As an upper level system moved across the region, southern Colorado observed widespread snow showers across the mountains, occasionally spilling into most interior valleys and the I25 corridor. The snow did eventually push further east along the Colorado and New Mexico border, with locations along the southeast plains observing the heavier snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 moved across the region, southern Colorado observed widespread snow showers across the mountains, occasionally spilling into most interior valleys and the I25 corridor. The snow did eventually push further east along the Colorado and New Mexico border, with locations along the southeast plains observing the heavier snow. Highest totals during this time frame were around one to two feet of snowfall.
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 23, 2:25 PM MST, 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 325 PM MDT Tue Mar 23 2021 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 325 PM MDT Tue Mar 23 2021 ...Heavy snow over the southern Sangres tonight and Wednesday... Radar and satellite images this afternoon reveal a springtime convective atmosphere in place across srn CO, with numerous rain and snow showers developing as lapse rates steepen ahead of approaching upper level low. Quick web cam tour of the area reveals some pockets of fairly heavy snow already over the mountains, and La Veta CDOT cam and KVTP ob show heavy snow with very poor visibility over the pass during the past hour. For the remainder of the afternoon into the evening, expect widespread showers to continue over the mountains, occasionally spilling into most interior valleys and the I25 corridor as upward motion increases across the region. Current set of winter highlights looks reasonable, though did add Huerfano County to the advisory as area along Highway 160 west of Walsenburg was already seeing pockets of heavy convective snow this afternoon. Overnight, snow continues over the mountains, while model QPF suggests a rather sharp cut-off on the eastward extent of precip somewhere near I-25. By early morning, snowfall spreads eastward along the NM border, and as a result, issued a winter wx advisory for ern Las Animas County beginning around midnight. For Colorado Springs and Pueblo, expect both locations will see occasional rain/snow showers through the night, though accumulations will be limited to an inch or two, and roads should stay mainly wet. On Wednesday, upper low slides eastward through NM into the srn plains, keeping snow going over the srn half of the area through the day. Models hint at some instability showers over much of the I-25 corridor and eastern plains by afternoon as pocket of colder air aloft steepens lapse rates, though steadier/heavier snowfall will be confined to areas along the NM border and across the higher terrain. Higher peaks of the southern Sangres could end up seeing storm totals of nearly 2 feet by Wed evening, with 6-12 inches possible lower eastern slopes. Temps Wed to stay on the cold side with clouds and precip, though most locations below 6500 feet will warm several degf above freezing in the afternoon. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday) Issued at 325 PM MDT Tue Mar 23 2021 Thursday...Beginning the long term forecast period, models appear to be in relative agreement with what is expected to occur; a trough should beginning exiting the region Wednesday night with a small ridge becoming the main influencer over the area Thursday throughout the day. High temps. for the day will vary based on location, with highs in the 50s over the eastern plains, 40s for the San Luis Valley, and no higher than 30s for the higher elevations. Skies should be relatively clear over the Pueblo CWA, except for the far western portions, where cloud cover and precipitation chances will begin increasing in response to the next approaching system as upper level westerly winds increase. Friday... Starting over night Friday, our next system begins influencing the area. A trough will begin to dig south over the area overnight Friday and become positively orientated over the area throughout Friday. This should allow for two things to occur over the CWA. One, deep and persistent westerly winds should induce orographic lift over the western portions of the CWA and should allow for increased precipitation chances. Two, given the orientation over the upper level trough, lee cyclone genesis seems likely over the Eastern Plains of Colorado. This may help to increase precipitation chances over the eastern plains, but this will depend highly on exactly where the surface cyclone develops and where the greatest orographic lift sets up. High temps. Friday may be similar to those of Thursday, with highs in the 50s over the eastern plains, 40s in the San Luis Valley, and no higher than 30s for higher elevations. Saturday - Tuesday... Solutions begin to differ rather substantially between the GFS and the ECMWF beginning Saturday, but given ensembles and trends within the ensembles, will lean more towards the ECMWF solutions. Currently, trends have the trough beginning to lift to the NE out of the area. This should set the area up to be in an overall ridging