Another day of windy conditions across southern Colorado, especially over the eastern plains where winds gusting to 70 mph were observed.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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.
Another day of windy conditions across southern Colorado, especially over the eastern plains where winds gusting to 70 mph were observed.
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 31, 2:53 AM MST, 4 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 353 AM MDT Fri Mar 31 2023 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 351 AM MDT Fri Mar 31 2023 Key messages: 1) Dangerous fire weather conditions continue through today 2) Some snow for the central mtns. 3) Strong winds along the southern I-25 corridor today. Currently... Skies were mostly clear across the plains while quite a bit of cloudiness was noted over the mtns. Per radar, sat pix and obs, some light snow was occurring over the central mtns and the San Juan mtns. It was quite mild over th plains with temps near 40 in El Paso county and near 50 over the far eastern plains. Steady west winds were noted over most of the plains with winds in the 10 to 20 mph range. Much cooler weather was noted over the mtns and valleys with readings in the tens over the valleys and single digits over the mtns. Today... It is going to be windy again across the region, and the winds may be a bit stronger than yesterday, especially over the southern I-25 corridor. These winds will be in response to a rapidly intensifying areas of lower pressure which will be pushing northeast across Nebraska today. Winds are expected to begin increasing by mid morning and become windy all areas by noontime. I expect winds will reach high wind criteria (for the plains) from Pueblo south to the NM border. The High wind watch has been upgraded to a high wind warning, and has been expanded to include Crowley, Otero and eastern las Animas counties. Red Flag warnings remain in effect for all of the plains today. Widespread winds of 30 to 50 mph are expected during the afternoon with min RH values down to around 10 percent. DO NOT BURN TODAY. Snow will continue in the CONTDVD today and will decrease later today into the evening. A few inches of new snow is possible. It will be noticeably cooler today with max temps on the 50s to L60s across the plains, and 40s in the valleys. Tens and 20s are expected in the mtns. Although it will be cooler, dewpts will be about 10F lower than yesterday. Tonight With the area of low pressure moving away from the area, sfc winds will lessen over the region after sunset, with winds decreasing over the higher terrain late this evening. Min temps will fall into teh 20s most of the plains and tens valleys, single digits mtns. \/Hodanish .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Thursday) Issued at 351 AM MDT Fri Mar 31 2023 Key Messages: 1) Above normal temperatures and dry weather expected this weekend into the start of next week. 2) Fire weather concerns continue this weekend through Monday, and potentially into Tuesday, especially across the plains. 3) Snow chances return to mainly the Continental Divide next week. A return to more zonal flow is anticipated at the start of the period, as mid level energy departs to the east and additional drying occurs across the region. While there is some additional energy which will likely move through the region this weekend, this drying will support dry weather during this period. Fire weather concerns do continue on Saturday as a warming trend with low RH values is expected. Stronger westerly flow aloft still in place with lee troughing will once again support increased fire weather concerns across the plains and San Luis Valley on Saturday, with a Fire Weather Watch still in effect. There is some variability among guidance this morning with the strength and overall trends of the winds during this period. Do think the setup will support critical fire weather conditions on this day, but with this variability, opted not to expand the Watch into Fremont county. Later forecasts may need to add this county/zone, if trends continue to suggest critical fire weather conditions will be observed. Similar trends continue on Sunday but with increased low/mid level westerly flow, will see even warmer temps well into the 60s and 70s across the plains. This stronger flow will support stronger winds/gusts, with critical fire weather conditions appearing highly probable over the plains on Sunday. It does look as if a weak boundary does try to move south across the plains Sunday night into early Monday morning, however, increasing west/southwest flow out ahead of a digging trough over the western CONUS should keep any cooling rather limited if not negligible. Once again, above normal temperatures with mainly dry weather along with fire weather concerns are expected Monday. By late Monday into Monday night, approaching deep upper trough will provide increasing snow chances across the higher terrain, especially across the Continental Divide. Stronger westerly flow aloft is appearing to support another windy day across the region Tuesday, though a cooler air mass will return cooler temperatures. While critical fire weather conditions are possible across parts of the plains Tuesday, confidence is lower on this day. By this time frame and into the middle to late part of next week, pattern looks to remain fair active with mid/upper troughing still in place. Despite this possible pattern, precip chances still look to remain focused over the higher terrain. Any chances elsewhere will remain on the low side. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Saturday morning) Issued at 351 AM MDT Fri Mar 31 2023 Main concern once again today will be the winds. This time they will be from the northwest and will become strong by early afternoon at each of the taf sites, KPUB, KALS and KCOS. Strongest winds today will likely be at KPUB and expect winds to exceed 60 mph at times. VFR conditions are anticipated, but some blowing dust may reduce visibilities at times during the afternoon. Winds will decrease significantly after sunset. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until noon MDT today for COZ060-066-068. Fire Weather Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday evening for COZ224-226>237. Red Flag Warning from 11 AM this morning to 7 PM MDT this evening for COZ226>237. High Wind Warning from 9 AM this morning to 7 PM MDT this evening for COZ086>089-093-094. && SHORT TERM...HODANISH LONG TERM...RODRIGUEZ AVIATION...HODANISH
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 428 AM MDT Fri Mar 31 2023 COZ058>089-093>099-011030- 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- 428 AM MDT Fri Mar 31 2023 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight It will once again be very windy across the region today. However, this time the winds will be from the west to northwest. Wind speeds will range between 20 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 to 60 mph. The strongest winds will occur along the southern I-25 corridor region from Pueblo south to the New Mexico border. Some localized wind gusts to 60 mph may also occur immediately southeast of Pikes Peak along highway 115 in southwestern El Paso county. Red Flag Warnings are in effect for all of the plains, and high wind warnings are in effect for the southern I-25 corridor region today. Some light snow will be possible today along the divide, with a couple of inches of snow possible. Areas of blowing snow are likely. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Fire weather concerns continue this weekend through Monday, and potentially into Tuesday, especially across the plains. Snow chances return to mainly the Continental Divide late Monday into Tuesday, with periodic snow chances remaining possible across the higher terrain through the end of the period. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be likely over portions of the region. 34/RODRIGUEZ
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
847 AM MDT FRI MAR 31 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0817 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 NE MANITOU SPRINGS 38.92N 104.84W
03/31/2023 M64 MPH EL PASO CO MESONET
MESONET STATION AU975 5 NE MANITOU SPGS.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Air Force Academy.
Colorado Springs Airport.
Pueblo Airport.
Red Creek.
La Junta Airport.
Apache City.
Fort Carson Airport.
Lamar Airport.
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, March 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: 1090108, 1090118, 1090114, 1090119, 1090110, 1090115, 1090112, 1090116, 1090106, 1090113, 1090107.