A large upper level system moved across the region through the period, and brought very beneficial moisture to portions of south central and southeast Colorado in the form of rain and heavy snow. The heaviest snow, of one to two feet, fell over and near the Pikes Peak region and southern mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
A large upper level system moved across the region through the period, and brought very beneficial moisture to portions of south central and southeast Colorado in the form of rain and heavy snow. The heaviest snow, of one to two feet, fell over and near the Pikes Peak region and southern mountains. While the moisture was beneficial, this heavy wet snow did cause significant tree damage across the area.
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 20, 4:43 PM MST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 543 PM MDT Fri May 20 2022 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Saturday) Issued at 242 PM MDT Fri May 20 2022 Key Messages: 1) Incoming winter weather will impact most of our forecast area, with some areas getting over a foot of accumulating snow by Saturday. The highest snow totals will be over the mountain areas and the Palmer Divide. 2) Near or below freezing temperatures will be possible across the plains tonight. 3) Cool temperatures and some snow showers will continue through Saturday. Currently... Disorganized banded precipitation is already setting up on the north side of the Palmer Divide, and the persistent drizzle in and around Colorado Springs from earlier today has already begun to switch to wet snow. Plenty of moisture is advecting in aloft and near the surface, and the rain-snow transition will be quickly progressing south within the next few hours. Meanwhile, Red Flag conditions continue in the San Luis Valley, with Alamosa reporting wind gusts of around 50 mph and RH values around 10 percent. Today-Saturday... Model guidance has advanced the progression of the moist upper-level trough through our area, accelerating the arrival of the winter system that will be impacting the region, starting now and into this weekend. Light drizzle and rain over northern I-25 will quickly be transitioning to snow by late afternoon-early evening, and snowfall has already begun over Lake County and northern parts of the Continental Divide. Confidence in snow accumulations across the area has increased, along with expected low-level windfields, and as such have expanded both the Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory. The higher elevations will be seeing the highest snowfall amounts, mainly the mountains, Pikes Peak Region, and the Palmer Divide. The higher elevations of the Cont. Divide, northern Sangre de Cristos and Wet Mountains will all being seeing upwards of a foot or so of total accumulation with our southeast mountains approaching 15 inches near the peaks. Snow amounts vary but will decrease with lower elevations. Northern Fremont County, as well as the Pikes Peak Region and the Palmer will all being seeing snow totals over a foot, with Pikes peak receiving close to 2 feet by the end of the day Saturday. Pueblo County and southern I-25, including Huerfano, have more variable snow amounts that quickly increase heading closer to the higher terrain, due to moist, easterly upslope flow that is expected to set in overnight tonight and last into Saturday. Additionally, convective-type snow bands are being resolved in many short-term model solutions and are expected to set up over portions of I-25 later this evening, which could serve to locally increase snow amounts up to several inches, especially in Pueblo County. This will likely be one of those situations where the city of Pueblo escapes with merely a few inches, while Pueblo West receives 6-8 inches. Looking at impacts, high rates of snowfall could impact visibility at times, and wet accumulating snow could result in slick road conditions and difficult travel. Travel over the mountains and mountain passes could quickly become difficult to impossible, with gusty winds to around 55 mph. Also, heavy and wet snow could cause damage to tree branches and power lines, potentially causing outages. In addition to the snow hazards, temperatures overnight tonight are expected to get near or below freezing for several hours. The coldest temps over our plains will mainly be over the Palmer Divide and Pikes Peak Region, but the rest of the plains are still expected to dip into the 30s overnight. As such, damage will be possible to any exposed irrigation systems and tender vegetation. Over in the San Luis Valley, critical fire weather conditions are expected to continue into early evening, with gusty southwest winds and low RH, but conditions should quickly improve after sunset. However, periods