A passing storm system deposited accumulating snow over Mineral county from the 21st into the 22nd.
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A passing storm system deposited accumulating snow over Mineral county from the 21st into the 22nd.
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 Mar 21, 3:04 AM MST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 404 AM MDT Thu Mar 21 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 341 AM MDT Thu Mar 21 2019 ...Snow Moving Into the San Juans Today... Currently... Clouds were increasing from the west early this morning across the forecast area. These clouds are in advance of another weather system that will affect the region over the next 2-3 days. This trough was currently moving onshore of the California coast. The leading edge of precip associated with this system was moving into far western Colorado. Temps across the region at 3 am were rather uniform across the region as readings were in the upper 20s to mid 30s across the plains and valleys. Even the tops of the mtns were in the teens. Today... Showers and a few mtn thunderstorms will move into the San Juans after sunrise and will increase as the day progresses. Latest guidance indicates we will likely get a bit more snow over the San Juan region, and have bumped up the advisor for the San Juans to a Winter Storm Warning. Have also issued advisories for the lower San Juans and La Garita range. By midday, precip will likely reach the Central mtns and the higher elevations of the Sangre De Cristo Range, with valley rain showers. The Plains are expected to remain dry today. Temps will be mild all areas. Over the plains expect 50s for areas above 6000 feet and 60s all other areas. Temps may near 70F over the far eastern plains vicinity Lamar region. Over the valleys 40s and 50s are likely. Mtns will be in the 20s and 30s. Winds will pick up from the south all areas today but should not be all that strong...10 to 20 mph over the plains and 20 to 30 mph over the mtns. Thunder is likely over the San Juans, and these squalls could cause some brief intense snowfall rates during the afternoon. Tonight... Snow will continue over the San Juans, with the heaviest snow this evening. Rain and snow will be likely for the San Luis Valleys, with the heaviest accumulations in the valley occurring near the mtns. Snow will be likely for the Sangres and Central mtns. Precip will start to move out onto the plains during the evening, with pops slowly increasing over the remainder of the plains through the night. Precip over the plains will be light and showery in nature. Min temps tonight will be mild over the plains with lows in the 30s and 40s. San Luis Valley will be around 30F, with 20s and teens in the mtns. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 341 AM MDT Thu Mar 21 2019 Not much change to the forecast thinking through the extended period with low ensemble spreads and only slight differences in the operational solutions. Confidence remains elevated in the forecast evolution. Friday and Saturday...models in good agreement with an upper level disturbance lifting northward out of New Mexico and developing into an upper low in eastern Colorado. Expect snow to be ongoing Friday morning over the San Juan range with more isolated activity over the remainder of the Continental Divide. Generally around 2 to 4 inches of snow are expected, with locally higher amounts possible. Moisture will be advecting northward across eastern Colorado with a dryline developing by mid afternoon. Modest shear and weak instability, around 400 J/kg of CAPE, will likely lead to a few thunderstorms out near the Kansas border for the late afternoon and evening, before shifting east into western Kansas Friday night. The main forecast change with this system will be wrap around moisture over the Palmer Divide Friday night into Saturday as the upper low lifts slowly northeast. Models now generate decent precipitation over the Palmer Divide behind a cold front with a tight gradient in precipitation coverage from north to south. Expect showers to end by Saturday afternoon for much of the area. Snow levels will likely fall to around 6 kft as the upper system moves away from the area, with maybe an inch or two possible north of Colorado Springs. Sunday and Monday...broad northwesterly flow is forecast to develop across Colorado with embedded energy dropping across Colorado Sunday night into Monday. Ahead of this disturbance, dry conditions are expected to prevail. As the disturbance moves across the state, expect a band of precipitation to develop and shift southeast across the Palmer Divide and into the Plains. Snow levels look to remain high with mountain areas seeing snow, while the Plains should see rain. Tuesday and Wednesday...high pressure will build across the region with dry and warmer conditions expected to prevail. Temperatures should warm into the upper 60s to lower 70s for Tuesday, with upper 70s on Wednesday. Increasing moisture may bring light snow to the Continental Divide late Wednesday as energy moves into the area from the southwest. The GFS is deeper with energy than the ECMWF, so there is some uncertainty at this time. Mozley && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Friday morning) Issued at 341 AM MDT Thu Mar 21 2019 KALS... VFR likely today into this evening. CIGS will lower later this evening with rain and snow likely, especially after midnight. Will likely see IFR conditions during the early morning hours Friday. KCOS and KPUB... VFR next 24 hours. Winds will be light and predominantly from teh south-southeast. Some light showers will be possible later tonight. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from noon today to 6 AM MDT Friday for COZ066. Winter Storm Warning until 9 AM MDT Friday for COZ068. Winter Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 6 AM MDT Friday for COZ067. && SHORT TERM...HODANISH LONG TERM...MOZLEY AVIATION...HODANISH
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 444 AM MDT Thu Mar 21 2019 COZ058>089-093>099-221045- 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- 444 AM MDT Thu Mar 21 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Snow will move into the San Juans later this morning with the snow becoming heavy later today into this evening. A few thunder snow squalls will be likely, especially this afternoon. Over a foot of snow is anticipated over most of the San Juans above 10000 feet. Lesser amounts of snow are expected over the lower elevations of the san Juans. Snow will fall across the Central Mountains and Sangre de Cristo mountains this afternoon and tonight. Four to eight inches will be possible with locally heavier amounts. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Periods of light to moderate snow will continue over the Continental Divide Friday into Saturday. Snow accumulations will generally be minor, in the 2 to 4 inches possible. A dryline will develop across the far Eastern Plains on Friday afternoon and evening, with modest shear and weak instability. This will allow for a few thunderstorms out near the Kansas border Friday afternoon and evening. Main threats will be lightning, small hail and wind gusts up to 40 mph. Wrap around snow will be possible over the Palmer Divide Friday night into Saturday morning with an inch or two possible. Snow will remain possible along the Continental Divide Sunday night into Monday, and again late Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible today and tonight across the mountains. 34/88
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 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, March 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: 813413.