The string of below normal precipitation months remained unbroken going into the late fall months across western Colorado in November of 2012. As a result drought conditions did not improve and ranged from severe to extreme across the whole of the region.
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.
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.
The string of below normal precipitation months remained unbroken going into the late fall months across western Colorado in November of 2012. As a result drought conditions did not improve and ranged from severe to extreme across the whole of the region. Monthly precipitation deficits and reporting climate stations were all below a half of an inch with two locations ending the month over an inch below normal.
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 Oct 31, 9:27 PM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1027 PM MDT WED OCT 31 2012 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 242 PM MDT WED OCT 31 2012 THE DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY...BUT WE DO EXPECT TO SEE SOME CHANGES TO THIS PERSISTENT PATTERN. A WEAKENING SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON THU...AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES THU NIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE LONG WAVE RIDGE POSITIONED OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS. THEREFORE IT DOES NOT CARRY MUCH OF A PUNCH...ESPECIALLY THIS FAR SOUTH. THE TRAILING END OF AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PASS OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA LATE THU NIGHT...REACHING TO AROUND THE I-70 CORRIDOR BY DAYBREAK. WHILE MOST MOISTURE/DYNAMICS REMAIN WELL TO OUR NORTH. THE FAR NORTHERN MOUNTAINS MAY BE ABLE TO STRAIN OUT A FEW SHOWERS. OTHERWISE INCREASED CLOUDS WILL BE THE RESULT. A REPEAT OF MILD TEMPERATURES THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WILL ALLOW FOR COMFORTABLE HALLOWEEN FUN. THEN HIGHS SHOULD AGAIN BE QUITE WARM ON THU AS THE FLOW BECOMES SOUTHWEST AND STRENGTHENS SOMEWHAT DURING THE AFTERNOON. WE DO EXPECT A MODERATE INCREASE IN THE SURFACE WINDS THU AFTERNOON...MAINLY OVER THE NORTH AND SOME EXPOSED AREAS OF SOUTHWEST CO. IN SPITE OF THE COLD FRONT...LOWS THU NIGHT SHOULD GENERALLY BE A LITTLE WARMER...EVEN UP NORTH. THIS WILL BE DUE TO LESS STABILITY AND THE INCREASED CLOUDS...ALL RESULTING IN WEAKER INVERSIONS. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 242 PM MDT WED OCT 31 2012 THE NOOSE AROUND THE ARCTIC TIGHTENS AS THE ARCTIC OSCILLATION SHIFTS TO POSITIVE. THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE FRIDAY TROUGH PASSAGE WITH LESS COLD AIR ALOFT AVAILABLE. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO DIMINISH THE STRENGTH OF THE FORCING AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT. FRIDAY MORNING THE COLD FRONT IS STRETCHED NEAR THE I-70 CORRIDOR THEN IS PROGGED TO PUSH WEAKLY TO THE SE. THE SOUTHERN ZONES NOW MAY NOT SEE MUCH IF ANY COOL ADVECTION. SHOWERS TOO WILL BE VERY LIGHT AND LIMITED TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY POST-FRONTAL LOOK TO STAY ABOVE NORMAL...THOUGH THE WEEKEND LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE CLOSE TO AVERAGE. NEXT WEEK...FLAT HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS FROM CALIFORNIA INTO THE GREAT BASIN WHILE THE NORTHERN STREAM REMAINS PROGRESSIVE THROUGH CANADA. TEMPERATURES STAY WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE WORK WEEK. THE NEXT PACIFIC TROUGH IS TIMED FOR LATE IN THE NEW WEEK WITH THE 12Z EC CLOSER TO THE DEEPER GFS. UNTIL THEN...UNUSUALLY DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO PRODUCE LOVELY FALL DAYS AND ADD CONCERNS ABOUT OUR CURRENT EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1027 PM MDT WED OCT 31 2012 EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE UNDER A DRY HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE THROUGH MIDNIGHT THURSDAY. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...EH LONG TERM...JOE AVIATION...NL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 600 AM MDT WED OCT 31 2012 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011200- 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- 600 AM MDT WED OCT 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme drought conditions were static across the lower Yampa River basin including the northwest Colorado plateau region through the month of November.
Extreme drought conditions remained in place across the central Yampa River basin including the northwest Colorado plateau region through the month of November.
Extreme drought conditions remained in place across the west central Colorado high plateau region through the month of November.
Extreme drought conditions expanded across the northern and central portions of the area, while severe drought conditions remained in place over the southern portion of the area through the month of November.
Extreme drought conditions expanded into the upper Yampa River basin through the month of November.
Extreme drought conditions remained in place across the Grand Valley through the month of November.
Extreme to severe drought conditions remained unchanged across the west central lower Colorado River valleys through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged across the central Colorado River basin through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged across the high mesa region of west central Colorado through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged high mountain region of west central Colorado through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged along the central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River basins through the month of November.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remained unchanged across the West Elk and northern Sawatch mountain ranges through the month of November.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remained unchanged across the upper Gunnison River valley through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions covered the majority of the Flat Top Mountains, though a small area of extreme drought conditions encroached into the northwest portion of the area during the month of November.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remained unchanged along the Uncompahgre Plateau region through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged across the northwestern San Juan Mountains through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged across the southwestern San Juan Mountains through the month of November.
Severe to extreme drought conditions remained unchanged over the Paradox Valley and lower Dolores River basin in southwest Colorado through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged over the four corners region of southwest Colorado through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged along the Animas River basin in southwest Colorado through the month of November.
Severe drought conditions remained unchanged along the San Juan River basin in southwest Colorado through the month of November.
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, November 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: 420639, 420640, 420711, 420712, 420713, 420714, 420715, 420716, 420717, 420718, 420719, 420720, 420721, 420722, 420723, 420724, 420725, 420726, 420727, 420728, 420729.