An intense late night thunderstorm produced locally heavy rainfall and a lot of lightning in the Grand Valley, including a lightning bolt that caused significant damage to a building.
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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.
An intense late night thunderstorm produced locally heavy rainfall and a lot of lightning in the Grand Valley, including a lightning bolt that caused significant damage to a building.
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, 9:25 PM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1025 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1024 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 MOISTURE RIDING NORTH IN THE MONSOONAL FLOW OVER UT IS BEING CAPTURED BY THE NORTHERLY FLOW OVER WESTERN CO AND BEING DRIVEN SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA AND APPEARS TO BE INTERACTING CHANNELED VORT MAXES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE LOW TO PRODUCE LOCAL BURSTS OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER WEST-CENTRAL CO AND EAST-CENTRAL UT. THERE APPEAR TO BE OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM EARLIER CONVECTION INFLUENCING DEVELOPMENT AS WELL BY DRIVING THE STORM FROM EAST TO WEST. SO MOISTURE FLOWING SOUTH TO NORTH IS BEING REDIRECTED TO MOVE NORTH TO SOUTH...WITH RESULTING CONVECTION TRAVELING EAST TO WEST. PUZZLING...BUT HAVE ISSUED AND VERIFIES SEVERAL SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORIES AS AT LEAST THE FINAL STORM TRACK AND PRECIPITATION PRODUCED HAS BEEN CONSISTENT. STORMS ARE PRODUCING TWICE THE PRECIP AS THE PRECIPITABLE WATER ON THE 00Z GJT SOUNDING. && .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 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1024 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER KEGE...KASE AND KMTJ THE REST OF TONIGHT. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL CONTINUE FURTHER WEST AND AFFECT KRIL...KGJT...KCNY AND KTEX THROUGH ABOUT 09Z. EXPECT BRIEF MVFR VSBY AT THESE AIRPORTS AS WELL AS AREAS OF MT OBSCURATION IN THE NEARBY HIGHER TERRAIN. WED AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOULD SEE A SLIGHT DOWNTURN IN THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...THOUGH BRIEF MVFR CIGS IN HEAVIER SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER ABOUT 19Z THROUGH ABOUT 04Z. MTS SHOULD BE OBSCURED AT TIMES. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && UPDATE...CC SHORT TERM...EH LONG TERM...JOE AVIATION...CC
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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1104 PM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1050 PM HEAVY RAIN PARADOX 2N 38.39N 108.95W
07/16/2013 M0.80 INCH MONTROSE CO CO-OP OBSERVER
COOP OBSERVER REPORTED 0.80 OF RAINFALL IN 45 MINUTES
WITH AREAS OF STANDING WATER.
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1301222
15PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1220 AM MDT WED JUL 17 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1103 PM DEBRIS FLOW NATURITA 38.22N 108.57W
07/16/2013 MONTROSE CO DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
HIGHWAY 90 CLOSED FROM NATURITA TO UTAH
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1301223
TGJTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1223 AM MDT WED JUL 17 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0928 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 WNW MONTROSE 38.51N 107.96W
07/16/2013 M0.66 INCH MONTROSE CO TRAINED SPOTTER
AMOUNT FELL IN 20 MINUTES
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1301224
TGJTThe Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 29 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:31 UTC.
1 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Locally heavy rainfall produced some street flooding in Grand Junction. The highest reported amount was 1.51 inches in the vicinity of 12th Street and Chipeta Avenue. Another heavy rainfall measurement included 0.90 near 28 1/4 Road and Patterson.
The We Kare-A-Lot childcare facility was struck by lightning in the wee hours, igniting a fire in the building which resulted in extensive damage.
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: 470186, 470176.