Drought in Utah, June 1 to 30, 2002

Name: Drought in Utah, June 1 to 30, 2002
Start: 2002-06-01T00:00
End: 2002-06-30T23:59
Location: Utah

June 1 to 30, 2002 · NWS GJT · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

Extreme to exceptional drought conditions prevailed across eastern Utah in June, with a negative impact on agricultural interests and the recreation industry. Most seasonal streams had become dry by early June. The persistent drought increased the potential for major wildfires. See the July 2002 Storm Data publication for a continuation report on the drought in eastern Utah.

What forecasters said that day

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 Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 1:00 PM MST, 11 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 1:00 PM MST, 11 hours before

WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
200 PM MDT FRI MAY 31 2002

THE STRONG UPPER RIDGE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HOT TEMPERATURES ACROSS
THE AREA WILL START TO BREAK DOWN SATURDAY AS AN EAST PACIFIC TROUGH
MOVES ASHORE. THIS WILL BRING A COOLING TREND TO THE AREA OVER THE
WEEKEND AND A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS.

CU FIELD FORMED OVER THE MOUNTAINS MUCH EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON DUE
TO A LITTLE COOLING ALOFT AND WARMER SURFACE TEMPS. NO LARGE SCALE
FORCING MECHANISM OVER THE AREA BUT WITH SURFACE TEMPS AS WARM AS
THEY ARE...ENOUGH CONVERGENCE FROM LOCAL UPSLOPING PRESENT TO PRODUCE
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. VERY DRY LOW LEVELS WILL MINIMIZE ANY
RAINFALL AND FAVOR GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. STORMS WILL DIMINISH WITH
SUNSET.

MAIN FORECAST CONCERN DEALS WITH FIRE WEATHER. SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL
INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA AS THE RIDGE BREAKS DOWN SATURDAY. 700MB
FLOW INCREASES TO 20-30 KTS SATURDAY AFTERNOON PER THE AVN AND
ETA...WITH A WEAK UPPER JET SEGMENT PROGGED OVER NORTHEAST UT. THIS
SHOULD YIELD MODERATE GRADIENT WINDS ACROSS THE AREA WITH POTENTIAL
FOR STRONG AFTERNOON GUSTS. NOT REAL CONFIDENT WITH THUNDERSTORM
POTENTIAL SAT. AVN SHOWS MORE MOISTURE OVER THE AREA BUT ALSO
INDICATES LARGE SCALE SUBSIDENCE ACROSS WESTERN CO DURING PEAK
HEATING...WHILE THE ETA IS A LITTLE DRIER BUT MORE UNSTABLE AND
INDICATES SOME FORCING. GUIDANCE INDICATES BEST POPS OVER EASTERN UT
AND WILL GO ALONG WITH THIS IDEA DUE TO BETTER UPPER SUPPORT
POTENTIAL. WILL KEEP POPS LOW THROUGHOUT THE CWFA THOUGH WITH
ISOLATED OR SLIGHT CHANCE WORDING. ANY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS THAT
DO DEVELOP SATURDAY WILL BE HIGH BASED WITH LITTLE RAINFALL AT THE
SURFACE. POTENTIAL FOR STRONG CONVECTIVE GUSTS WILL EXIST WITH DEEP
MIXED LAYER AND DRY LOW LEVELS. WILL ISSUE A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR
WESTERN COLORADO AND EASTERN UTAH FOR WINDS AND LIGHTNING POTENTIAL
SATURDAY.

CWFA REMAINS IN SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF TROUGH AXIS THROUGH SUNDAY.
PIECES OF ENERGY PROGGED TO MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW. DIFFICULT TO
IDENTIFY ANY SPECIFIC AREA TO SINGLE OUT FOR HIGHER POPS SO WILL
MENTION MINIMAL POPS FOR ALL MOUNTAINS AND THE NORTHERN VALLEYS
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. EXPECT MODERATE GRADIENT WINDS AGAIN
SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH DRY LOW LEVELS PRESENTING GUSTY POTENTIAL. TAL

MONDAY-FRIDAY: THOUGH THE 00Z AVN IS SLOWER AND SHOWING MORE
SPLITTING THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...TROF PASSAGE STILL OCCURS TUESDAY.
MONDAY POPS ARE CENTERED OVER THE NORTHERN ZONES WITH THE BEST
MOISTURE/DYNAMICS. TUESDAY...GOOD QPF PAINTED OVER THE CENTRAL CO
MTNS. 700MB TEMPS ALSO FALL FROM 10C MON TO 5C TUE WITH WEDNESDAY
MORNING THE COOLEST OF THE WEEK. FOR WED-THU-FRI...TEMPS QUICKLY
RECOVER (T7 10-13-16C). SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH 500MB PATTERN AND
THEREFORE POPS. THE FAVORED EC/NOGAPS KEEP CLOSED LOW NEAR YUMA
WHICH MAY PRODUCE A SUFFICIENT SOUTH MOISTURE FETCH FOR A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF HIGH-BASED THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY SOUTHERN MTNS. AVN/UK
IS DISCOUNTED WITH THE CLOSED LOW IN CLIMATOLOGICALLY-ODD WEST TEXAS.
RAMEY

.GJT...FIRE WEATHER WATCH SATURDAY FOR WESTERN COLORADO AND EASTERN
       UTAH.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Canyonlands / Natural Bridges

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Canyonlands / Natural Bridges forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 37.626, -109.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Uinta Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Eastern Uinta Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 40.125, -109.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Uinta Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Eastern Uinta Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 40.506, -109.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Grand Flat and Arches

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Grand Flat and Arches forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.982, -109.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, La Sal & Abajo Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: La Sal & Abajo Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.304, -109.687 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Utah

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Southeast Utah forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 37.626, -109.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Tavaputs Plateau

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Tavaputs Plateau forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.554, -109.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Utah in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Utah, June 2002

Sources

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: 5303393, 5303394, 5303395, 5303396, 5303397, 5303398, 5303399.