pattern, with a caveat discussed in Sundays section. Moving into Sunday, a cut-off low develops off of the southern tip of the exiting trough from Saturday. This cut-off low development is supported in both the EPS and GEFS ensemble models, with the GEFS trending more towards the EPS solution. The ECMWF develops this cut-off low Saturday evening, but the EPS and GEFS both gravitate towards later development, favoring the Sunday timeframe. For now, will favor the ensemble solutions given how far out Sunday is. With this, development of the cut-off low looks to be over Arizona. Given this location, SW winds will be possible over the western portions of the CWA, which may increase precipitation chances over the western mountains. Elsewhere within the CWA, precipitation chances should be low. Heading into Monday even more differences arise between the deterministic models. The GFS digs a trough into the area, with a strong cold front, while the ECMWF takes the cut-off low to the NE and then brings a trough Tuesday with a cold front. Will lean towards ensembles more for this period. Ensembles have a ridge that develops over the area Monday. This should again bring warm weather to the CWA. Finally to finish off the long term forecast, Tuesday has the possibility to be an active weather day. Ensembles, both the EPS and GEFS, begin digging a trough into the area early Tuesday. This will likely bring increased chances of precipitation as westerly winds should help induce orographic lift over the higher elevations. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening) Issued at 325 PM MDT Tue Mar 23 2021 At KCOS, VFR with vcsh into early evening, then a long period of occasional snow showers overnight and through the day Wed. Prevailing conditions will become MVFR this evening and continue into Wed, with brief IFR conditions under heavier showers. Snow accumulation at the terminal will be fairly light, around an inch, while heavier amounts are possible over the higher terrain north and west of the airport. At KPUB, VFR with vcsh into this evening. Occasional snow showers then expected overnight and through the day Wed, with periods of MVFR cigs/vis under heavier showers. At KALS, VFR into early evening, then periods of snow showers likely overnight into Wed morning, with MVFR/occasional IFR cigs/vis expected. Snow accumulations will be fairly light, from 1-2 inches. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 PM MDT Wednesday for COZ094. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MDT Wednesday for COZ087-088. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MDT Wednesday for COZ058-060- 061-066>068-072-073-079-080. Winter Storm Warning until 6 PM MDT Wednesday for COZ074-075. && SHORT TERM...PETERSEN LONG TERM...SIMCOE AVIATION...PETERSEN
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 548 AM MDT Tue Mar 23 2021 COZ058>089-093>099-241200- 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- 548 AM MDT Tue Mar 23 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Light snow develops over the Continental Divide by late morning, then spreads to the eastern mountains by this afternoon. Moderate to heavy snow is expected over the various mountain ranges and far southern I-25 corridor, with the southern Sangre de Cristos likely seeing the heaviest accumulations. Lighter accumulations can be expected for the high valleys, Pikes Peak region, and I-25 corridor around Walsenburg. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Additional snow accumulations can be expected Wednesday and Wednesday evening, mainly over the mountains and adjacent lower elevations. Another round of accumulating snow is expected from Thursday afternoon into Friday evening over the mountains and high valleys. The most significant snowfall is expected over the eastern San Juan and La Garita mountains. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be likely this afternoon and tonight over the mountains, high valleys, Pikes Peak region, and southern I-25 corridor. 29/28
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1020 AM MDT TUE MAR 23 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1018 AM SNOW 2 SSW WETMORE 38.20N 105.10W
03/23/2021 M2.0 INCH CUSTER CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1126 AM MDT TUE MAR 23 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1159 PM SNOW 2 NE LEADVILLE 39.27N 106.27W
03/22/2021 M3.5 INCH LAKE CO PUBLIC
MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT OBSERVATIONS ON 3/22.
SWE .28 INCHES.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow of 19.4 inches. 7 miles northwest Cuchara.
Heavy snow of 25.7 inches. 7 miles northwest San Isabel.
Heavy snow of 13.4 inches. 1 west southwest Rye.
Heavy snow of 12.1 inches. 11 miles southwest Monte Vista.
Heavy snow of 9.5 inches. Del Norte.
Heavy snow of 8.1 inches. 6 miles west Westcliffe.
Heavy snow of 8.0 inches. 2 miles north northwest Gulnare.
Heavy snow of 7.5 inches. 2 miles south southwest Salida.
Heavy snow of 6.0 inches. 5 miles south Hillside.
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, March 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: 952545, 952544, 952546, 952547, 952549, 952552, 952553, 952555, 952558.