textproduct: Pueblo

KEY MESSAGES

- Critical Fire Weather conditions expected across most of eastern Colorado today...which continues across portions of SE CO through Thursday.

- Strong and damaging winds across much of southern Colorado today...with the potential for blowing dust across the plains. - Moderate to heavy wind driven snow expected for the mountains, especially along and west of Continental Divide, with potential snow squalls pushing east through the morning.

- Unsettled conditions and cooler temperatures expected for late week into next weekend.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/

Issued at 1250 AM MST Tue Feb 17 2026

Current water vapor imagery and upper air analysis has increasing southwest flow aloft across the region, as a broad upper trough is translating across the Great Basin at this time. Water vapor imagery is also indicating a strong subtropical jet out ahead of the system translating across the Desert SW, with ample moisture streaming out across the southern Rockies at this time. The strong southwest flow is leading to lee troughing across the plains, with SPC meso-analysis indicating pressure falls over the past few hours across the I-25 Corridor. The passing clouds and developing breezy conditions have very mild temperatures in the 30s, 40s and 50s early this morning.

With the strong flow aloft ahead of the Great Basin system, will continue to see strong west to southwest winds of 65 to 75 mph spread across the higher terrain this morning, with the strongest winds expected across the southern mountains. Gusty south to southwest winds across the high mountain valleys and plains early this morning will become strong westerly, gusting to 55-65 mph late this morning, which continues into the afternoon.

Will continue to see snow developing across the Continental Divide through the early morning hours, with models continuing to indicate bands of snow along a mid level front, lifting out across high mountain valleys eastern mtns before diminishing as the push east into the drier air across the I-25 Corridor. With that said, I did bump up pops across the eastern mtns into the I-25 Corridor through 15Z, before the strong westerlies and drier air behind the passing front pushes east across the plains. Will need to watch out for these snow squalls as the push east this morning, with the potential for a quick inch or two, along with dangerous travel conditions in snow and blowing snow.

With all this said, we have kept all current winter weather, fire weather and high wind products in tact for today, with snow diminishing in coverage and intensity across the Continental Divide through the afternoon and early evening, before increasing again later tonight as moisture within increasing westerly flow picks up ahead of the next West Coast system translating across the Great Basin.

Winds diminish across the plains through the late afternoon and evening, though stay up across the higher terrain through the overnight hours. Highs today will follow the passing system, warmest across the far southeast plains and coolest across the higher terrain along and west of the ContDvd. Drier and cooler air in place tonight will allow for temperatures to cool into the 20s and 30s across the plains, warmest in the banana belt region, with teens and 20s expected across the higher terrain.

LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/

Issued at 1250 AM MST Tue Feb 17 2026

Latest model data indicates a similar set up to todays forecast, with breezy to windy southwest winds early Wednesday, with winds becoming strong westerly behind another passing front. Latest model data is weaker with the winds, and while there could be some gusts of 50-60 mph across the southern mtns, there is not enough support to issue any high wind highlights at this time. Current winter weather highlights remain in place across the ContDvd through the day Wednesday, with the potential for an additional foot of snow across the eastern San Juan mtns, along with with another 3 to 9 inches possible across the Central mtns. There remains the potential for snow squalls on Wednesday as well, but how far east they push remains in question. Further east, breezy westerly winds and dry conditions will likely lead to Critical Fire Weather conditions across the plains on Wednesday, however, with the abundant warnings currently in place, we kept the current Fire Weather Watch across the southeast plains in tact.

The passing Wednesday 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 north to northwest winds behind the passing system, there could be Critical Fire Weather Conditions across portions of the southeast plains once again on Thursday.

Cooler and unsettled weather continues into the weekend, with model data indicating a few more systems digging across the Rockies Friday and Saturday. Models continue to struggle on the location of this passing system, with latest NBM bringing pops across the eastern plains, however, best chances of precipitation will remain over the mountains, especially along and west of the ContDvd. Latest data does indicate upper ridging building back across the Rockies bringing warmer and drier conditions for early next week.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 956 PM MST Mon Feb 16 2026

KALS: Gusty southwest winds will persist through most of the period. Gusts around 35 knots will linger for a few hours, weaken overnight and return by 10Z, hitting 45 knots or higher by midday Tuesday. By tomorrow afternoon, snow showers will spread over the mountains and portions of the valley, potentially impacting the terminal. Left as PROB30 for now, until data is more consistent on timing.

KCOS: Gusty south winds for a few hours this evening, before an inversion is expected to set up. Winds at the surface overnight should generally be from the southeast, with strong west- southwesterly flow aloft. Added LLWS through 17Z. Once winds mix down to the surface again, expecting west winds gusting 40-50 knots by early afternoon.

KPUB: Winds are expected to turn westerly overnight, with stronger southwest flow aloft. Gusts should mix down by 16Z or so, 30-40 knots increasing close to 50 knots by early afternoon.

Winds across the region will decrease slightly tomorrow night across all three TAF sites, but gusts 25-30 knots are expected to linger into the overnight hours.

PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST Wednesday for COZ058- 059-061-066-067. Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM MST Wednesday for COZ060-068. High Wind Warning until 6 PM MST this evening for COZ069>071. High Wind Warning until 6 PM MST this evening for COZ072>075- 077>080-087. Winter Weather Advisory until 2 PM MST this afternoon for COZ072>075. High Wind Warning from 7 AM this morning to 6 PM MST this evening for COZ083-086-088-089-093>099. High Wind Warning until 2 PM MST this afternoon for COZ084-085. Red Flag Warning from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM MST this evening for COZ226>237. Fire Weather Watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening for COZ228>237.