of blowing dust could impact visibility through the rest of the afternoon. For Saturday, snow is expected to continue through the day, if a bit lighter and mainly focused over the higher terrain. This will mainly be due to the surface winds turning more easterly, allowing for more enhanced upslope flow, mainly over the Sangres (both north and south), as well as the Palmer and Pikes Peak areas. High temperatures will be cooler than today's thanks to both the continued influx of colder air from the north and the existence of accumulated snow on the surface. Highs will be in mid-30s over El Paso and Teller Counties, high-30s to high-40s over most of the remaining eastern plains, and mid-50s over the San Luis Valley. .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Friday) Issued at 242 PM MDT Fri May 20 2022 Key Messages: 1) Potential for sub-freezing temperatures across the Interstate-25 corridor and the plains Saturday night into early Sunday morning. 2) Potential for additional snow accumulations to continue over the mountains throughout this weekend. 3) Gradual warming trend expected through next week, with the potential for a few strong thunderstorms over southeast Colorado on Monday. For Saturday night, upslope flow along the western periphery of an expansive surface ridge centered over the central states will maintain continued chances for light to moderate precipitation, becoming confined to areas from the eastern mountains to the southern I-25 corridor. This includes the potential for the continuation of accumulating snowfall across the Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains through Saturday night. Temperatures Saturday night and early Sunday morning may once again fall below freezing across portions of the Interstate-25 corridor and the southeast plains, though confidence in sub-freezing temperatures is limited by cloudiness restricting radiational cooling. For Sunday into Sunday night, chances for generally light precipitation then re-focus northward from the central mountains eastward across the Palmer Divide region. This would be in response to the interaction of midlevel moisture with low-amplitude impulses traversing broadly cyclonic flow that will persist over the western states through much of the weekend. There is some potential for additional accumulating snowfall at higher elevations from this activity late Sunday into Sunday night, especially over the Pikes Peak Region as steep midlevel lapse rates support convective enhancements to precipitation rates. Otherwise, temperatures on Sunday should moderate to some extent, as return flow becomes established over the region peripheral to the eastward-translating surface ridge. Specifically, Sunday high temperatures are forecast to be in the lower/middle 60s across the plains, in the 50s over mountain valleys except 60s across the San Luis Valley, and the 20s to the 40s over the mountains. Amplification of western states midlevel troughing is expected to support additional rounds of precipitation across the forecast area for early into middle parts of next week. This includes the potential for a few stronger thunderstorms over the Interstate-25 corridor and southeast plains on Monday, and generally light snowfall accumulations at higher elevations. Temperatures are expected to gradually moderate toward near-normal readings by the middle of next week. Medium-range model guidance suggests drier conditions overspreading the region late next week, as subsident flow aloft and a midlevel ridge cross the region. By next Friday, high temperatures are forecast to reach the 80s across much of the plains and mountain valleys, and perhaps the lower 90s across parts of southeast Colorado. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Saturday evening) Issued at 542 PM MDT Fri May 20 2022 At KCOS.. LIFR conditions are expected to persist through the overnight hours with a rain/snow mix changing completely over to snow within the next couple of hours. Ceilings look to remain down to about 500ft until 15Z Saturday morning. Visibility should start to improve slightly earlier, as precipitation rates begin to decrease through the early morning hours. MVFR conditions are not expected until after 18Z on Saturday afternoon. At KPUB.. VFR conditions will quickly degrade to MVFR over the next couple of hours. Rain showers are still off to our north and our temperatures are still well above freezing for now. Expecting rain showers to slowly make their way into our vicinity over the next few hours, with a slow transition to snow and LIFR conditions happening by 04Z tonight. With warmer temperatures making their way back into our area early tomorrow morning, expecting another transition back to a rain/snow mix and eventually all the way over to rain through tomorrow morning, before precipitation tapers off completely after 21Z on Saturday. At KALS.. VFR conditions are expected for the next couple of hours with IFR conditions moving in by 11Z. Westerly winds are currently bringing haze and dust into the Valley, with the approaching precipitation still making its way towards the terminal. Expecting rain showers on station after midnight tonight, with a brief transition to a rain/snow mix from 10-15Z on Saturday. