A fast-moving upper trough passed through Colorado, and with strong northwest flow aloft came a few gusty surface wind reports.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 fast-moving upper trough passed through Colorado, and with strong northwest flow aloft came a few gusty surface wind reports.
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 Dec 18, 4:31 PM MST, 5 hours 43 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 431 PM MST Wed Dec 18 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Gusty winds will persist over the higher terrain tonight, however, remain below High Wind Warning criteria. - Dry and mild weather for the end of the week into the weekend. - Unsettled weather returns for the end of the weekend and into next week. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... Issued at 204 PM MST Wed Dec 18 2024 With the departure of an upper trough to our east, we have observed a return to more zonal flow today. However, in its wake, a fast moving upper trough and strong jet have been moving east/southeast across the region. As this continues to push through the region this evening into the overnight hours, mountain wave clouds will likely continue to spill off the eastern mountains, along with winds and gusts increasing. The stronger energy, greater height falls, and upper jet do look to stay well to the north of the area through Thursday morning. This will assist with limiting precip development, as well as keep the stronger winds and gusts just to the north. Given the higher likelihood of this occurring, don't anticipate the need for any High Wind headlines at this time. Do think a few gusts up to 50 to 60 mph will be observed over the higher terrain tonight, especially the central mountains and Ramparts. Given the westerly flow, ongoing warming will continue into Thursday, with above normal temperatures returning to southern Colorado and dry weather persisting. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 204 PM MST Wed Dec 18 2024 Thursday Night - Saturday: For the end of the week and start of the weekend, quiet weather is expected for south central and southeastern Colorado. An anomalously strong ridge of high pressure will remain in place over the region, and given the increased subsidence with this feature, dry conditions will prevail. Outside of that, light winds and mostly clear skies, with occasional high level clouds, are expected. Looking at temperatures, with the ridge in place, much of the area will remain above seasonal values for late December. Sunday - Tuesday: For the remainder of the long term period, some active weather starts to make a return to south central and southeastern Colorado as a more unsettled pattern materializes. The aforementioned ridge will start to breakdown as more meridional and wavy flow develops across the western and central US. This flow will bring periods of increased forcing to the area, and given at least modest moisture in place, will allow for heightened precipitation chances for much of the region. The highest chances will remain along the mountains, where any forcing will be strongest. With that all said, confidence is high (70%) in the breakdown of the ridge and development of a more unsettled pattern given strong agreement within ensemble model guidance, but low (20-30%) in how individual waves within the overall flow will ultimately evolve, which will play a large role in when, where, and how much of any precipitation falls. Otherwise, light winds with increasing cloud cover are anticipated for south central and southeastern Colorado. As for temperatures, they will fluctuate to around and slightly above seasonal values as the unsettled pattern brings downsloping winds and a weak cold front. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 430 PM MST Wed Dec 18 2024 VFR conditions are expected at all three TAF sites for the next 24 hours. Winds will be mainly light and diurnally driven. Upper-level cloud cover will decrease late in the period. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...RODRIGUEZ LONG TERM...SIMCOE AVIATION...EHR
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 401 AM MST Wed Dec 18 2024 COZ058>089-093>099-191400- 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- 401 AM MST Wed Dec 18 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Snow showers will be possible along the Continental Divide on Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters will not be needed today or tonight. STEWARD/27
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust of 67 MPH was measured at a station 3 miles SSW of Air Force Academy.
A wind gust of 59 MPH was measured on a mesonet station in Colorado Springs.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2024
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: 1227093, 1227094.