Drought in Utah, April 1 to 30, 2005

Name: Drought in Utah, April 1 to 30, 2005
Start: 2005-04-01T00:00
End: 2005-04-30T23:59
Location: Utah

April 1 to 30, 2005 · 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.

Several spring storms affected eastern Utah during the month and produced mountain snow and lower elevation rain and snow. These conditions continued the improving trend of the drought situation across the area, with mountain snowpack remaining above normal across much of the area. Areal coverage of severe drought conditions had retreated to a small portion of extreme east-central Utah while the rest of the area was generally categorized as abnormally dry. Although drought conditions have been improving, there remains concern for water supply both above and below ground. Please see the May 2005 Storm Data Publication for a continuation on this drought situation.

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 Mar 31, 3:01 PM MST, 8 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 3:01 PM MST, 8 hours 59 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
301 PM MST THU MAR 31 2005

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY):
TONIGHT: UPPER CIRCULATION HAS DROPPED TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST INTO
EAST-CENTRAL NM FARTHER WEST THAN MODEL TRACK. THIS HAS KEPT A FEW
MORE WRAP AROUND SHOWERS GOING THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. ALSO A FEW
CONVECTIVE SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH SHOULD
DISSIPATE AS THE SUN SETS. HAVE KEPT ISOLATED FLURRIES OVER SOME CO
MOUNTAIN AREAS THROUGH 9 PM MST TO ACCOUNT THIS ACTIVITY. THEN ONCE
THESE SHOWERS DISSIPATE WE ENTER A DRY AND WARMER SPELL. HOWEVER
WARMING WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL FRI WITH ANOTHER COLD NIGHT ON TAP FOR
TONIGHT. WILL AGAIN ISSUE A FREEZE WARNING FOR THE GRAND VALLEY AND
THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL EASTERN UTAH WITH TEMPS
SIMILAR TO LAST NIGHTS. 700 MB TEMPS WARM FROM THIS MORNING...HOWEVER
WITH STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER...ESPECIALLY OVER
SOUTHEAST UT WHERE STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WERE REPORTED THIS MORNING.
ALSO DEWPOINTS WILL DROP AS AIR MASS CONTINUES TO DRY. OTHERWISE...
MANY LOCATIONS WILL BE COLDER TONIGHT DUE TO LAST NIGHTS CLOUD COVER
OVER PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY: NORTHWEST FLOW WEAKENS ON FRI AS RIDGE APPROACHES
AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE PERSISTS. RIDGE MOVES OVERHEAD
LATE FRI THEN FLATTENS IN PLACE WITH FLOW BECOMING WEST-SOUTHWEST BY
SAT. TEMPS TO WARM TO A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THEN WARM TO A FEW
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY SAT AS 700 TEMPS INCREASE TO NEAR 0C IN
SOUTHWEST FLOW.

.LONG TERM (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...

WEAK DISTURBANCES MOVE E ACROSS NRN UT/NRN CO SAT NIGHT AND SUN IN
THE TAIL END OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH TRACKING ALONG THE CANADIAN/U.S.
BORDER. THESE WILL INCREASE MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS BUT NO PCPN
EXPECTED. WARM TEMPS CONTINUE SUN. A SECOND SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES
INTO THE PAC NW SUN NIGHT AND TRACKS ACROSS OUR AREA MON AFTN/NIGHT
FOR A CHANCE OF PCPN. 90-100 KT JET AT 300 MB ON GFS SHOULD ADD SOME
DYNAMICS MON AFTN/EVE. EXPECT BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS MON AFTN.
TRAILING VORT MAX IN NW FLOW WILL KEEP AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SNOW TO THE NRN MTNS ON TUE. COOLER TEMPS MON AND TUE THEN WARMING
ABOVE NORMAL AGAIN WED UNDER MOSTLY SKIES BENEATH AN UPPER RIDGE.
LITTLE CHANGE TO GRIDS FOR THE SAT NIGHT-WED PERIOD.

EC AND GFS DIVERGE LATER NEXT WEEK AS THE ECMWF HOLDS A CLOSED LOW
WELL OFF THE SRN CA COAST WHILE GFS FAVORS A MORE PROGRESSIVE PATTERN
BRINGING A TROUGH INLAND AND PUSHING UPPER RIDGE TO THE EAST THU.
RATHER AMPLIFIED PATTERN NEXT WED WITH GFS CLOSING OFF LOW OVER THE
MIDWEST WOULD SUGGEST A SLOWER PROGRESSION. HOWEVER, 31/06Z 5-WAVE
500 MB LONGWAVE GRAPHIC CONTINUES TO SHOW STRONG ZONAL FLOW OVER THE
NRN PAC NEXT WEEK THAT WOULD IMPLY A FASTER MORE PROGRESSIVE PATTERN.
HESITANT TO DEVIATE FROM THE CURRENT WED NIGHT/THU GRIDS WITH SUCH
UNCERTAINTY. ONLY REAL CHANGE WAS TO INCREASE CLOUDS SOME WED NIGHT
AND THU.

&&

.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.CO...FREEZE WARNING FOR LATE TONIGHT FOR ZONE 6.
.UT...FREEZE WARNING FOR LATE TONIGHT FOR ZONES 22/27/29 .

&&

ELH/JAD

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 9:02 AM MST, 14 hours 58 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
902 AM MST THU MAR 31 2005

UPDATED TO REMOVE HEADLINE FOR EXPIRED FREEZE WARNING

COZ003-004-009-010-012-013-017>019-011300-
ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-FLAT TOPS-
GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS-
NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-
SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE-
WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-
902 AM MST THU MAR 31 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN
COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

SCATTERED TO ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR TODAY...ESPECIALLY
ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE SNOW SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY
DIMINISH THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON WITH LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 2
INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE NEXT CHANCE OF SNOW WILL BE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT...BUT YOU ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION.

COZ001-002-005>008-011-014-020>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011300-
ANIMAS RIVER BASIN-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES-
CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN-
CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN-
CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR-
EASTERN UINTA BASIN-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-
FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-GRAND VALLEY-
LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-
PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER-SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-
SOUTHEAST UTAH-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU-UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY-
UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-
902 AM MST THU MAR 31 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH...AND THE VALLEYS
OF WESTERN COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW WILL BE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

JOE/TAL/ELH

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, Eastern Uinta Mountains

When: April 1, 12:00 AM MST to April 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, Canyonlands / Natural Bridges

When: April 1, 12:00 AM MST to April 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: April 1, 12:00 AM MST to April 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, Grand Flat and Arches

When: April 1, 12:00 AM MST to April 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: April 1, 12:00 AM MST to April 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: April 1, 12:00 AM MST to April 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: April 1, 12:00 AM MST to April 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 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Utah, April 2005

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: 5448476, 5448477, 5448478, 5448479, 5448480, 5448564, 5448565.