, a favorable setup supported continued snow development over the higher terrain. Mainly moderate snow occurred during this time frame, with the highest snowfall occurring across the southwest mountains of Colorado.
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.
As an upper level system progressed over the western part of the U.S., a favorable setup supported continued snow development over the higher terrain. Mainly moderate snow occurred during this time frame, with the highest snowfall occurring across the southwest mountains of Colorado.
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 Jan 22, 3:05 PM MST, 4 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 305 PM MST Fri Jan 22 2021 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Saturday) Issued at 305 PM MST Fri Jan 22 2021 Currently...satellite imagery shows widespread mid and upper level cloud cover moving into Colorado from the southwest. While cooler today, temperatures have so far reached well into the 40s across the Plains, with a couple of degrees of warming expected over the next hour or two. Winds are generally light across the region, with southerly winds gusting to near 25 mph out near the Kansas border. Tonight and Saturday...an upper level disturbance over Utah is forecast to move northeast into southern Wyoming over the next 24 hours, while a stronger disturbance digs south out of Nevada into Arizona. Increasing southwest flow will lead to increased snow showers along the Continental Divide overnight. Periods of moderate to possibly heavy snow are expected late tonight into Saturday morning over the San Juan Range. This will be where the highest snow totals are forecast, with a winter weather advisory in effect for this area. Lesser snowfall amounts are expected from the La Garita Range, north into the Central Mountains, where less favorable orographic flow is expected. Snow will likely move into the Eastern Mountains late tonight and prevail through the day on Saturday. There could be a few snow showers over the San Luis Valley late tonight and through Saturday. Snow accumulations over the San Luis Valley are expected to be minor. A few inches are possible over the Eastern Mountains through Saturday. Dry weather is forecast on the Plains. The other main concern for the next 24 hours will be winds. As flow aloft increases across the region, these winds should make it down to the surface Saturday morning and afternoon. Gusty conditions are likely over the Mountains tonight and through Saturday. Gusts in the higher elevations of 40 to 50 mph are likely. These winds will likely play a role in overnight lows tonight, with mid slopes staying in the upper 30s, while the lower elevations of the Plains fall into the teens and 20s. As winds increase Saturday morning, rapid warming is expected. Highs will top out in the upper 50s for most of the Plains, and a few low 60s may not be out of the question. Patchy blowing dust may also be possible, especially from Pueblo, south to the New Mexico border where strong westerlies are forecast. Gusts in excess of 40 mph are possible, with strong cross winds producing hazardous travel conditions on I-25. In addition, near critical fire weather conditions are possible. While winds will be strong, relative humidity values will only fall to near 20 percent. That being said, those with outdoor burning activities should take extra precaution or not burn tomorrow. Mozley .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Friday) Issued at 305 PM MST Fri Jan 22 2021 ...Cool and Unsettled Weather into early next Week... Saturday night-Monday...A fairly active weather pattern continues to be progged across the region into early next week, with moderate west to southwest flow aloft progged across the region Saturday night through Sunday night, as southern stream energy across the Desert Southwest weakens and slowly lifts out across the region. This, along with developing cool low level upslope flow associated with a cold front from a passing northern stream system Saturday night, will allow for below seasonal temperatures and periods of light to moderate snowfall, especially for areas over and near the higher terrain, through this period. Best snowfall chances and accumulations to remain along the ContDvd, especially the southwest mountains, through this period. Although there may be a brief lull in snowfall Saturday night, snow will pick up again in coverage and intensity Sunday morning and afternoon across the ContDvd. With that said, will keep the current long duration highlight in place across the eastern San Juan Mts through 00Z Monday, with additional snowfall of 2 to 6 inches possible through the day Sunday. Further east, latest models continue to indicate generally light overunning snowfall across the region through the day Sunday, with the potential for heavier banded snowfall across the southeast plains Sunday night. While it remains too far out in time to pinpoint where this heavier band may set up, latest models continue to indicate the best snowfall chances along and east of a line from Trinidad to Eads. Snowfall areawide diminishes and ends late Sunday night into Monday morning, before snow starts to pick up again along the ContDvd Monday afternoon, ahead of the next system moving across the Great Basin. With expected cloud cover and precipitation, high temperatures through this period to remain below seasonal levels, with at and below seasonal lows. Monday night-Tuesday night...The aforementioned next system moving into the Great Basin on Monday, continues to lift out across the Rockies through the day Tuesday before continuing into the High Plains Tuesday night. Models continue to differ on the strength and location of this system as it moves across the region, though generally agree on another round of light to moderate snowfall for the higher terrain, especially along the ContDvd, with the potential for overrunning snowfall across the southeast plains once again. Temperatures again to be below seasonal levels, with highs mainly in the 20s and 30s across the region on Tuesday. Wednesday-Friday...Warmer and drier weather in the offing through the end of the work week, as upper level ridging builds across the Rockies for Wednesday and Thursday ahead of another system moving across the Intermountain West on Friday. Moisture within the increasing westerly flow aloft will bring chances of snow back in the forecast along the ContDvd later Thursday and Friday. Otherwise, dry and warmer weather in the offing, with highs back above seasonal levels in the mid to upper 50s across the plains by Friday. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Saturday evening) Issued at 305 PM MST Fri Jan 22 2021 KALS...VFR conditions with passing mid and high clouds, and light winds into this evening. Fog is possible with reduced CIGS and VIS tonight. A few snow showers are possible late tonight through Saturday over the San Luis Valley and may impact the terminal. KCOS and KPUB...VFR conditions with passing mid and high clouds through tonight. Strong westerly winds are forecast to develop late Saturday morning and prevail through the day Saturday. Gusts near 35 kts may be possible through the afternoon. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 5 PM MST Sunday for COZ067-068. && SHORT TERM...MOZLEY LONG TERM...MW AVIATION...MOZLEY
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 523 AM MST Fri Jan 22 2021 COZ058>089-093>099-231230- 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- 523 AM MST Fri Jan 22 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Snowfall will begin for the San Juan Mountains by later in the evening today and then move into the San Luis Valley/Sangre de Cristo Mountains by later in the night. Accumulations will range between 4-6 inches for the San Juan Mountains, and 1-3 for the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, less than 1 inch for the San Luis Valley. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday The weather will be unsettled over the region from Saturday into Tuesday. Periods of snow will occur over the mountains during these days, with the heaviest snow occurring Saturday, Sunday and again from late Monday into Tuesday. The heaviest snow will occur over the San Juans, with snowfall totals of 2 to 3 feet. The remainder of the high terrain will will see lesser amounts. Some snow will also be possible on the plains Sunday night and again on Tuesday. At this time the amounts are expected to be light over the lower elevations. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible this evening over the southern mountains and the San Luis Valley. STEWARD/Hodanish
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow of 9.0 inches. Wolf Creek Pass.
Heavy snow of 9.0 inches. Creede.
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, January 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: 939620, 939621.