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MDT Saturday for COZ059>062- 072-075-083-086-087. Winter Storm Warning until 6 PM MDT Saturday for COZ058-063-073- 076>082-084-085. Red Flag Warning until 7 PM MDT this evening for COZ224. && SHORT TERM...GARBEROGLIO LONG TERM...COHEN AVIATION...EHR
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1139 AM MDT Fri May 20 2022 COZ058>089-093>099-211745- 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- 1139 AM MDT Fri May 20 2022 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A late season winter storm system will spread rain and snow across most of our area, mainly the mountains, Palmer Divide and Pikes Peak regions, and the I-25 corridor, through Sunday. Snowfall of 15 to 20 inches will be possible across the higher elevations Fremont county into the Pikes Peak and Palmer Divide region through tonight, with 6 to 8 inches expected over southern El Paso County, including Colorado Springs. Amounts of 8 to 12 inches are possible over higher elevations of Lake and Chaffee counties, while 6 to 10 inches will be possible over the mid and upper Arkansas as well as our southeast mountains. Snow will be wet and heavy, and could fall in locally higher amounts due to convective type bands, reducing visibility and allowing snow to accumulate quickly. Damage to tree branches and power lines will be possible. Further south and west in the San Luis Valley, gusty southwest winds and continued warm and dry conditions will create critical fire weather conditions once again, with current Red Flag Warning remaining from noon to 7 pm. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday The late season snowstorm will continue through Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning, there is the potential for temperatures below freezing over portions of the eastern plains and Interstate 25 corridor. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms are possible Sunday through Wednesday as a series of weather disturbances move over the region. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be likely over portions of the region. GARBEROGLIO/COHEN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
313 PM MDT FRI MAY 20 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0311 PM SNOW 2 NNE MONUMENT 39.12N 104.86W
05/20/2022 M2.1 INCH EL PASO CO TRAINED SPOTTER
BEFORE IT STARTED SNOWING, SPOTTER MEASURED
0.1 INCH OF RAIN. VISIBILITY CURRENTLY LESS
THAN 1/4 MILE.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
401 PM MDT FRI MAY 20 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM SNOW 4 N FLORISSANT 39.00N 105.30W
05/20/2022 M1.8 INCH TELLER CO TRAINED SPOTTER
1/4 MILE VISIBILITY- ESTIMATED.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
407 PM MDT FRI MAY 20 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0406 PM SNOW 2 N BLACK FOREST 39.05N 104.70W
05/20/2022 M2.0 INCH EL PASO CO TRAINED SPOTTER
2 INCHES SNOW TOTAL AS OF 4PM.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
408 PM MDT FRI MAY 20 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0408 PM SNOW 2 NNE MONUMENT 39.13N 104.86W
05/20/2022 M3.3 INCH EL PASO CO TRAINED SPOTTER
3.25 INCHES AS OF 4PM.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
611 PM MDT FRI MAY 20 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 PM SNOW 2 N BLACK FOREST 39.05N 104.71W
05/20/2022 M5.5 INCH EL PASO CO TRAINED SPOTTER
5.5 INCHES SO FAR, AS OF 6:10PM.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow of 28.5 inches. 15 north northeast Howard.
Heavy snow of 19.0 inches. Palmer Lake.
Heavy snow of 19.0 inches. Coaldale.
Heavy snow of 18.0 inches. 1 west southwest Woodland Park.
Heavy snow of 16.0 inches. 5 north northeast Spanish Peaks.
Heavy snow of 15.0 inches. 1 south southeast Beulah.
Heavy snow of 14.0 inches. Farisita.
Heavy snow of 13.5 inches. 6 south Air Force Academy.
Heavy snow of 11.0 inches. 7 northwest San Isabel.
Heavy snow of 10.0 inches. 1 west northwest Florence.
Heavy snow of 10.0 inches. Westcliffe.
Heavy snow of 10.0 inches. 7 south southwest Blende.
Heavy snow of 9.0 inches. Salida.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 2022
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: 1029029, 1029030, 1029031, 1029032, 1029033, 1029035, 1029036, 1029037, 1029038, 1029039, 1029040, 1029041, 1029042.