Dense fog formed under a strong surface-based inversion.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.
Dense fog formed under a strong surface-based inversion.
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 Dec 23, 5:10 PM MST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 510 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010 .UPDATE... SNOW CONTINUES TO WIND DOWN ACROSS THE WEST SLOPE WITH JUST SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ANTICIPATED THE REMAINDER OF THIS EVENING. AS A RESULT...HAVE LET THE WINTER STORM WARNINGS EXPIRE. REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK. && .PREV DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 323 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010/... .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... THE UPPER LOW HAS MOVED INTO NE NM AND IS DROPPING SE. THE ASSOCIATED DEFORMATION ZONE STRETCHES NE TOWARDS DENVER. THE COLD FRONT ALOFT WORKED THROUGH THE I-70 CORRIDOR AROUND NOON AND WAS MOVING SE TOWARDS WEST ELKS-CERRO SUMMIT-NW SAN JUANS THIS AFTERNOON. THE SAN JUAN MTNS SHOW THE DISRUPTION OF THE PROLONGED SW FLOW AS FLOW...SHIFTING TO COLD ADVECTION NW FOR TELLURIDE RIDGWAY AND THE UNCOMPAHGRE GORGE AREA. SATELLITE SHOWS THE FLOW OVER DURANGO-PAGOSA BACKING TO EAST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW LIMITING SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THERE. SNOW LEVELS REMAIN HIGH AND SEEM TO BE LOWERING ONLY IN THE MUCH DRIER AIR TO THE NW. HAVE LEFT THE FINAL MTN WARNINGS ACTIVE AS THE FRONTAL BAND WORKS TOWARDS PUB FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. EXPECT THEY WILL COME DOWN AT 5 PM AS SCHEDULED WITH LITTLE ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION PROGGED AFTER 00Z. IN THE DRIER AIR MASS WORKING IN FROM THE NW...THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL REMAIN SATURATED WITH GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING ABOVE THE MOIST LAYER. THIS WILL PROMOTE WIDESPREAD VALLEY FOG...WITH DENSE FOG A LIKELIHOOD IN THE UINTA BASIN. ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR THE UINTA BASIN TONIGHT...AND IT MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED FRIDAY NIGHT AND BEYOND. OTHER AREAS WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED FOR DENSE FOG FORMATION LATER TONIGHT. OTHERWISE DRY AND COOLER CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AS HIGH PRESSURE BLOSSOMS OVER UTAH AND BEGINS ITS MARCH EASTWARD. FOG WILL LIKELY REMAIN AN ISSUE FOR THE VALLEYS NORTH OF I-70 AND POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS THAT IS OVER OUR CWA WILL SHIFT EWRD SATURDAY NIGHT AS AN OPEN TROF MOVES INTO THE WRN GREAT BASIN. THIS TROF WILL CONTINUE ITS EWRD MOVEMENT SUNDAY AND BEGIN TO SPREAD PCPN INTO ERN UT BY LATE MORNING AND INTO EXTREME WRN CO BY AFTERNOON...AND MANY MTN LOCATIONS WILL SEE SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS SUNDAY NIGHT. EC SHOWS A SLOWER SOLUTION AS IT CLOSES THIS SYSTEM OFF OVER NRN AZ. WILL FOLLOW A BLENDED SOLUTION WITH A PREFERENCE TOWARD THE GFS. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER OVER THE MTNS MONDAY AS MOIST AIR MASS AND SOME INSTABILITY REMAIN OVER THE REGION. WE WILL BE UNDER A GENERALLY DRY NW FLOW ALOFT TUESDAY AND TEMPS WILL BEGIN TO RETURN TO MORE NORMAL READINGS. A STRONGER TROF MOVES INTO THE PACIFIC COAST WEDNESDAY WITH CONSIDERABLE ENERGY RAPIDLY MOVING EWRD INTO OUR REGION DURING THE DAY. GFS REMAINS A BIT FASTER AND NOT AS DEEP AS THE EC. AS WE CLOSE THIS LONG TERM PERIOD A DEEP TROF IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST BRINGING WIDESPREAD PCPN AND MUCH COOLER TEMPS. HOWEVER WITH THAT SAID SUSPECT SUBSEQUENT MODEL RUNS WILL SHOW SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO BOTH INTENSITY AND TIMING. FOR NOW WILL RAISE POPS TO THE HIGH END SCATTERED CATEGORY. && .AVIATION... MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE FAIRLY COMMON TODAY...MOST NOTABLY AT THE MOUNTAIN AIRPORTS AND SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS WILL BE OBSCURED. FOG OVER THE MTNS WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING BUT VALLEY FOG WILL BECOME DENSE AT TIMES ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-70. PERIODS OF IFR/LIFR CEILINGS AND VSBY ARE EXPECTED FOR THE I-70 AIRPORTS KEGE KASE KRIL KGJT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. SOME LIFTING OF CEILINGS AND VSBY IS EXPECTED FOR THESE AIRPORTS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. BUT FOG IS EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP AGAIN CHRISTMAS EVE. ALL SLEDS WILL NEED TO BE PREPARED TO FLY UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM MST FRIDAY FOR ZONE 024. && UPDATE.......JDC SHORT TERM...JOE LONG TERM....MC AVIATION.....JOE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 502 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-241300- 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- ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-FLAT TOPS- FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER- GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS- GRAND VALLEY-LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN- NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER- ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH- SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU- UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE-UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY- UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS- 502 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR THE EASTERN UINTA BASIN IN NORTHEAST UTAH THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN COLORADO. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS THAN 3 INCHES. OTHERWISE...CLEARING SKIES WILL OCCUR FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT. AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL ALSO DEVELOP ACROSS THE EASTERN UINTA BASIN IN NORTHEAST UTAH. VISIBILITIES WILL BE RESTRICTED TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE AT TIMES... ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF VERNAL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WITH POSSIBLE OVER THE EASTERN UINTA BASIN... INCLUDING VERNAL...FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT. A COLDER WINTER STORM WILL BE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS WITH THE SNOW LEVEL AT THE VALLEY FLOORS. TRAVEL COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. TGJT
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
614 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0321 PM SNOW MCCLURE PASS 39.09N 107.28W
12/23/2010 M6.0 INCH GUNNISON CO DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
24 HOUR SNOWFALL
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000919
BKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
620 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0324 PM SNOW GRAND MESA 39.05N 107.87W
12/23/2010 M13.0 INCH DELTA CO DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
STORM TOTAL SNOW FALL
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000920
BKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
622 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0327 PM SNOW DOUGLAS PASS 39.60N 108.80W
12/23/2010 M20.0 INCH GARFIELD CO DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
STORM TOTAL SNOW FALL
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000921
BKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
624 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0536 PM SNOW LIZARD HEAD PASS 37.81N 107.90W
12/23/2010 M37.0 INCH SAN MIGUEL CO DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
STORM TOTAL SNOW FALL... WATER EQUIVALENT 2.70
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000922
BKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
626 PM MST THU DEC 23 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0536 PM SNOW SCOTCH CREEK 37.65N 108.01W
12/23/2010 M37.0 INCH DOLORES CO DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
STORM TOTAL SNOW FALL... WATER EQUIVALENT 3.50
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1000923
BKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.
Areas of dense fog occurred across the area with visibilities down to a quarter mile or less.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, December 2010
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: 324534.