Strong to severe thunderstorms moved northward through Western Colorado producing numerous reports of wind gusts over 58 mph.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Strong to severe thunderstorms moved northward through Western Colorado producing numerous reports of wind gusts over 58 mph.
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 Apr 26, 2:08 PM MST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 308 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 214 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 THE UPPER LOW EJECTS FROM SOUTH OF THE 4 CORNERS REGION THIS EVENING INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...THIS IS A BIT MORE RAPIDLY THAN PREVIOUS MDL RUNS. IT IS ALSO A LITTLE WEAKER BUT SLIGHTLY COOLER. JUDGING FROM CURRENT WV LOOP AND RADAR RETURNS THIS IS NOT THE POTENT WX SYSTEM WE WERE HOPING FOR. AS FAR AS THE IMPACT ON OUR FORECAST LITTLE CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE. FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THE MTNS ABOVE 10000 FEET TONIGHT WILL GET 2-4 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GRASSY AREAS...BUT FEEL PAVEMENT AREAS WILL ACCUMULATE MUCH LESS WITH LIMITED IMPACT. THE BEST CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOW TONIGHT IN OUR CWA WILL BE OVER THE SAN JUANS AND HIGHER MTNS AROUND CRESTED BUTTE. ANOTHER FACTOR LIMITING SNOWFALL WILL BE THE SHORT DURATION (AROUND 12 HRS) OF TEMPS COLD ENOUGH TO ALLOW ACCUMULATION. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA EXPECT WIDESPREAD RAIN OR MIXED PCPN DURING THE NIGHT. THE UPPER LOW WILL HAVE SHIFTED OVER ERN COLORADO FRIDAY AND OUT OF THE WX PICTURE FOR OUR REGION. MEANWHILE THE NEXT WEATHER DISTURBANCE OVER THE NRN ROCKIES WILL MOVE INTO WY. THIS WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT INTO NE UT AND NW CO DURING THE EARLY MORNING HRS...THEN THROUGH MOST OF THE CWA BY NOON. THERE SHOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD BURST OF PCPN THAT WILL PRECEDE AND ACCOMPANY THE FRONT WHERE DEEP MOISTURE RESIDES. HOWEVER THE ATMS WILL QUICKLY STABILIZE AND DRY AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE...BRINGING A QUICK DECREASE TO PCPN. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE ALONG THE WY BORDER WHERE PROXIMITY TO THE UPPER LOW WILL PROVIDE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MSTR. THE UPPER CLOSED WYOMING LOW WILL SHIFT EWRD INTO THE PLAINS FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME WRAP AROUND MSTR WILL LINGER NEAR THE WY BORDER OVER THE PARK AND ELKHEAD MTNS...BUT SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF TO THE ISOLD CATEGORY. ELSEWHERE DRY CONDITIONS AND DECREASING CLOUD COVER WILL BE THE RULE. TEMPS WILL BE QUITE A BIT COOLER FRIDAY NIGHT WITH FREEZING TEMPS IN ALL BUT THE LOWER WESTERN VALLEYS. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 214 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 MODELS SHOW THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL HAVE MOVED EAST OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES BY THE START OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. THIS LOW CENTER WILL STALL OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS STATES ON SAT AS IT GETS BLOCKED BY HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES. THEN WITH SOME RATHER MINOR DIFFERENCES...MODELS THEN TAKE THE LOW NORTH INTO CANADA SUN/MON. IN THE MEAN TIME ENERGY ROTATING AROUND THIS LOW MAY BRUSH OUR NORTHERN EDGE...AND KEEP A BROAD TROUGH OVER THE ROCKY MTN REGION INTO MONDAY. THE REGION REMAINS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A FLAT AND BROAD TROUGH AS A COUPLE OF EMBEDDED WAVES SWEEP ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES THROUGH MIDWEEK. BOTH THE ECMWF AND THE GFS HINT AT WEAK RIDGING FOR THE INTER-MOUNTAIN REGION THURSDAY. DUE TO THE GENERAL LACK OF MOISTURE...A DRY FORECAST WILL PREVAIL. HOWEVER A FEW SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP EACH AFTERNOON OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. TEMPERATURES WILL START OUT AROUND 5-10 DEGREE BELOW NORMAL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD...WITH A WARMING TREND SUNDAY-MONDAY. BY MONDAY...AND THROUGH THE REST OF THE PERIOD...TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO RUN AROUND 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 214 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD IN FROM THE SOUTH LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. WHILE MOST THUNDERSTORMS WILL END BY AROUND 03Z THIS EVENING...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE...DIMINISHING FROM THE WEST LATE TONIGHT. LOCAL MVFR CIGS/VSBYS ARE EXPECTED IN THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS....WITH IFR EXPECTED AT TIMES OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS AS THE PCPN CHANGES OVER TO ALL SNOW LATE THIS EVENING. