A prolonged period with a long wave trough developed over Colorado at the beginning of December. At the beginning of the events and enhanced jet streak oriented from the SW to the NE formed over southern Colorado, which produced High Wind Warning Criteria winds.
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 prolonged period with a long wave trough developed over Colorado at the beginning of December. At the beginning of the events and enhanced jet streak oriented from the SW to the NE formed over southern Colorado, which produced High Wind Warning Criteria winds. The lower elevations did not see much for snow, at most 5 inches, but the mountains produced magnitudes of around 1 foot and more.
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 Nov 30, 10:57 PM MST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 1057 PM MST Thu Nov 30 2023 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday) Issued at 302 PM MST Thu Nov 30 2023 Key Messages: - Unsettled in the mountains - Cool over the plains Currently... Overall, not a bad day, ambient temperatures over the plains were in the 40s, with temperatures around 40 in the valleys. Mountains were in the tens and 20s. A disturbance pushing east to our south was bringing clouds along the CO/NM border, while further north skies were mostly clear. Today and Tonight... During the next 24 hours mid level troughieness will be moving over the region. This trough will be coming across in pieces, so we will see enhanced areas of snow affecting the area with each piece of energy coming across. during the next 24 hours, flow aloft will gradually transition from SW to W-SW to W, while the best lift will come across this evening and tomorrow afternoon. Overall, the best chance of snow will come across the San Juans this evening, with a better chance of snow affecting all of the Continental Divide during the day tomorrow, especially tomorrow afternoon. Most of the snow discussed above will affect the Continental Divide region, however the northern Sangres will get some decent amount of snow tomorrow afternoon. As for the rest of the mtns, not much in the way of snow is anticipated during the next 24 hours. Over the plains it will likely remain dry through the next 24 hours Temperatures will be running around 10 degrees below normal over the plains and about normal over the higher terrain. .LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday) Issued at 302 PM MST Thu Nov 30 2023 Key Messages: - Snow showers will continue to spread across the higher terrain this weekend. Heaviest snow will be over the Central Mountains and the San Juans. - Windy across the area Saturday and Sunday. - Area warms up this week. The main axis of the upper-level trough will move across our area this weekend, bringing continued cool temperatures and snow showers across parts of the higher terrain. Snow showers will persist, mainly across the Central Mountains and the San Juans, while the peaks of our other mountains get measurable but lesser snowfall. Overall, forecasted snowfall totals through the end of Sunday have remained similar to what we had yesterday. The San Juans and the Central Mountains will receive a widespread 5-8 inches or so, while the higher peaks will see localized areas of a foot or more. Elsewhere, our mountains will see 3-5 inches on average, while the lower elevations remain dry. As that trough moves across, strong northwesterly flow will set in aloft, leading to breezy conditions for most of our CWA Saturday and Sunday. Sustained WNW winds over the area will blow 20-30 knots over the lower terrain, with stronger winds over the mountains. Additionally, mountain pass areas over I- 25 will be a bit stronger than that. This could lead to some potential travel impacts for high-profile vehicles, as well as areas of blowing snow over the mountains that will limit visibility. The NBM Looking at temperatures, Saturday remains similarly cool to the previous few days, with low-mid 40s over the plains and 30s over the valleys. Sunday will be a bit warmer, with 40s over the valleys and 50s over the plains. Looking ahead into next week, the breezy northwest winds will weaken a bit at the surface as the upper pattern begins to shift. The upper trough will move on as a ridge will slowly begin to build in across our region. Temperatures will begin to warm throughout the week, climbing back into the 60s across the plains. Conditions will also dry out once again, though some of the long-term model guidance hints at a new system moving towards our region sometime around next weekend. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday night) Issued at 1052 PM MST Thu Nov 30 2023 A broad upper trough continues to dig across the Rockies through this taf period, bringing scattered precipitation to areas over and near the higher terrain. With that said, expecting mainly VFR conditions at COS, PUB and ALS over the next 24 hours, with lowering VFR cigs at COS and PUB overnight. Kept vcsh in the ALS through the overnight hours, with low chances of seeing reduced VIS and snow at the terminal. Also brought in vcsh at COS late Friday afternoon and early evening, as one piece of system translates across the region through the day on Friday. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST Friday for COZ068. && SHORT TERM...HODANISH LONG TERM...GARBEROGLIO AVIATION...MW
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 639 PM MST Thu Nov 30 2023 COZ058>089-093>099-020145- 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- 639 PM MST Thu Nov 30 2023 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Tonight Periods of light to moderate snow will continue along the Continental Divide this evening, with the main focus for snowfall over the Eastern San Juan Mountains. Snowfall amounts of up to 4 inches of new accumulation will be possible across the Eastern San Juan Mountains through tonight, while the remainder of the Continental Divide may see up to 2 inches of new snow. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Over the Eastern San Juan Mountains heavier snow will continue through Friday night with additional accumulations of 4 to 8 inches. Over the mountains of Lake and Chaffee Counties, snow will increase in intensity late Saturday and continue into Monday with additional accumulations of 3 to 6 inches. Over the remainder of the Continental divide region, accumulations of a 2 to 6 inches are expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters will not be needed today or tonight. RODRIGUEZ
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 high wind, 4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
There was 2.5 inches of snow reported.
Surface station 3CO4 4 S Weston.
Mesonet station AU975 5 NE Manitou Springs.
Mesonet station CW5478 Westcliffe.
Personal Weather Station measured the gust.
There was 12 inches of snow that fell.
There was 4 inches of snow that fell.
Mesonet station CW5478 Westcliffe.
Weather station reported.
Measured by mesonet.
Measured by surface station.
Surface station measured wind gust.
Reported by the public.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2023
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: 1153660, 1153663, 1153661, 1153664, 1153662, 1153665, 1153672, 1153666, 1153667, 1153669, 1153670, 1153668, 1153671.