December 8th began a very active period of heavy mountain snowfall across most of western Colorado, from the Continental Divide westward. Several feet of snow fell across the southwest mountains causing heavy travel impacts on US Highway 160, closing Wolf Creek Pass for a time due to blowing snow and near white out conditions.
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.
December 8th began a very active period of heavy mountain snowfall across most of western Colorado, from the Continental Divide westward. Several feet of snow fell across the southwest mountains causing heavy travel impacts on US Highway 160, closing Wolf Creek Pass for a time due to blowing snow and near white out conditions. Heavy snow was also reported along the western side of the Continental Divide, the Sawatch Mountain range.
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 8, 10:39 AM MST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1039 AM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 .UPDATE... Issued at 1036 AM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 Based on latest HRRR guidance products, I have updated the high wind highlight over the southern Sangres to a WARNING. Would not be too surprised if we see wind gusts to 80 to 100 mph on the east slopes tonight. Based on the guidance, the strongest winds will occur between 9 PM tonight and 3 AM tomorrow morning. \/Hodanish && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 405 AM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 ...Breezy to Windy Conditions Today with Snow developing along the ContDVD... Key messages: -Breezy to windy conditions over and near the higher terrain, especially the southern Sangre de Cristo mts tonight. -Light to moderate snow develops across ContDvd this afternoon and evening, before diminishing late tonight into early Thursday morning. Current water vapor imagery and upper air analysis is indicating weak to moderate west to southwest flow aloft across the region, with a weak disturbance across the Southern Great Basin streaming moisture across the Desert Southwest into the southern Rockies at this time. Water vapor imagery is also indicating eastern Pacific energy withing the stronger northern stream moving onshore across the Pacific Northwest Coast at this time. At the sfc, lee troughing across the I-25 Corridor has developed and kept breezy westerly winds and temperatures up across the lower eastern slopes, with the Air Force Academy, Canon City and Walsenburg all in the 40s at 3 AM, with temperatures in the teens, 20s and 30s across the rest of south central and southeast Colorado early this morning. Latest models are in agreement of increasing west to southwest flow aloft across the region today, which becomes more westerly into tonight, as the Desert SW disturbance phases with the stronger westerly flow aloft associated with the Pacific Northwest system moving across the Intermountain West. The increasing flow aloft will lead to breezy westerly winds of 20 to 40 mph persisting for areas over and near the higher terrain today, with the potential for gusty downslope winds of 40 to 70 mph developing across the southern Sangre de Cristo mts tonight, as the southern stream jet translates across the Southern Rockies. With that said, have issued a high wind watch for the southern Sangre range from 00Z to 12Z Thursday, with the peak winds likely in the 03Z to 09Z timeframe. As for moisture, should see light snow developing across the higher terrain along the ContDvd this afternoon, with light to at times moderate snow continuing through the evening before moisture shallows out late tonight into early Thursday morning, before moisture increases again across western Colorado later Thursday morning. Models differ on the timing of the onset of the heavier snowfall across the Continental Divide, though most do indicate the most impactful snow will be after 06Z Thursday, and with coordination with surrounding offices, we have kept current winter storm watch in place across the central and southwest mtns, which will let later shifts get a better handle of the timing of most significant snowfall. At any rate, will likely see accumulations of 1 to 4 inches with locally higher amounts across the southwest and central mts from this afternoon through the late evening hours. .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Tuesday) Issued at 405 AM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 Key Messages: - Moderate to heavy snow late Thursday into early Friday along the central and western mountains. - Light to moderate snow Through Friday along the eastern mountains. - Low, but nonzero chances of light snow in the San Luis Valley and along and east of the I-25 corridor. Thursday... The beginning of the long term period will bring rapidly changing conditions, at least synoptically speaking, across southern Colorado. Through about mid day Thursday, zonal flow is expected to be in place over the region. This zonal flow will allow for persistent westerly winds aloft to focus into the central and western mountains throughout the day, reinforcing orographic lift along those terrain features. This will allow for scattered snow showers to maintain a presence through most of the day. Late in the day, a short wave ahead of the main storm system will be ejected to the NE and eventually absorbed into the larger troughing system. As the short wave pushes to the NE, synoptic level dynamics and winds aloft will increase, with the winds becoming southwesterly across southern Colorado. Mid level moisture will also increase across the area as well. Given the rise in synoptic level support, strong SW winds through the column, and an uptick in mid level moisture, snow will increase