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AS DRIER AIR MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. IN ADDITION TO THE SHOWERS...GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED INTO THIS EVENING WHICH COULD PRODUCE SOME TURBULENT MIXING...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF RIDGES AND PEAKS. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 402 AM MDT WED APR 25 2012 RECENT RECORD WARMTH COMBINED WITH ABOVE FREEZING MINIMUM TEMPERATURES AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS HAS INCREASED SNOW MELT AND THEREFORE STREAM FLOW RUNOFF LATE THIS WEEK. FLOWS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH THE END OF THIS WEEK FOR MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO AND EASTERN UTAH. MOST OF THE RUNOFF WILL BE CONFINED WITHIN BANKS SINCE THE SNOW PACK HAS BEEN WELL BELOW AVERAGE THIS SEASON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING ADDITIONAL WATER TO CREEKS AND RIVERS AND HELP WITH THE FLOW INCREASES THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. SNOW MELT IS EXPECTED TO SLOW BY THIS WEEKEND AS COOLER AIR ARRIVES AND PRECIPITATION STOPS. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...MC LONG TERM...EH AVIATION...EH HYDROLOGY...TGJT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 309 AM MDT THU APR 26 2012 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-270915- LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN- ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS- UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-GRAND VALLEY-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR- CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS- GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS- CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN- WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-FLATTOPS- UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY-UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE- NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS- PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER- FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-ANIMAS RIVER BASIN- SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS- EASTERN UINTA BASIN-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT- LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES- 309 AM MDT THU APR 26 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE TONIGHT AS A POTENT...FAST-MOVING DISTURBANCE MOVES OVER THE AREA THIS EVENING. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL REMAIN ABOVE 9000 FEET TODAY AND THIS EVENING...BUT LOWER OVERNIGHT. A FEW INCHES OF NEW SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE LATE TONIGHT...MAINLY ABOVE 9000 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY EXPECT COOLER WEATHER WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MOUNTAINS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE CHANCE OF RAIN WILL INCREASE TUESDAY AS A WEAK DISTURBANCE AFFECTS MAINLY NORTHWEST COLORADO AND NORTHEAST UTAH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. CUOCO
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
125 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1246 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 15 NW MOAB 38.73N 109.74W
04/26/2012 M53 MPH GRAND UT ASOS
PEAK WIND GUST AS A SHOWER PASSED THROUGH
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1200369
TBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
308 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0158 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 WSW OXFORD 37.16N 107.75W
04/26/2012 M51 MPH LA PLATA CO ASOS
PEAK WIND GUST WITH A PASSING SHOWER
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1200370
TBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
422 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNE HAYDEN 40.51N 107.25W
04/26/2012 M61 MPH ROUTT CO AWOS
PEAK WIND GUST AS A SHOWER PASSED THROUGH
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1200371
TBThe Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:31 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A severe thunderstorm with severe outflow gusts occurred near Mack.
Severe thunderstorms with winds gusts near 60 mph moved through western Garfield County.
Thunderstorms with gusts over 58 mph moved through central Mesa County which broke tree limbs of up to 6 inches in diameter.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, April 2012
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: 472962, 472965, 472967.