An upper level system moved across the region during this period, bringing widespread precipitation to Colorado. Snow was observed across the mountains, with a few higher amounts occurring over the eastern mountains and parts of the I-25 corridor.
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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.
An upper level system moved across the region during this period, bringing widespread precipitation to Colorado. Snow was observed across the mountains, with a few higher amounts occurring over the eastern mountains and parts of the I-25 corridor.
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 May 10, 2:10 PM MST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 310 PM MDT Mon May 10 2021 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 249 PM MDT Mon May 10 2021 ...Heavy wet snow over the mountains and Palmer Divide tonight... Currently...Shower coverage expanding across the area at mid- afternoon as upward vertical motion increases ahead of incoming wrn trough. Have even see some lightning over the mountains as weakly unstable air mass has developed over the higher terrain, while most of the southeast plains have remained cool/stable with occasional drizzle and fog at many locations. Warmest spot in the region this afternoon was the San Luis Valley, where strong sw winds have again mixed to the surface, leading to near critical fire weather conditions around Alamosa. Tonight...Upper trough edges eastward into wrn CO by morning, bringing widespread precipitation to the area, heaviest along and east of the mountains, more showery back toward the Continental Divide and across interior valleys. Main question overnight revolves around snow level and amount of snowfall, especially ern mountains and I-25 corridor. Looks like snow level starts out around 7500 feet early this evening, then falls to 6000 feet or perhaps slightly below by Tue morning. Accumulating snow is a good bet for the mountains and Palmer Divide, and expect I-25 and Highway 24 to be slushy/briefly icy in the morning, then rapidly improve after sunrise. Down lower in Colorado Springs, a few hours of all snow and some accumulation on grassy areas is likely, with some briefly slushy roads overnight during the heaviest precip. For Pueblo and Canon City, expect a brief change over or at least a mix during he heaviest precip after midnight, though any accums look light at this point. Plains below about 5k feet will stay mainly rain, with perhaps an inch of rainfall in spots by mid-morning Tue. Risk of tsra looks low, but can't be ruled out completely this evening, with some patchy fog as well over eastern mountain slopes and the plains. Min temps fall to near/slightly below freezing over El Paso county, while the remainder of the plains and I-25 corridor stay near to slightly above 32f. Tuesday...Bulk of the overnight precip shifts east of the region in the morning, with a lull at most locations by midday. Low level upslope flow will persist, keeping clouds in place along and east of the mountains, while areas farther west see perhaps a brief glimpse of sun. By afternoon, secondary energy dives sw across the state, sparking another round of showers/isolated thunderstorms over the mountains, spreading eastward onto the plains late in the day. Snow levels will gradually climb back toward 7k feet in the afternoon, though any heavier showers will likely drag snow down toward 6k feet at least briefly. Clouds and precip will keep max temps down another day, and expect 40s at best over the plains, 30s/40s mountains and upper Arkansas Valley and 50s in the San Luis Valley, where breezy sw winds will again develop. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday night through Monday) Issued at 249 PM MDT Mon May 10 2021 --Key Message-- 1. Frost/Freezing temps possible Wednesday Morning... Tuesday evening showers will still be over the eastern plains. This activity will gradually shift east into KS by midnight as a disturbance exits the state. Thereafter, skies will be slow to clear but it will likely get down to near freezing over a good part of the plains and with plenty of low level moisture still in the region we will have the potential to see areas of frost, with freezing temperatures likely up on parts of El Paso county. Frost and freeze highlights will likely be necessary over parts of the region, with these highlights being issued later tonight. Overall, eject low temps by Wed morning in the 30-35F range with temps in the upper 20s across N El Paso county. Over the remainder of the region, anticipate lows in the teens and 20s in the valleys and mtns. For Wednesday, it will remain cool across the region as NW flow prevails at mid levels. A few showers will be possible, especially along the mtns/plains interface, with the best chance down in the Raton Mesa region. Thursday...dry with temperatures warming up into the 70s over the plains and valleys, and 50s and 60s mtns. For Friday into the weekend...It will continue to warm up. Instability is forecast to increase on all guidance/ensemble output and this will allow for an increasing chance of thunderstorms over the region. Dryline may become active and there will likely be . favorable shear/CAPE in place so the svr wx threat will be ramping up a bit. By early next week another Pacific system is forecast to affect the region. Guidance shows differing flavors on motion and intensity, but all of the them have a trough moving towards the region. This will likely increase our POP chances early next week. \/Hodanish && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Tuesday evening) Issued at 249 PM MDT Mon May 10 2021 At KCOS and KPUB, Cigs and vis will become LIFR by this evening as steadier rain develops, with a change-over to snow at KCOS and a rain/snow mix at KPUB 04z-07z. Expect LIFR with rain/snow and fog to continue into Tuesday morning, then slow improvement back to IFR by 15z-18z. Sct convection re-develops Tue afternoon, with a low risk of tsra at both sites in the late afternoon. At KALS, VFR with sw winds gusting to 30-40 kts into the evening, then decreasing winds after 02z and a VCSH possible overnight into Tuesday morning. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon MDT Tuesday for COZ058-060-072-073-079>082-084. && SHORT TERM...PETERSEN LONG TERM...HODANISH AVIATION...PETERSEN
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1133 AM MDT Mon May 10 2021 COZ058>089-093>099-111745- 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- 1133 AM MDT Mon May 10 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Rain showers will redevelop over the area this afternoon, and a few thunderstorms will also be possible in and near the mountains. Precipitation will increase late this afternoon, and become heavy overnight, with rain changing to snow at elevations above 6000 feet. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches are expected over the Central and Eastern Mountains and the Rampart Range by Tuesday morning, with up to 10 inches over the higher summits, including Pikes Peak. Locations over the Palmer Divide and northern El Paso County will see 3 to 6 inches, with 1 to 3 inches, mainly on grassy surfaces, around Colorado Springs. Locations across the Plains could see rainfall amounts exceeding one inch by morning. Near critical fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon and evening across the San Luis Valley where wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are possible. Humidity values are expected to remain at or slightly above 15 percent. Temperatures will fall into the lower 30s across El Paso County by early Tuesday morning, with lower to mid 30s for areas along the lower Arkansas River Valley. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Showers and snowfall will come to an end Tuesday morning, then afternoon showers and thunderstorms will redevelop over the mountains, spreading east into the Interstate 25 corridor during the afternoon. Near freezing temperatures may be possible over the plains Wednesday morning, before warmer and drier conditions return for the end of the week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible through tonight for locations above 6000 feet. 10/55
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Pueblo Co 611 PM MDT Mon May 10 2021 COZ062-072-073-077-110215- Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Feet- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Between 8500 And 11000 Feet- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Feet- Western/Central Fremont County Below 8500 Feet- INCLUDING Salida, Buena Vista, La Veta Pass, Poncha Pass, Blanca Peak, Coaldale, Cotopaxi, Hillside, Howard, Swissvale, and Texas Creek 611 PM MDT Mon May 10 2021 ...HIGH STREAM LEVELS REPORTED IN THE DECKER BURN SCAR AREA... Reports from authorities in the Decker burn scar indicated high water was running in area streams in the Decker burn scar. In particular, Bear Creek was running about twice the average flow and soils in and around the Decker burn scar were reported as saturated. People traveling in and around the Decker burn scar are urged to use caution due to the high stream flows. Additional rain and snow is forecast to occur today, and this will allow for continued high stream levels across the Decker burn scar region. The Decker burn scar is located south of Salida.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow of 8.0 inches 7 miles north northeast La Veta.
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, May 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: 962773.