A moist southwest monsoonal flow continued to bring thunderstorms with heavy rainfall to portions of southwest Colorado in mid July. Runoff from the rainfall produced debris flows over several area highways.
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.
A moist southwest monsoonal flow continued to bring thunderstorms with heavy rainfall to portions of southwest Colorado in mid July. Runoff from the rainfall produced debris flows over several area highways.
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 Jul 16, 2:27 PM MST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 327 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 325 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 THE WESTWARD MOVING UPPER LOW HAS MADE IT INTO EASTERN NM THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL DROP SOUTHWEST TO SOUTH-CENTRAL NM BY WED AFTERNOON. THE RESULTING NORTHEAST FLOW AROUND THE TOP OF THE LOW HAS BROUGHT SOME DRIER MORE CONTINENTAL AIR OVER THE FORECAST AREA TODAY. HOWEVER THESE NORTH-EASTERLIES...AND THUS THE DRYING...ARE IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS. IN THE LOWER LAYER...THE AIR MASS REMAINS QUITE MOIST WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RANGING FROM AROUND A HALF INCH IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER...UP TO 1.3+ INCHES IN SOUTHEAST UTAH. STORMS HAVE BEEN A LITTLE SLOWER TO POP THIS AFTERNOON...DUE TO THE DRIER AIR. ALSO THERE WAS MORE EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION THAT ACTED AS A DETERRENT. BUT THE ACTION HAS BEGUN OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH THE TAVAPUTS PLATEAU THE HOTTEST SO FAR. EXPECT THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS DUE TO THE MOIST LOWER LAYER...AND PLENTY OF HEATING. STORM MOTION CONTINUES TO BE SLOW...THEREFORE HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. THAT SAID...THINK THAT COVERAGE WILL NOT BE AS EXTENSIVE AS LAST EVENING. AND IT SHOULD DIE OUT A LITTLE SOONER. ON WEDNESDAY...THE LOW LEVEL FLOW CONTINUES TO BE OUT OF THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST...WITH THE MID TO UPPER FLOW OUT OF THE EAST TO SOUTHEAST. THE FLOW REMAINS ON THE WEAK SIDE...SO THE LOWER LEVELS WILL REMAIN MOIST...AND THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CARRY MOISTURE FROM TODAY'S CONVECTION OVER ARIZONA. HOWEVER WE SEE A LITTLE BETTER DRYING THROUGHOUT THE AIR MASS WITH MOST OF WESTERN COLORADO AND NORTHEAST UT DROPPING TO...OR BELOW...ONE INCH OF PRECIPITABLE WATER BY WED AFTERNOON. HOWEVER THERE SHOULD STILL BE ENOUGH MOISTURE TO PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FAVORING THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE LIGHT FLOW WILL AGAIN PRODUCE SLOW STORM MOTIONS...SO ISOLATED HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 325 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHWESTWARD INTO OLD MEXICO JUST SOUTH OF ARIZONA. AS THIS LOW SLOWLY LOSES ITS INFLUENCE OVER THE CWA AND THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM REBUILDS ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN...ENOUGH MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE CWA TO PRODUCE SCATTERED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN EACH DAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SOME STORMS WILL DRIFT OFF THE HIGHER TERRAIN LATER IN THE AFTERNOONS AND SPREAD INTO THE VALLEYS. THE GRADIENT FLOW UNDER THIS HIGH LOOKS WEAK SO STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING KEEPING THE CONCERN FOR HEAVY RAIN AND ERRATIC GUSTY WINDS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY LOOK TO BE AROUND 1.25 INCHES OVER EASTERN UTAH AND ALONG THE CO-UT BORDER...SO THESE AREAS SEEM TO BE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCERS. BY LATE ON SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY...PWAT VALUES LOWER TO 0.5 INCH ACROSS THE NORTH AND 0.75 INCHES ELSEWHERE AS THE HIGH REBUILDS BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY REMAIN TO GENERATE AFTERNOON CONVECTION MAINLY ANCHORED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOUR CORNERS REGION WHERE PWAT VALUES ARE AROUND AN INCH. THE QUESTION MARK COMES NEXT WEEK FOR MONDAY INTO TUESDAY IN REGARDS TO THE WEATHER PATTERN. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER AS THE GFS IS DRIER...SHOWING THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE WESTERN U.S. THE ECMWF SHOWS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ONTO THE WESTERN COAST WHICH WOULD PUSH THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE EASTWARD OPENING THE DOORS TO A MORE FAVORABLE MONSOONAL MOISTURE PUSH. SINCE THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT...THERE IS LOW CONFIDENCE IN THIS FORECAST SO TRENDED MORE TOWARDS THE DRIER GFS WITH ISOLATED CONVECTION OVER THE TERRAIN. TEMPERATURES WILL TREND NEAR SEASONAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 325 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN THE PRIMARY AVIATION HAZARD. STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...STILL MAINLY ANCHORED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THEN STORMS WILL SPREAD INTO VALLEYS AREAS EARLY THIS EVENING..BEFORE DIMINISHING BY MIDNIGHT. THESE SLOW MOVING STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND WILL LOWER CIGS/VSBY INTO THE MVFR/IFR CATEGORIES AT TIMES. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS WILL BE COMMON. ALSO GUSTY WINDS OF 25-35 KTS MAY ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS... WITH ISOLATED STRONGER GUSTS. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL OCCUR BEFORE 02Z THIS WED....THEN WEAKEN AFTER 02Z AND GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO ISOLD -TSRA AFTER 06Z. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN DEVELOP WED AFTERNOON...INITIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...EH LONG TERM...JOE AVIATION...EH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 625 AM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-171300- 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- 625 AM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. DEBRIS FLOWS AND RISES ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS MAY OCCUR FROM HEAVY RAINS. THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...PRIMARILY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED STORMS MAY LINGER BEYOND MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MORE NUMEROUS IN THE MOUNTAINS...ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOCAL HEAVY SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE WITH PASSING STORMS. DRIER AIR MAY FILTER INTO THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH...FOR A LESSER THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT...HOWEVER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RELAY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OR ANY OBSERVED FLOODING TO THE GRAND JUNCTION FORECAST OFFICE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
314 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013
UTZ025-162200-
TAVAPUTS PLATEAU UT-
314 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN UINTAH AND NORTHWESTERN
GRAND COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM MDT...
AT 309 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TAVAPUTS
PLATEAU IN NORTHEAST UTAH EXTENDING WEST OF BAXTER PASS TO 20 MILES
NORTH OF GREEN RIVER...AND MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE RURAL AREAS OF
NORTHWESTERN GRAND AND SOUTHERN UINTAH COUNTIES.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.
LAT...LON 3935 11005 3936 11003 3951 11002 3975 10968
3977 10912 3954 10905 3927 10966 3920 11008
JOEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
519 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0501 PM TSTM WND GST 1 ESE VERNAL 40.44N 109.51W
07/16/2013 M47 MPH UINTAH UT ASOS
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1301220
DCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 539 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 COZ001>003-170015- CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN CO-LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN CO-ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS CO- 539 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN RIO BLANCO AND WESTERN GARFIELD COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM MDT... AT 533 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 28 MILES NORTHWEST OF PARACHUTE...OR 48 MILES NORTH OF GRAND JUNCTION...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THIS STORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF WEST CENTRAL GARFIELD AND SOUTHERN RIO BLANCO COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM MDT. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. LAT...LON 3951 10856 3972 10875 3987 10837 3976 10823 DP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 debris flow, 2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall resulted in a debris flow which closed Highway 145 south of Telluride for several hours.
A rainfall total of 0.66 inches fell within 20 minutes.
An observer reported 0.80 of an inch of rainfall within 45 minutes which caused significant ponding of water in many areas.
Mudslides from heavy rainfall closed Highway 90 from Naturita to the Utah border.
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, July 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: 500547, 500545, 500546, 500548.