High winds in the wake of a strong cold front produced winds in excess of 58 MPH over parts of southern Colorado during the afternoon of March 26, 2020.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
High winds in the wake of a strong cold front produced winds in excess of 58 MPH over parts of southern Colorado during the afternoon of March 26, 2020.
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 26, 3:34 AM MST, 4 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 434 AM MDT Thu Mar 26 2020 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 434 AM MDT Thu Mar 26 2020 Another extreme fire danger for southern Colorado. A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11AM through 8PM MDT for the San Luis Valley, Fremont County, and all of the eastern plains. There is a tap of Pacific-based moisture developing over the far eastern plains this afternoon that will make relative humidity values higher than previously forecast over Baca, Prowers, and Kiowa Counties. RH values will still qualify for a Red Flag Warning, but conditions will be more marginal than originally anticipated. A very strong jet streak continue to flow over southern Colorado. The orientation is from the south-southwest which is a favorable orientation for downslope winds. Soundings reveal that there isn't reverse mountain top shear, so this isn't a proper downslope windstorm, but the jet is forcing the winds down the mountain. Using the HRRR and RAP, I increased winds over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Huerfano, and western Las Animas County. Wind gust values are above or near High Wind Warning criteria, therefore a High Wind Warning has been issued from 9AM through 6PM MDT for the aforementioned locations. Light and high profile vehicle will be at risk for tipping, so take caution if traveling over the souther I-25 corridor or other north-south oriented roads adjacent to the winds. The jet axis will be over the southeastern plains during the overnight so relatively strong winds will continue over the region with speeds around 15 mph. Those winds will aid in keeping temperatures warmer than average. Low temperatures will be in the 30s over El Paso County increasing to the mid-to-upper 40s over Baca County, the San Luis Valley will be in the 20s, the upper Arkansas River Valley will be in the 20s to 30s, and the mountains will be in the teens. Some light snow will begin to fall over the mountains during the overnight, but accumulations will be light. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 434 AM MDT Thu Mar 26 2020 .Friday...Shortwave moves into Colorado from the west. Southwest flow aloft ahead of this trough favors the Eastern San Juan Mountains, and accumulations in the grids are near advisory amounts. Did not contemplate issuing any highlight as milder late March conditions will mitigate some of the impacts. Further east, surface low will develop over southeast Colorado during the afternoon with gusty and dry southwest winds south of the surface low. The grids have conditions approaching red flag criteria during the afternoon over much of Las Animas County into Baca County. Given the marginal conditions decided not to issue a fire weather watch, but later shifts will have to monitor for possible fire weather concerns. Temperatures over the region will generally be mild. The cooler air on the plains looks to stay mostly along and north of the Palmer Divide. .Friday night into Saturday...Trough moves across Colorado overnight with the surface low moving eastward into Kansas. Precipitation will wrap westward around the departing low. The Palmer Divide and Teller County region will be the most favored areas for precipitation Friday night. There could be a few hour period Friday night with heavier snow and gusty northerly winds over the Palmer Divide. The warmer ground and relatively fast movement of the system will lessen the effect of the snow and potentially gusty winds. Current grids have a period of winds of around 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots, but latest guidance suggests winds could be stronger for a few hours. By later in the evening, precipitation will become lighter. Over the plains, some light precipitation will wrap around the cyclone. On Saturday, gusty northwest winds will develop on the plains as the surface low moves east, and increased winds on the plains from the NBM grids. .Sunday. Next system starts moving into Colorado with snow developing over the Continental Divide region. Otherwise a generally dry and mild day. .Monday...EC and GFS along with the ensembles continue to vary for with strength and speed of the trough on Monday. The latest run of the EC has a more progressive trough while the GFS is slower and deeper. The ensemble means follow the trends of the operational models. Still a fair amount of uncertainty but the models show better chances for precipitation than the runs a couple of days ago. NBM has increased PoPs for Monday over southern Colorado which is following the trend in the models. .Tuesday and Wednesday...There is a fair amount of spread in the solutions, and they suggest mostly dry and mild weather over the region. --PGW-- && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Friday morning) Issued at 434 AM MDT Thu Mar 26 2020 VFR conditons are expected over KALS, KCOS, and KPUB throughout the forecast period. Very strong winds are expected during the late morning through evening. Some blowing dust is possible, which would lower visibility, but confidence is low. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM MDT this evening for COZ222-224-226>237. High Wind Warning from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM MDT this evening for COZ072>075-079-080-087-088. && SHORT TERM...SKELLY LONG TERM...PGW AVIATION...SKELLY
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 606 AM MDT Thu Mar 26 2020 COZ058>089-093>099-271200- 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- 606 AM MDT Thu Mar 26 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Extreme fire danger is expected over the San Luis Valley and the eastern plains this afternoon in response to very strong winds and low relative humidity values. Accumulating snow is expected over the mountains Thursday morning and once again Friday morning. Accumulations are expected to be an inch or less during the short term forecast period. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Snow will develop Friday morning over the Continental Divide Region with the most snowfall over the Eastern San Juan Mountains. As the storm moves northeast, snow will develop Friday evening over the Palmer Divide and the Teller County Region. There is another chance for snow on Sunday over the mountains of Lake and Chaffee Counties and on Monday over the eastern mountains. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions the meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible over mountains and the eastern plains today and tonight. SKELLY/06
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured gust of 50 knots in Aguilar.
Measured gust of 52 knots in Aguilar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, March 2020
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: 937941, 937942.