textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- Strong winds across the San Luis Valley, SE mtns and southern I-25 corridor today, with potential for strong downslope winds across the Pikes Peak region and SE mtns tonight.

- High Fire Danger continues for a large portion of southeast CO today, with critical fire weather conditions possible again on Thursday.

- Steady light snow and blowing snow continues tonight along the Continental Divide with another round of heavy snow impacting the mountains today.

- Another round of precipitation expected on Friday with the potential for some light snow to spread across the plains through the evening.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/

Issued at 1246 AM MST Wed Feb 18 2026

Current water vapor imagery and upper air analysis has moderate to strong west to southwest flow across the region, with another short wave ejecting off the West Coast upper trough and translating across the Great Basin at this time. West to southwest winds remain brisk over the higher terrain tonight, with lee troughing helping to bring occasional gusty winds across the immediate adjacent plains into portions of the southeast plains at this time. West to southwest flow has helped to increase the coverage of snow across the Continental Divide, especially the southwest mtns, this evening, with CDOT cams indicating moderate to heavy snow and blowing snow at Wolf Creek Pass at this time.

For today and tonight, the Great basin short wave will continue to translate east across the Rockies today and into the High Plains tonight. Snow increases in coverage and intensity along and west of the Continental Divide through the day, before diminishing through the evening behind the passing system, with an additional 6 to 12 inches possible across eastern San Juan and La Garita mountains, and an additional 3 to 9 inches possible over and near the Central mountains. Snow and blowing snow will keep hazardous travel conditions in place across the Continental Divide through tonight. Once again, latest model data does indicate the potential for showers spreading off the higher terrain and across the I-25 Corridor this afternoon, with the potential for localized squalls, blowing dust and dangerous travel conditions, as the showers roll off the higher terrain.

The increasing flow aloft will bring the strongest winds across the southern Tier of Colorado, with widespread west to southwest winds of 25 to 45 mph across the area today, with gusts of 60 to 70 mph possible across the southern tier where High Wind Warnings are in place. The gusty winds and dry conditions will bring critical fire weather conditions to much of southeast Colorado again today. With that said, we have added southern El Paso county to the current Red Flag Warnings starting at 10 AM.

West to northwest flow behind the passing wave tonight helps to develop a critical mean state at mountain top levels tonight, with latest model data supportive of strong downslope winds of 60 to 70 mph developing across the Rampart Range and southern Sangre de Cristo mtns overnight. We have issued a High Wind Watch for the lee slopes of the Pikes Peak region from 03Z-14Z Thursday, however, with the Sangres currently in a High Wind Warning through the evening, we may need to extent the warning if the downslope winds do develop later tonight.

LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/

Issued at 1246 AM MST Wed Feb 18 2026

Wednesday nights passing system sends a front across the region with temperatures cooling to at and below seasonal levels in 30s and 40s on Thursday, and continued snow showers across the ContDvd. Despite the cooler temperatures, very dry air moves into the region, and with breezy west to northwest winds behind the passing system, Critical Fire Weather Conditions remain possible, especially in the gap prone areas of the mid Arkansas River valley into the I-25 Corridor, where current Fire Weather Watch remains in tact.

The next and potential last piece of the West Coast trough looks to translate across the Rockies Thursday night through Friday night, bringing another round of snow to the mountains, along with a better potential for precipitation to move across across the plains as the main trough moves into the High Plains Friday night. Time will tell.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 426 AM MST Wed Feb 18 2026

KALS: VFR conditions are expected over the next 24 hours. Southwest winds will quickly increase this morning, with gusts in the 35-45 kt range through much of the day. Did include a prob30 for a brief MVFR -shsn in the 22z-02z period, as showers push off the higher terrain and across the Valley. Could also see some MVFR vis due to blowing dust, though haven't included in the taf yet, as afternoon cloud cover may limit thermal mixing enough to keep conditions rather patchy. Winds slowly diminish and turn slightly more wly tonight, though still some gusts to 25 kts possible well after sunset.

KCOS and KPUB: VFR conditions are expected over the next 24 hours. W-SW winds will start to increase again by mid/late morning, particularly for KPUB (gusts to 40 kts), and remain gusty (25-35 kts) through the remainder of this TAF period. Otherwise, mainly dry conditions with pockets of mid to high level clouds expected, though there will be a low risk (less than 20 percent) of a vcsh at KCOS in the later afternoon as weakening convection spills off the high terrain.

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST this evening for COZ058-059-061-066-067. Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM MST this evening for COZ060- 068. High Wind Warning until 7 PM MST this evening for COZ069>075- 077>080-083-086>088. Fire Weather Watch from Thursday morning through Thursday evening for COZ222-227>230. High Wind Watch from this evening through Thursday morning for COZ081-082-084-085. Red Flag Warning from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM MST this evening for COZ227-228-230>237.