Expires:201212231615;Remove:201212231615;889307 WWUS85 KPUB 230407 SPSPUB SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 907 PM MST SAT DEC 22 2012 COZ058>089-093>099-231615- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLIMAX...MOSQUITO PASS...LEADVILLE... INDEPENDENCE PASS...MT ELBERT...MT MASSIVE...GRANITE...SALIDA... BUENA VISTA...SARGENTS...BONANZA...NORTH PASS...SOUTH FORK... CREEDE...CUMBRES PASS...WOLF CREEK PASS...CENTER...DEL NORTE... ALAMOSA...MONTE VISTA...MANASSA...LA JARA...ANTONITO...SANFORD... SAN LUIS...FORT GARLAND...BLANCA...LA VETA PASS...PONCHA PASS... BLANCA PEAK...CUCHARA...STONEWALL...WESTON...SPANISH PEAKS... COALDALE...COTOPAXI...HILLSIDE...HOWARD...SWISSVALE... TEXAS CREEK...SILVER CLIFF...WESTCLIFFE...RYE...GREENHORN MTN... WOODLAND PARK...PIKES PEAK...CANON CITY...PENROSE... BLACK FOREST...AIR FORCE ACADEMY...COLORADO SPRINGS...PUEBLO... WALSENBURG...TRINIDAD...ORDWAY...OLNEY SPRINGS...LA JUNTA... ROCKY FORD...BRANSON...KIM...EADS...SHERIDAN LAKE...LAS ANIMAS... LAMAR...SPRINGFIELD...WALSH 907 PM MST SAT DEC 22 2012 ...SNOW LOOKS ON TRACK FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND EARLY CHRISTMAS DAY... A WHITE CHRISTMAS WITH IMPACTS TO HOLIDAY TRAVEL CONTINUES TO LOOK LIKELY ACROSS MANY AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO AS THE NEXT WINTER STORM SYSTEM TAKES AIM ON COLORADO. THIS SYSTEM WILL DROP FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO BY MONDAY EVENING...SPREADING MODERATE TO POTENTIALLY HEAVY SNOW INTO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION DURING THE DAY MONDAY...WITH SNOW SPREADING INTO THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS BY AS EARLY AS LATE AFTERNOON MONDAY AND THROUGH CHRISTMAS MORNING. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE MOUNTAIN AREAS TO RECEIVE UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY TUESDAY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS ARE GRADUALLY BECOMING A BIT MORE CERTAIN. AS IT STANDS NOW...THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS SHOULD SEE AT LEAST SOME WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS. AT THIS TIME...2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PALMER DIVIDE AND THE FAR EAST PLAINS...WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE PLAINS. THE AREA OF MOST UNCERTAINTY AT THIS TIME IS THE RATON MESA. ALTHOUGH THE RATON MESA WILL LIKELY GET SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW...IT IS STILL UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME IF THE ACCUMULATIONS WILL ONLY BE LIGHT TO MODERATE...OR MODERATE TO HEAVY. IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO CHRISTMAS EVE OR CHRISTMAS DAY...BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. SNOWFALL PREDICTIONS ARE LIKELY TO CHANGE AS THE STORM APPROACHES AND THE FORECAST TRACK AND STRENGTH BECOMES MORE CERTAIN. PLEASE MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WINTER STORM. $$ HODANISH