in coverage and intensity along the central mountains and particularly the southwestern mountains, where the greatest orographic forcing will take place. This short wave will be moving to the NE rather quickly ahead of the digging trough, so snow totals will be more limited, but totals throughout Thursday will likely be within 5-10 in across the Continental Divide mountains, with the southwestern mountains seeing the higher end of that range; locally higher amounts will be possible. Friday... The aforementioned shortwave from Thursday will be absorbed into a digging trough early Friday, and the main synoptic player will become the digging trough. In recent model guidance, including ensembles, the trough has trended more northward, which means ultimately less precipitation across southern Colorado. This trough will also pass quickly over the forecast area, which will also end up limiting precipitation totals. With that said, strong synoptic support and westerly winds aloft will still aid in orographic forcing over the mountains, and snow is expected along the central and western mountains early, and shifting more to the eastern mountains later in the day as the system races eastward. Snow totals will vary between the mountain ranges, but the western and central mountains will still see the heaviest snow, with the eastern mountains seeing more light snow. The San Luis Valley (SLV) has a low chance for light snow, as snow from the mountains spills into the SLV and pushes eastward with the storm system. In previous forecast, there was a possibility of rain/snow along the I-25 corridor mid to late Friday, but with the recent northward trends of the trough, those possibilities have diminished substantially. Low to mid level winds behind a cold front Friday will have little, if any, easterly component to them now, which drastically drops the chances of precipitation east of the mountains. With that said, the strong dynamics passing over southern Colorado may still allow for isolated to widely scattered pockets of snow showers to develop along and east of the I-25 corridor late in the day as the system pushes eastward. Otherwise, expect dry conditions and partly to mostly cloudy skies over the eastern plains throughout the day. Saturday - Tuesday... The extended part of the long term period will bring a quieter weather pattern to southern Colorado. The GEFS and EPS are in agreement with a ridge of high pressure building over the central US and maintaining a presence through at least early next week. This type of riding will likely bring dry conditions and above average temperatures for this time of year to the Pueblo forecast area. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 1019 AM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 VFR conditions are near certain during the next 24 hours at all 3 taf sites, KPUB, KALS and KCOS. The main concern will be the winds today at each site. I have very low confidence in the wind forecast at KCOS through this period. A strong westerly jet stream is over the state and Pikes Peak is blocking this flow. This may cause very variable wind conditions at KCOS through this period. I went with the HRRR guidance with this forecast which differs greatly from the TAF/LAMP guidance products. I would not be surprised if the winds become gusty at times and then weaken just a quickly at KCOS. Confidence in the wind forecast at KPUB and KCOS is higher. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Watch from this evening through Friday afternoon for COZ058-060-066-068. High Wind Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Thursday for COZ074-075. && UPDATE...HODANISH SHORT TERM...MW LONG TERM...SIMCOE AVIATION...HODANISH
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 551 AM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 COZ058>089-093>099-091300- 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- 551 AM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Breezy westerly winds of 20 to 40 mph can be expected today for areas over and near the higher terrain. Winds will increase across the southern mountains tonight, especially across the southern Sangre de Cristo range, where winds could gust up to 75 mph tonight, before diminishing into Thursday morning. Light snow will develop along the Continental Divide this afternoon, with light to moderate snow continuing this evening before diminishing later tonight. Snow accumulations of 1 to 4 inches will be possible across the higher terrain of the central and southwest mountains by early Tuesday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Accumulating snow of 5-10 inches is expected Thursday afternoon and evening along the southwestern and central mountains, with the southwestern mountains seeing the higher end of that range. Impacts are expected to be slick and snow covered roads at higher elevations in the mountains. More moderate to heavy accumulating snow will likely still be ongoing over the central ans southwestern mountains. Impacts from this will still be snow covered roads, and strong winds may cause blowing snow. Lighter snow will develop along the eastern mountains, causing slick and slushy roads. There is a low chance of snow along and east of the I-25 corridor Friday afternoon and evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible across the southern Sangre de Cristo mountains and the higher terrain along the Continental Divide late this afternoon through tonight. 23/SIMCOE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm total of 9 inches over the past 48 hours.
Storm total of 32 inches over the past 48 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2021
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: 997137, 997136.