Drought in Colorado, June 1 to 30, 2003

Name: Drought in Colorado, June 1 to 30, 2003
Start: 2003-06-01T00:00
End: 2003-06-30T23:59
Location: Colorado

June 1 to 30, 2003 · NWS GJT · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

Extreme drought conditions persisted during the month across most of the area. Hot weather and rapid snowmelt led to sharp increases in surface water in parts of northwest Colorado resulting in a slight improvement of drought conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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: 21

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.

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, 8:30 PM MST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 8:30 PM MST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
930 PM MDT SAT MAY 31 2003

DIURNAL CONVECTION GRADUALLY DECREASING AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER
COOLS. 00Z GJT RAOB SHOWS NORTHWEST TO WEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE
AREA. SLC RAOB WINDS BACK AROUND TO THE WEST SOUTHWEST IN THE MID AND
UPPER LEVELS...AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN IDAHO. THIS WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS WYOMING LATE TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY MORNING...SKIMMING THE NORTH PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA.
NOSE OF THE UPPER JET TRANSLATES ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES GENERATING
SOME WEAK DYNAMICS. THIS SHOULD HELP KEEP A FEW SHOWERS GOING
OVERNIGHT. DRIER AIR WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE EASTERN UTAH AND
NORTHWEST COLORADO ZONES SUNDAY AFTERNOON HELPING TO STABILIZE THE
AIR MASS. THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL SUNDAY LOOKS LIKE IT WILL PRIMARILY
BE ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS NEAR THE DIVIDE.
LINDQUIST

.GJT...RIVER FLOOD WARNING FOR COLORADO ZONES 1/2/5/8/10.

Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 4:45 AM MST, 19 hours 15 minutes before

COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011145-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
545 AM MDT SAT MAY 31 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN COLORADO AND FOR
EASTERN UTAH

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE
THROUGH THIS EVENING OVER MUCH OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS TO NEAR 50 MPH...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GENERALLY LIGHT RAINFALL AMOUNTS. HOWEVER...
A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL AND SMALL HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS EACH DAY THROUGH FRIDAY. MOST OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND LITTLE OR NO
RAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Grand Valley

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Grand Valley forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lower Yampa River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Lower Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 40.066, -108.109 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwestern San Juan Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Northwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.210, -107.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.294, -108.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.532, -108.196 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, San Juan River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: San Juan River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 37.194, -107.048 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southwestern San Juan Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Southwestern San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 37.594, -107.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.488, -108.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Upper Gunnison River Valley

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Upper Gunnison River Valley forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.535, -107.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Upper Yampa River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Upper Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 40.485, -106.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, West Elk and Sawatch Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: West Elk and Sawatch Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.643, -107.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Animas River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Animas River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 37.287, -107.843 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Central Colorado River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Central Colorado River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.737, -107.907 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Central Yampa River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Central Yampa River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 40.361, -107.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Debeque to Silt Corridor

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Debeque to Silt Corridor forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Elkhead and Park Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Elkhead and Park Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 40.552, -107.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Flattop Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Flattop Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 40.062, -107.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 37.698, -108.507 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.481, -107.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Grand and Battlement Mesas

When: June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Grand and Battlement Mesas forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.159, -108.078 (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 Colorado in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, June 2003

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: 5364531, 5364532, 5364533, 5364534, 5364535, 5364536, 5364537, 5364538, 5364539, 5366260, 5366261, 5366778, 5366837, 5366838, 5366839, 5366840, 5366841, 5366842, 5366843, 5366844, 5366845.