Dense fog formed mainly along the Colorado River in the western portion of the Grand Valley.
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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 mainly along the Colorado River in the western portion of the Grand Valley.
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 18, 3:29 AM MST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 329 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 329 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS HAVE SPREAD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AHEAD OF A PACIFIC UPPER LOW APPROACHING THE CA COAST EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS LOW IS GETTING ENTRAINED IN THE NORTHERN STREAM AND WILL BE EJECTED INLAND AS AN OPEN WAVE TODAY AND TRACK ACROSS ERN UT/WRN CO LATE TONIGHT AS A COLDER SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPS DOWN THE BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THEN PACIFIC NW COAST. PARTLY SUNNY SKIES ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH TEMPS SIMILAR OR A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN YESTERDAY IN SW FLOW ALOFT. CLOUDS THICKEN AND LOWER TONIGHT WITH SOME SNOW DEVELOPING ACROSS MAINLY THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MTNS AS MODELS SHOW A DECENT AMOUNT OF MOISTURE CONTENT FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE SAN JUANS SHOULD SEE SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS TOWARD THU MORNING AS THE EJECTING CA LOW/TROUGH PASSES. THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME FREEZING RAIN PERSISTS FROM ROUGHLY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO SUNRISE THURSDAY...WHEN THAT CA LOW/TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE PAST. NOT SURE THE MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE HANDLING THE VERY SHALLOW COLD AIR TRAPPED IN MANY VALLEYS. MAIN AREA OF CONCERN IS THE WEST-CENTRAL VALLEYS OF WRN CO AND THE EAST-CENTRAL VALLEYS OF ERN UTAH AND POSSIBLY AS FAR SOUTH AS BLANDING AND CORTEZ. WITH LITTLE MIXING EXPECTED TODAY...THE STAGNANT COLD AIR WILL REMAIN OVER THESE SNOW COVERED AREAS. WITH THE WARMER AND MOIST AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE PACIFIC DISTURBANCE MOVING OVERHEAD...THIS COMBINATION COULD LEAD TO SOME LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IN PLACES. THE TUESDAY FORECAST TEAM ISSUED A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR THIS POSSIBILITY...AND THAT STATEMENT WILL BE CONTINUED. THE COLDER TROUGH DROPPING DOWN THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA TODAY IS EXPECTED TO SPLIT WITH THE SOUTHERN SECTION FORMING A CLOSED LOW IN THE VICINITY OF LOS ANGELES BY LATE THU AFTERNOON. THIS WILL KEEP SW FLOW ACROSS OUR AREA THU WHILE THE NRN SECTION MOVES ACROSS THE NRN ROCKIES. 700 MB FRONT AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE SET UP NEAR THE CO-WY BORDER AND SHOULD BE THE MAIN FOCUS FOR PRECIPITATION. WILL KEEP HIGHEST POPS ACROSS THE NORTH ON THU. DESPITE SW FLOW ALOFT...THU TEMPS WILL BE COOLER IN MOST PLACES AS COLDER AIR OOZES IN BEHIND THE WED NIGHT DISTURBANCE. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 329 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...THE WARM FRONT WHICH BROUGHT THE MIXED PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA WILL WAVE NORTH THU EVENING WITH MOST PCPN ENDING ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS. THE DEFORMATION ZONE WILL REMAIN STATIONARY OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA...AND PRODUCE ISOLD TO SCATTERED SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT...MAINLY IN THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. ALL MODELS AGREE ON THIS SCENARIO...BUT THE NAM IS BY FAR THE DRIEST. HAVE STAYED CLOSER TO THE WETTER SOLUTIONS. FOR MOST OF FRIDAY THE DEFORMATION ZONE WILL REMAIN ALONG THE CO/WY BORDER...THEN BEGIN MOVING EAST AND SOUTH AS THE SPLIT TROUGH MOVES EAST AND SOUTH AS WELL. FRIDAY NIGHT THE FLOW ALOFT TURNS NORTHWESTERLY IN THE GFS AND ECMWF AND A SERIES OF VORT MAXES EMBEDDED IN THE NW FLOW WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA... CAUSING CLOUDS AND PCPN TO INCREASE FROM NW TO SE. