Colorado, 2013

Dense Fog in Colorado, December 22, 2013

December 22, 2013 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong surface-based inversion with high relative humidity values within the trapped air resulted in areas of dense fog.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

A strong surface-based inversion with high relative humidity values within the trapped air resulted in areas of dense fog.

What forecasters said that day

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 21, 10:02 PM MST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 21, 10:02 PM MST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 21, 5:54 AM MST, 18 hours 6 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
554 AM MST SAT DEC 21 2013

COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-221300-
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-
554 AM MST SAT DEC 21 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN
COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AREAS OF FOG...SOMETIMES DENSE...WILL BE PRESENT THIS MORNING. THE
FREEZING FOG MAY CAUSE ICY SPOTS ON ROADWAYS AND SIDEWALKS.

SNOW RETURNS TO THE MOUNTAINS TODAY WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF NEW
ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED FROM GRAND MESA AND THE ELK MOUNTAINS NORTH
ACROSS THE FLAT TOPS AND PARK AND GORE RANGES. SNOW WILL SLOW
TRAVEL OVER RABBIT EARS PASS AND VAIL PASS...AND POSSIBLY OVER THE
HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES IN THE SAN JUANS. SNOW REMAINS LIKELY FOR THE
NORTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP PERIODS OF SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN
COLORADO MOUNTAINS THROUGH MONDAY. AFTER THAT...RELATIVELY
TRANQUIL WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF
LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE MOUNTAINS THOUGH LIGHT AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT...HOWEVER
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 21, 7:57 PM MST, 4 hours 3 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Grand Valley

When
December 22, 12:00 AM MST to 11:00 AM MST
Where
Grand Valley forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense fog occurred in many areas within the Grand Valley. Visibilities were down to less than one hundred feet in some locations.

What these are

Dense Fog
Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2013

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 488985.