing additional Winter Weather Highlights during this time-frame, however if latest trends continue, highlights may become warranted, initially focused over (but not limited to locations) such as northern El Paso county, where a combination of snow and increasing winds will be possible, especially from later Friday night into potentially Saturday evening. As always, monitor latest/updated forecasts from WFO Pueblo as the track, strength and timing of this incoming system becomes more clearly defined. Then, as this dynamic system moves east of Colorado, project that drier conditions in combination with a slowly improving temperature profile should be realized from Sunday into Tuesday night in advance of next system beginning to impact southern Colorado by next Wednesday(i.e. New Year's Day 2020). Finally, coolest temperatures during the longer term should be realized from this weekend into Monday, with warmer temperatures developing by Tuesday. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday afternoon) Issued at 1045 AM MST Thu Dec 26 2019 VFR conditions with generally light upslope winds expected at COS, PUB and ALS through Thursday evening. Will see increasing moisture spreading across the area under deep southerly flow aloft, leading to showers developing across the southern mts through the overnight hours. This, along with a shallow cool mass across northeast Colorado and western Kansas, will filter into southeast plains, with MVFR and IFR stratus expected to develop by early Friday morning, especially COS and PUB. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 11 PM this evening to 5 AM MST Saturday for COZ067-068. && AVIATION...MW
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 559 AM MST Thu Dec 26 2019 COZ058>089-093>099-271300- 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- 559 AM MST Thu Dec 26 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Snow showers will be possible early this morning over the San Juan mountains and the northern Sangre De Cristo mountains. One to two inches of additional snow will be possible. Periods of light snow will also be possible across the central mountains early this morning. Later tonight, snow will return to the southwest mountains, and several inches of new snow will be possible. Lighter amounts of snow will be possible across the central mountains and the Sangre De Cristo mountains. Over the plains, areas of freezing drizzle may occur late tonight, mainly east of a line from north of La Junta to Walsenburg. Areas of fog may also occur across all of the plains late tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday The next round of accumulating snow over southern Colorado is expected from Friday into Saturday with snow, heavy at times anticipated over the eastern San Juan Mountains into Friday night. Elsewhere across southern Colorado, latest trends suggest that increasing chances of snow, moderate to potentially heavy at times, will be possible from later Friday morning into Saturday evening. In addition, increasing winds are also anticipated, especially over eastern sections by Saturday. Then, the next storm system having the potential of producing accumulating snow, initially over Continental Divide locations will be possible by next Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible today across parts of southeast and south central Colorado.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
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, December 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: 870281, 870282, 870283, 870284, 870285.