Near normal precipitation during the month of August resulted in little change for the drought categories across eastern Utah.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
Near normal precipitation during the month of August resulted in little change for the drought categories across eastern Utah.
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 31, 9:57 PM MST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1057 PM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 315 PM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 THE 12Z SOUNDING SHOWED A HEALTHY ELEVATED MIXED LAYER ON TOP OF WHICH AN ACCAS FIELD AND SPRINKLES SET UP THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTHWEST COLORADO. AS THIS AREAS OF INSTABILITY HAS DRIFTED NORTH THIS AFTERNOON IT HAS BLOSSOMED THE CONVECTION...BUT THERE IS STILL A HEALTHY CAP HOLDING THINGS IN CHECK. 12Z HAND ANALYSIS HAD THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH CENTERED NEAR EL PASO. THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE RIDGE IS AMPLIFIED INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AHEAD OF A SYSTEM OFF THE NORTHWEST COAST AND A MORE VIGOROUS SYSTEM DIVING INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES THAT IS PHASED WITH THE HIGH LATITUDES. THIS PATTERN WILL SHIFT JUST A TAD EASTWARD AND BECOME STATIC WITH THE SUB TROP HIGH OVER NORTHERN TX AND TROUGHING OVER EACH NORTHERN CORNERS OF THE CONUS. THIS WILL LEAD TO A PROLONGED PERIOD OF FAVORABLE MONSOONAL FLOW DIRECTED TOWARD THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. GOES IMAGERY SHOWS THIS MOISTURE POOLED IN THE DESERT SW AHEAD OF EASTWARD MOVING WAVE OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA. THE LATEST PICS SHOW THIS MOISTURE BEING ABSORBED IN THE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS HIGH. ~320 THETA SURFACES SURGE THIS MOISTURE INTO OUR CWA OVERNIGHT WHICH WILL SET THE STAGE FOR A NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TOMORROW. THE INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND HIGH CLOUDS ALOFT OVERNIGHT SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES MILDER OVER THE SOUTHERN CWA. WITH THIS SURGE SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST CWA MAY SPRING UP BUT CONFIDENCE LOW ON LOCATION ATTM. THE WAVE ACROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE MOVING INTO THE SOUTHERN CWA THROUGH THE MORNING AND BE THE FOCUS FOR THE MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. PWATS WILL BE HITTING 1.1 TO 1.4 ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 WITH MODELS KEYING ON THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS. CONTEMPLATED A HYDRO WATCH FOR THE SOUTHERN CWA...ESPECIALLY BURN SCARS. HOWEVER MODEL HODOGRAPHS SHOW MOVEMENT TO THE STORMS OF AROUND 11 KTS AND ONLY WEAK DIFLUENCE ALOFT SO FOR NOW CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THE STORMS CONGEALING INTO AN AREA OF MODERATE RAINFALL AS THE WAVE LIFT THROUGH OVERNIGHT SO RAISED POPS SOME IN THE SOUTHERN CWA FOR THE THURSDAY NIGHT. WITH CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION ON THE INCREASE TOMORROW HIGHS WILL BE TEMPERED A BIT OVER THE SOUTHERN 2/3 OF THE CWA. WITH THE LOWEST POPS IN THE NORTHWEST TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE COMPARABLE TO TODAY. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 315 PM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN REMAINS FAIRLY FIXED THROUGH THESE PERIODS. THE CENTER OF THE 593 HIGH IS OVER CENTRAL TEXAS WITH SOME AXIS AMPLIFICATION ALONG THE ROCKIES BEGINNING THIS WEEKEND. AN ELONGATED TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE PACIFIC NW WITH THE POLAR FRONT JET STRETCHED FROM SOUTHERN IDAHO-NORTHERN WYOMING...TOO FAR NORTH FOR JET SUPPORT IN THIS FORECAST AREA. THE KEY TO THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL BE MOISTURE AND WEAK DISTURBANCES. MOISTURE IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED FRI-SUN WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES NEAR AN INCH SOUTH TO JUST OVER HALF AN INCH NORTH. THEN MOISTURE SURGES ON MONDAY WITH BOTH THE EC AND GFS SHOWING A WEAK DISTURBANCE ARRIVING FROM THE SW IN THE AFTERNOON-EVENING. THIS BETTER MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE INTO THE NEW WEEK WITH THE EC RESOLVING THE NEXT DISTURBANCE PASSING NEXT THURSDAY WHILE THE GFS DRIES US LATER NEXT WEEK. STORM MOTION THROUGH THESE PERIODS IS SOUTHWEST AT 10-15 MPH SOUTH...15-20 MPH NORTH. THE SLOWER STORM MOTION AND DEEPER MOISTURE SOUTH WOULD FAVOR THAT AREA FOR POTENTIAL LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND RUNOFF PROBLEMS. TEMPERATURES ARE PROGGED TO REMAIN AT OR ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS. ON AVERAGE THE WARMEST TIME OF THE YEAR IS MID JULY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1053 PM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 A SHIFTING PATTERN WILL SURGE MONSOONAL MOISTURE INTO EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL LEAD TO A NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN CONVECTION BY MID-DAY THURSDAY. HEAVY RAIN WILL BE A THREAT WITH SOME OF THE STORMS ALONG WITH GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. MINUS KVEL...THE TAF SITES STAND A BETTER CHANCE OF LOWERED FLIGHT CRITERIA DUE TO LIMITED VSBY IN THE RAIN SHOWERS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE REFLECTION OF CONFIDENCE ON WHERE THIS WILL OCCUR WILL BE PLACED IN UPCOMING TAF FORECASTS. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...15 LONG TERM...JOE AVIATION...15/JDC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 535 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 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- 535 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOME ISOLATED STORMS AND SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH HIGHER ELEVATIONS MAINLY BEING AFFECTED. THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL SEE PLENTY OF SUN AND WARM TEMPERATURES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE MONSOON RETURNS THURSDAY AND BEYOND WITH PLENTY OF PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF SHOWERS AND STORMS EXPECTED. THIS TREND OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions persisted across the area throughout August.
Extreme drought conditions persisted across the Abajo Mountains throughout August. Severe to extreme drought conditions over the La Sal Mountains at the beginning of the month improved to moderate to severe drought conditions by the end of the month due to significant rainfall.
Severe drought conditions persisted across the area throughout August.
Severe drought conditions persisted across the area throughout August.
Moderate to severe drought conditions persisted across the area throughout August.
Severe drought conditions persisted across the area throughout August.
Extreme drought conditions persisted across the area throughout August.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, August 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: 475471, 475476, 475477, 475478, 475479, 475480, 475481.