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...AS THE EMBEDDED TROUGHS MOVE OVERHEAD... MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. THE PERIOD OF HEAVIEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD PCPN APPEARS TO BE SATURDAY THRU SATURDAY EVENING. LATE SAT NIGHT THROUGH SUN SHOULD SEE A RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE WESTERN U.S. WHICH PUSHED THE PCPN BAND EAST. THE FLOW ALOFT SHOULD REMAIN NORTHWESTERLY WITH ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR OROGRAPHIC SNOW SHOWERS TO CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CO MOUNTAINS. MONDAY AND TUESDAY SHOULD SEE A CONTINUE DRYING TREND UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 329 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 VALLEY FOG AND URBAN HAZE WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT ALL AIRPORTS ACROSS EASTERN UT AND WESTERN CO...BUT INCREASING HIGH CLOUD LESSENED COOLING OVERNIGHT AND DID NOT ALLOW THE THICKEST FOG TO DEVELOP AND THE SAME SITUATION WILL REPEAT TONIGHT. BRIEF MVFR VSBYS ARE EXPECTED UNTIL ABOUT 18Z THIS MORNING AND AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 02Z THIS EVENING AT KGJT...KRIL...KEGE...KCNY...KCAG AND KHDN. CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE OVER EASTERN UT THIS EVENING AND SPREAD EAST ACROSS WESTERN CO OVERNIGHT. MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS AREA POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA BY ABOUT 07Z WITH SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS...MIXED RAIN AND SNOW AND EVEN SOME FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE...IN MOST VALLEYS. MOUNTAIN TOPS WILL BECOME OBSCURED BY 07Z TONIGHT WITH THE OBSCURATION LOWERING TO ALL HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES BY 12 THU. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JAD LONG TERM...CC AVIATION...CC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 351 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-191100- 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- 351 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PATCHY VALLEY FOG AND URBAN HAZE WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING...WITH THE HAZE CONTINUING THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HAZARDOUS WINTER TRAVEL CONDITIONS BECOME POSSIBLE TONIGHT. THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AS A PACIFIC STORM APPROACHES. A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW IS POSSIBLE FOR THE VALLEYS OF EAST CENTRAL UTAH AND WEST CENTRAL COLORADO LATE TONIGHT. THIS INCLUDES MOAB...GRAND JUNCTION...AND MONTROSE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING RAIN IN SOME VALLEYS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...THEN PRECIPITATION...MAINLY SNOWFALL...WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY. AFTER A DECREASE IN THE CHANCE OF SNOW SATURDAY...THE CHANCE OF SNOW WILL INCREASE AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. PRECIPITATION SHOULD DIMINISH SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH REMAINING SNOWFALL FOCUSING ON THE NORTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. CUOCO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 242 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 COZ006-011-020-021-UTZ027-029-181900- GRAND VALLEY-CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN- PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER- FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT- CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GRAND JUNCTION...FRUITA...PALISADE... CEDAREDGE...DELTA...HOTCHKISS...MONTROSE...GATEWAY...NUCLA... CORTEZ...DOVE CREEK...MANCOS...MOAB...CASTLE VALLEY... THOMPSON SPRINGS 242 AM MST WED DEC 18 2013 ...A CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR THE EAST CENTRAL UTAH AND WEST CENTRAL COLORADO VALLEYS... SPOTTY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT... MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT TO ABOUT SUNRISE THURSDAY MORNING. THIS LIGHT FREEZING RAIN MAY BE MIXED WITH LIGHT SNOW AT TIMES. A WARM AND MOIST PACIFIC DISTURBANCE WILL COME ASHORE WEDNESDAY AND MOVE OVER THE STAGNANT FREEZING AIR THAT REMAINS TRAPPED IN THE VALLEYS WEDNESDAY NIGHT...A COMBINATION THAT WILL RESULT IN A THREAT OF FREEZING RAIN. AT THIS TIME...THE CHANCE OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN...POSSIBLY MIXED WITH LIGHT SNOW...RANGES FROM 20 TO 40 PERCENT AFTER WEDNESDAY MIDNIGHT. A LITTLE FREEZING RAIN WOULD LEAD TO TREACHEROUS DRIVING AND WALKING CONDITIONS AS THE RAINFALL WOULD IMMEDIATELY FREEZE ON CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE. ICE COVERED SURFACES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. STAY ALERT TO THE LATEST FORECAST AND PLAN AHEAD IF FREEZING RAIN DOES OCCUR. SOME CITIES WHERE FREEZING RAIN MAY OCCUR INCLUDE... GRAND JUNCTION...FRUITA...DELTA...MONTROSE...NUCLA...CORTEZ AND MOAB.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.
Dense fog with visibilities down to a quarter mile or less was reported between Fruita and the western portion of Grand Junction, west of the Grand Junction Regional Airport. Most of the fog was along the Colorado River.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2013
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: 518756.