A strong closed low pressure system developed over southern Colorado distributing widespread heavy snowfall across the region.
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.
A strong closed low pressure system developed over southern Colorado distributing widespread heavy snowfall across the region.
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 7, 3:24 AM MST, 9 hours 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pueblo CO 424 AM MDT Tue May 7 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Damaging winds are expected today, mainly across the San Luis Valley, the Sangres, Fremont County, and the Southern I-25 corridor. - High Fire Danger is also expected across portions of the area today. - Cooler and mainly dry for Wednesday, with high fire danger once again in the San Luis Valley. - Unsettled weather pattern starting Thursday, and lasting over the weekend. && .UPDATE... Issued at 423 AM MDT Tue May 7 2024 Brief update for issuance of the Freeze Warning for northern El Paso County. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Issued at 346 AM MDT Tue May 7 2024 Currently.. Satellite imagery shows the departing low moving off into the Dakotas, leaving Colorado in very strong westerly flow aloft. Strongest winds this morning are currently over El Paso County. USAFA is reporting 56 mph westerly winds as of 2am, indicating possible mountain wave activity over western El Paso COunty early this morning. Expecting mountain wave activity to diminish this morning, with brute force winds under favorable jet placement to takeover by sunrise. Rest of Today.. Models bring strongest brute forcing and most favorable jet placement overhead this afternoon, bringing the possibility for damaging wind gusts to our eastern mountains, the San Luis Valley, Fremont County, and gap flow areas of Pueblo, Huerfano, and western Las Animas counties as well. Winds are expected to be due westerly for most of the day, with gusts to 60 mph across lower elevations, and gusts to 75 mph across higher peaks of the Sangres and the Wets. Some gust to 75 mph will be possible across the far southwestern corner of the Chaffee County as well over the higher terrain. Along with damaging wind concerns, high fire danger and areas of blowing dust will be possible today as well. Red Flag Warnings are in place over the San Luis Valley, Fremont County, and the southeast plains, where relative humidities are expected to fall into the single digits and winds are expected to gust well over critical thresholds. High winds will also make for danger travel conditions on area roadways, especially for light and high profile vehicles, and especially on north-south oriented roadways to include I-25. Areas of blowing dust could also cause travel concerns on area roadways today due to low visibilities. Daytime highs today will be near normal for many locations, though cooler temperatures will follow for our overnight hours. Winds are expected to die down significantly after sunset. Mostly clear skies will help us to cool efficiently as well, with many locations getting to near or below normal for overnight lows. A Freeze Watch remains in effect for southern El Paso County, and a Freeze Warning has been issued for northern El Paso County. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Issued at 346 AM MDT Tue May 7 2024 The extended forecast period, beyond Wednesday, looks very messy and somewhat unsettled, and forecast confidence is low. Wednesday...The upper low center will be located over WY, NE and the Dakotas Wed morning, still producing strong westerly flow aloft across the region. However, the upper jet that has been positioned over CO the past few days will be starting to move out, so all indications point to lessening wind through the day Wed. The upper low center will edge to the east, splitting an orphan low center off back across NV and UT. At the same time, a piece of energy rotating around the low will drop a cold front down into eastern CO Wed night. Save for a few isolated showers over the central mts and the Palmer Divide, it should stay dry through the day. As for fire weather concerns, feel that the San Luis Valley will once again hit critical criteria and decided to upgrade to a Red Flag Warning there. However, the remainder of the watch area is highly questionable with respect to wind. After coordinating with surrounding office, decided to leave the watch as is for now though initial plan was to remove those zones. Plan on below normal temps with highs in the 50s for the high valleys, and 60s to near 70F for the plains. Freeze highlights may be needed for some locations across the eastern plains Wed night. Thursday and Friday...The low back across NV and UT will draw some moisture up across the Four Corners and into western CO, while an upper disturbance drops down across the central part of the country. Cooler temps and a better shot of some precip will bring the work week to a close, with scattered to likely pops over the higher terrain, scattered chances for showers and thunderstorms along the I-25 Corridor both days, and just isolated activity for the eastern plains. Look for high temps in the mid 50s to mid 60s for most locations both days. Saturday through Monday...The upper low center over southern NV will gradually weaken and slide east across CO over the weekend, with isolated to scattered precipitation chances for most locations. The extended procedure starts a warming trend for the forecast area all three days, with high temps in the 60s for the high valleys, and 70s to around 80F for the plains. Those temps may be in question, so stay tuned. Moore && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 346 AM MDT Tue May 7 2024 VFR conditions are expected at KCOS, KPUB, and KALS for the next 24 hours. Strong west winds are expected this forecast period, with strongest gusts to around 48kt at KALS, 45kt at KPUB, and 42kt at KCOS after 18Z this afternoon. Few to scattered mid level cloud cover is expected. Precipitation is not likely, though reduced visibility with blowing dust will be possible later this afternoon, especially at KALS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning from 9 AM this morning to 10 PM MDT this evening for COZ222-224-225-232-233-237. Red Flag Warning from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Wednesday for COZ224. High Wind Warning from 9 AM this morning to 7 PM MDT this evening for COZ069>075-077>080-083-086>088. Fire Weather Watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening for COZ225-232-233. Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 8 AM MDT Wednesday for COZ084. Freeze Watch from late tonight through Wednesday morning for COZ085. && UPDATE...MOORE SHORT TERM...EHR LONG TERM...MOORE AVIATION...EHR
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pueblo CO 422 AM MDT Tue May 7 2024 COZ058>089-093>099-081300- 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- 422 AM MDT Tue May 7 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...east central...south central and southeast Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Damaging winds, high fire danger, and blowing dust are expected across portions of the area today, especially for the San Luis Valley, Fremont County, the southern I-25 corridor, and the southeast plains. Please use caution on area roadways, especially when driving light and high profile vehicles. Avoid activities that could start a fire! Near and below freezing temperatures are possible across El Paso County tonight and early tomorrow morning. Frost and freeze conditions could kill sensitive vegetation and damage outdoor plumbing. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Critical fire weather conditions are expected across the San Luis Valley, and will be possible across portions of the eastern plains, on Wednesday. Late this week snow will be possible across the mountains with light to moderate accumulations possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather conditions that meet reporting criteria for spotters will be possible over portions of the region. EHR/27
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 heavy snow, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
There was 12.6 inches of snow that fell.
There was 21 inches of snow that fell.
There was 13.1 inches of snow that fell.
There was 18 inches of snow that fell.
There was 12 inches of snow that fell.
There was 9 inches of snow that fell.
There was 1.8 inches of snow that fell.
There was 13 inches of snow that fell.
There was 4.5 inches of snow that fell.
There was 3.1 inches of snow that fell.
There was 11 inches of snow that fell.
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, May 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: 1177736, 1177729, 1177735, 1177730, 1177731, 1177733, 1177737, 1177738, 1177739, 1177734, 1177732.