Extremely dry conditions remained in place across western Colorado in early July before monsoon rains brought some relief through the remainder of the month. The highest drought category D4 or exceptional drought conditions were realized across portions of northwest Colorado in the the first week of the month, with severe to extreme conditions in place else where across the western half of the…
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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.
Extremely dry conditions remained in place across western Colorado in early July before monsoon rains brought some relief through the remainder of the month. The highest drought category D4 or exceptional drought conditions were realized across portions of northwest Colorado in the the first week of the month, with severe to extreme conditions in place else where across the western half of the state. The majority of reporting stations however did report above normal precipitation in July and significant improvement to the exceptional drought area was observed by the end of the month.
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 Jun 30, 9:39 PM MST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1039 PM MDT SAT JUN 30 2012 .SHORT TERM...(THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)... ISSUED AT 239 PM MDT SAT JUN 30 2012 SOME HIGH-BASED CONVECTION HAS POPPED UP AGAIN TODAY OVER OUR CWA. A LITTLE CG LIGHTNING HAS OCCURRED...THOUGH RADAR PRECIP ESTIMATES SO FAR NO MORE THAN 0.05 ANYWHERE WITHIN OUR CWA. EXPECT SIGNIFICANT OUTFLOW WINDS AGAIN FROM THIS CONVECTION...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH VERY LIKELY. OTHERWISE...ANOTHER UNSEASONABLY HOT DAY... RUNNING ABOUT THE SAME OR EVEN A LITTLE WARMER THAN YESTERDAY AS OF MID-AFTERNOON. SINCE TODAYS CONVECTION IS DIURNALLY RELATED...EXPECT IT TO END RAPIDLY AFTER SUNSET. MIN TEMPS TONIGHT LIKELY TO BE ABOUT THE SAME AS LAST NIGHT. EXPECT A SIMILAR HOT DAY ON SUNDAY AS TODAY ALONG WITH SIMILAR GRADIENT WINDS AND SOME SIGNIFICANT THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WINDS. HOWEVER...THE AIRMASS WILL LIKELY BE A LITTLE DRIER THAN TODAY WITH A LITTLE LESS CLOUD BUILDUP IN THE AFTERNOON...AS WATER VAPOR IMAGERY CONTINUES TO SHOW DRIER AIR MOVING INTO OUR CWA THEN SOME OF THE MODELS ARE PICKING UP ON SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE... PRESENTLY IN SOUTHERN AZ...SPREADING NORTHWARD BY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO OUR CWA. THIS TREND SEEMS REASONABLE...BUT DO NOT EXPECT ANY SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION SUNDAY NIGHT FROM THIS MOISTURE FLOW...AS THIS SHOULD ONLY BE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE MOISTURE PLUME INTO OUR CWA. HOWEVER...DID GET THE PROVERBIAL FOOT IN THE DOOR BY INDICATING ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. INCREASE OF CLOUDS INTO OUR CWA SUNDAY NIGHT SHOULD KEEP MIN TEMPERATURES AT LEAST A LITTLE HIGHER THAN TONIGHT IN MANY LOCATIONS. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 239 PM MDT SAT JUN 30 2012 ...MODELS CONTINUE TO POINT TO THE ONSET OF THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON LATE IN THE COMING WEEK... MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY: SHORT WAVE ENERGY PASSING THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL CONTINUE TO FLATTEN THE RIDGE LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ON MONDAY LOOKS TO REMAIN TIGHT ENOUGH FOR GUSTY AFTERNOON WINDS AND VERY LOCALIZED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ONCE AGAIN OVER NORTHEAST UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO WITH WINDS RELAXING SOME INTO TUESDAY. PW VALUES WILL BE INCREASING SLIGHTLY TO AROUND 0.7 INCHES ON MONDAY WITH BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOWING MID LEVEL VORTICITY CROSSING CENTRAL UTAH IN THE AFTERNOON. DID INCREASE POPS SLIGHTLY FOR MONDAY GIVEN THE POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO CONVECTION FROM THE WEAK DISTURBANCE LIFTING OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST...BUT NOT AS AGGRESSIVELY AS THE 12Z NAM AT THIS POINT. GIVEN ALL THIS...STILL EXPECTING MAINLY DIURNALLY DRIVEN THUNDERSTORMS CONFINED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF GUSTY WINDS BUT LIMITED RAINFALL GIVEN THE INVERTED-V PROFILES OF THE MODEL SOUNDINGS. PW VALUES MAY DECREASE SLIGHTLY ON TUESDAY BUT THIS HAS BEEN HIGHLY VARIABLE WITH EACH MODEL RUN. WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY: GLOBAL MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BEING PUSHED INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY WEDNESDAY REMAINING THROUGH SATURDAY WITH RETURN FLOW SETTING UP OVER THE FORECAST AREA. ALSO OF INTEREST...AN INVERTED TROUGH WILL SLOWLY TREK ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO EARLY THIS WEEK REACHING SOUTHERN ARIZONA BY LATE TUESDAY PROVIDING AN UPTICK IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FOR THAT REGION. THIS WILL LIKELY TRANSLATE INTO A SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE INCREASE ACROSS EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO BEGINNING WEDNESDAY LASTING THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH PW VALUES EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEAR 1.0 INCHES BY THURSDAY. THESE HIGHER MOISTURE LEVELS WILL LEAD TO A GOOD CHANCE OF WETTING RAINS ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STORMS TO REACH THE VALLEYS. ALSO WEAK DISTURBANCES IN THE SOUTHERLY FLOW MAY ACT TO FOCUS CONVECTION AND PERHAPS LEAD TO NOCTURNAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. GRADIENT WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT WITH TYPICAL DIURNAL AFTERNOON