textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- A cold, snowy arctic system will impact our area through most of this weekend. Expect dangerously cold wind chills and accumulating snow.

- Wind-driven snow intensifies over the mountains, while the plains receive persistent light to moderate snowfall.

- Latest data shows another quick round of snow and cold air Sunday Night along a secondary front, before we start slowly warming again into next week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/

Issued at 206 PM MST Fri Jan 23 2026

Rest of Today and Tonight...

Arctic air will continue moving into SE Colorado, with temperatures steadily decreasing across the region. Snow showers will continue spreading across the mountains, with rates increasing later tonight and into Saturday. Meanwhile, light but persistent snow is expected to pick up just east of the mountains.

Overnight lows will be frigid, hovering close to or below zero over the entirely of the eastern plains. With the shallowness of the cold air, the San Luis Valley shouldn't get too much of the arctic tonight, with lows hovering in the teens.

Saturday...

The 'main' part of the winter system will impact our area on Saturday. Snowfall rates will maximize in the mid-late morning over the higher terrain, dropping the heaviest amounts over the eastern San Juans and the peaks of the Sangre de Cristos. Meanwhile, light to moderate snow will cover most, if not all, of the eastern plains, with snowfall rates slowly lessening from north to south heading into Saturday Night. Have dropped temperatures a bit, both Saturday and into the extended, as model data has consistently been coming in too warm. Highs on Saturday will remain in the single digits to low teens over the plains, possibly less depending on cloud cover.

The latest total snowfall forecast through Sunday morning is as follows:

Peaks of the San Juans and the Sangres: 15-24 inches

Rest of the mountains: 5-9 inches, with localized amounts up to 12 inches.

Mountains/Plains Interface, west of I-25: 3-5 inches. Have hoisted Winter Weather Advisories for Eastern Fremont, Pueblo, and Huerfano Counties.

Rest of the lower terrain: 1-3 inches.

LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 233 AM MST Fri Jan 23 2026

No real changes to much of the extended forecast with good agreement through about Wednesday, with large differences by late next week.

Saturday night through Sunday night...the upper trough responsible for the snowfall will continue to track eastward overnight Saturday night into Sunday. Snow will taper down to light flurries, mainly along the Eastern Mountains by the late afternoon into Sunday evening. Any additional snow accumulations will happen Saturday night over the Eastern Mountains with a continued inch or two possible. Snow during the day Sunday will generally by light, with little to no additional accumulation expected. Snow will come to an end by Sunday evening area-wide. As for temperatures, they will continue to be cold! Overnight lows both Saturday and Sunday nights will fall to near or below zero, for much of the region, with the coldest readings Sunday night into Monday morning. Highs on Sunday look to warm into the upper teens to low 20s, but this looks optimistic with snow on the ground, and highs may been to be lowered a few degrees.

Monday into Wednesday...the good news, we will see a warming trend into mid week. After a very cold start Monday morning, upper ridging looks to build across the Great Basin, with northwesterly flow across Colorado. This will help temperatures warm on Monday into the 30s across the Plains, and then into the 40s Tuesday into Wednesday. Highs may need to be adjusted downward on Monday depending on snow cover. A weak embedded wave looks to move across the area Wednesday, but no precipitation is expected through this period at this time.

Thursday into Friday...big differences with the models for late in the work week. The GFS wants to drop another system across the area on Friday, with another round of bitter cold and snow possibilities. The Canadian and ECMWF have more ridging overhead, with an upper low developing along the West Coast. Did not make any changes from the NBM guidance, with temperatures remaining in the 40s, and low pops along the Continental Divide. If the GFS solution pans out, highs would be much colder by Friday, with higher pops on the Plains. Mozley

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1042 PM MST Fri Jan 23 2026

Satellite loop late this evening shows dry/sinking air over much of the eastern plains, with accumulating snow limited to the mountains and mainly flurries at lower elevations. For the remainder of the night into the morning, upward vertical motion increases slowly as upper trough approaches and mid-levels saturate, which should lead to gradually increasing snowfall coverage over the area. Steady light snow then is expected through the morning into early afternoon Sunday, with snowfall tapering off to showers from north to south late in the day, then ending Sunday night. In general, snowfall amounts at all terminals continue to look rather light, with an inch or two at KCOS and KALS, 2-3 possible at KPUB. Specifically:

At KALS, VFR 06z-09z, trending toward MVFR cigs/vis with increasing snow chances 09z-13z. Period of IFR likely 13z-23z as band of accumulating snow sags southward through the San Luis Valley, then improving cigs/vis after 23z as snow tapers to snow showers.

At KCOS, prevailing MVFR cigs with occasional -sn until 10z, with an increasing chance of IFR after 10z as snow becomes slightly heavier/steadier. IFR with light snow then expected until 21z, before snow tapers off and conditions gradually become MVFR by late afternoon.

At KPUB, MVFR conditions with -sn until 08z-10z, then IFR until around 22z with periods of light snow. Snow then tapers off late afternoon, with MVFR conditions until 02z, then VFR.

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST Sunday for COZ058-060- 066-072-074-078>080. Winter Storm Warning until 5 AM MST Sunday for COZ068-073-075. Cold Weather Advisory from 11 PM Sunday to 8 AM MST Monday for COZ069>071. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST Sunday for COZ083-086- 087. Cold Weather Advisory until 8 AM MST Sunday for COZ095>099.