BREEZES. LASTLY...TEMPERATURES WILL COOL SLIGHTLY BUT STILL BE AROUND 5 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL LEVELS BY THE END OF THE COMING WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1035 PM MDT SAT JUN 30 2012 CLEARING CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH CONVECTION EXPECTED AGAIN TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR ANY STORMS THAT FORM. MAINLY HIGHER TERRAIN WILL BE FAVORED FOR ANY CONVECTION. DO NOT EXPECT ANY STORMS OVER AERODROMES SO NONE MENTIONED IN TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 433 AM MDT SAT JUN 30 2012 SOME POCKETS OF RED FLAG WX CONDITIONS APPEAR TO BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY IN NE UTAH AND EXTREME NW CORNER OF COLORADO...BUT NOT ENOUGH IN ANY PARTICULAR FIRE WX ZONE TO WARRANT THE HIGHLIGHT PRODUCT. OTHERWISE...DRIER AIR ACROSS THE REGION WILL ALLOW FOR ONLY LIMITED CONVECTION OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN ON SUNDAY...MAINLY FOR THE SAN JUANS AND NEAR THE DIVIDE. GUSTY AFTERNOON WINDS ARE EXPECTED FOR NORTHEAST UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND POSSIBLY AGAIN ON MONDAY AFTERNOON AS THE SOUTHWEST GRADIENT INCREASES SLIGHTLY. LOCALIZED AREAS MAY REACH RED FLAG CRITERIA BUT THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE FAIRLY LIMITED. AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES...THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER OVER NEW MEXICO WILL SHIFT NORTHEASTWARD TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS...THIS WILL LEAD TO INCREASING MOISTURE AND THUNDERSTORMS CHANCES. GRADIENT DRIVEN WINDS WILL ALSO DIMINISH FROM TUESDAY ONWARD. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JRP LONG TERM...TB AVIATION...TGR FIRE WEATHER...TGJT
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
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Portions of the lower Yampa river basin began July in exceptional drought conditions but above normal precipitation by the end of the month, eased these drought conditions slightly back to the extreme category.
Portions of the central Yampa river basin began July in exceptional drought conditions but above normal precipitation by the end of the month, lowered these drought conditions back to the extreme to severe categories.
Portions of the upper Yampa river basin began July in exceptional drought conditions but above normal precipitation by the end of the month, lowered these drought conditions back to the extreme to severe categories.
Portions of the Elkhead and Park mountain ranges began July in exceptional drought conditions but above normal precipitation by the end of the month, lowered drought conditions back to the severe category.
Portions of the Flat Top mountain range began July in exceptional drought conditions but above normal precipitation by the end of the month, lowered drought conditions back to the severe and extreme categories.
Above normal precipitation by the end of July across the Grand Valley was not enough to bring the region out of extreme drought conditions.
Above normal precipitation by the end of July across the Grand and Battlement mesa areas was not enough to bring the region out of extreme drought conditions.
Above normal precipitation by the end of July across the central Colorado river basin was not enough to bring the region out of extreme drought conditions.
Above normal precipitation by the end of July across the central Colorado river basin was not enough to bring the region out of extreme drought conditions.
Above normal precipitation by the end of July across the central Colorado mountains did lower drought conditions slightly to the severe category, however southern portions of this zone remained in the severe drought category.
Above normal precipitation by the end of July across the central portions of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre river basins was not enough to bring the region out of extreme drought conditions.
Above normal precipitation across much of southwest Colorado by the end of July did not ease the extreme drought conditions in place across the Paradox valley and lower Dolores river basin.
Above normal precipitation by the end of July across the central Colorado mountains was not enough to bring the West Elk and Sawatch mountains out of extreme drought conditions.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remain in place across the Uncompahgre plateau even though July rainfall amounts were above normal over the region by the end of the month.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remained in place across the northern San Juan mountain range. July rainfall amounts were above normal over the region by the end of the month but not enough to ease the persistent dry conditions.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remained in place across the Four Corners region through July even as above normal rainfall amounts were recorded over the region by the end of the month.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remained in place across the southern San Juan mountain range in July. Rainfall amounts were above normal over the region by the end of the month but not enough to ease the persistent dry conditions.
Severe drought conditions remained in place across the southern foothills of the San Juan mountains through July.
Severe drought conditions remained in place across the southern foothills of the San Juan mountains through July.
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, July 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: 400862, 400863, 400864, 400865, 400866, 400867, 400868, 400869, 400870, 400871, 400872, 400873, 400874, 400875, 400876, 400877, 400878, 400879, 400880.