Low level moisture remained trapped under an area of high pressure which caused dense fog to form.
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.
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.
Low level moisture remained trapped under an area of high pressure which caused dense fog to form.
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 19, 3:58 PM MST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 358 PM MST THU DEC 19 2013 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 357 PM MST THU DEC 19 2013 WATER VAPOR IS SHOWING A WELL DEFINED CIRCULATION DIGGING DOWN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST LINE WHICH HAS SEPARATED FROM THE NORTHERN STREAM TROF LAYING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST GREAT BASIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE CONFLUENT FLOW BETWEEN THESE FEATURES ALONG WITH A FAVORABLE UPPER JET LOCATION WAS HELPING TO SUPPORT A STRONGER MID LEVEL FRONTO BAND FROM THE PANHANDLE OF UTAH TO SOUTHERN WYOMING. THIS LEFT OUR CWA MAINLY IN THE SUBSIDENT REGION OF THIS CIRCULATION...ALL BUT ENDING THE PRECIPITATION THREAT. COOLING ALOFT AND THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER DOWNSTREAM WAVE FROM THE SOUTHWEST HAS ALLOWED SHOWERS TO POP UP ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST CWA. NOTHING ON WEB CAMS IS TOO THREATENING BUT SOME OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN MAY SEE A PASSING SHOWER THROUGH THE EVENING. STRATUS HAS FORMED IN THE UNITA BASIN ALONG WITH POCKETS OF DENSE FOG. THIS SHOULD BE HANGING IN A WHILE BEFORE MIXING OUT TONIGHT. QG FIELDS INDICATE ONLY BROAD AND WEAK LARGE SCALE ASCENT ACROSS THE CWA THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH THE BETTER DYNAMICS WELL TO OUR SOUTH NEAR THE MAIN LOW. SO THE FOCUS WILL BE CENTERED AROUND THE WEAKENING MID LEVEL FRONTO BAND/CONFLUENT ZONE SAGGING INTO OUR NORTHERN THEN CENTRAL CWA OVERNIGHT. THERE SHOULD BE SOME LIGHT SNOW MAKING IT TO THE GROUND IN THE NORTHERN VALLEYS UNDER THIS FEATURE...GENERALLY AND INCH OR LESS. OROGRAPHICS AND DECREASING STABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD POOL SWINGING THROUGH SHOULD ALLOW THE SNOW TO PICK UP IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT. THIS TREND SHOULD BE SPREADING IN TO THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS ON FRIDAY AS PV FIELDS SHOW A PV LOBE MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTH. MOISTURE IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT BUT WITH WEAK LIFT IT APPEARS SNOW WILL REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGH AMOUNTS SHOULD BE COMMON ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS BY FRIDAY EVENING WITH 2 TO 4 IN THE SOUTH. THERE SHOULD BE A SMALL BREAK BEFORE THE NEXT UPSTREAM WAVE IN THE NORTHERLY FLOW PUSHES ANOTHER ROUND OF LIFT INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 357 PM MST THU DEC 19 2013 THE LARGE-SCALE PATTERN IS STAGNANT WITH A LARGE BLOCKING RIDGE IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THIS KEEPS THIS FORECAST AREA IN A NW FLOW ALOFT. DISORGANIZED DISTURBANCES WILL DIVE THROUGH THE ROCKIES PRODUCING THE BEST (THOUGH WEAK) FORCING IN NW COLORADO. THE NEXT DISTURBANCE PASSES ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON-NIGHT. JET SUPPORT REMAINS WELL WEST IN THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN. THERE IS NOT MUCH COLD ADVECTION NOR A GOOD SURFACE REFLECTION OF THIS SYSTEM... ALL OF WHICH WOULD LIMIT SNOWFALL. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE 700MB TEMPERATURES ARE AROUND -12C IN THE DENDRITIC CRYSTAL GROWTH REGION OVER THE PARK/GORE RANGE. THIS WOULD EFFICIENTLY WRING OUT SNOWFALL THERE. CURRENT MODEL RUNS KEEP ACCUMULATIONS BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL NOT LIKELY DO MUCH TO THE VALLEY INVERSIONS UNLESS SNOWFALL WORKS INTO THE VALLEYS. FOR SUNDAY-MONDAY...LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE PARK RANGE ABOVE STEAMBOAT. OTHERWISE THE EASTERN PACIFIC RIDGE LEANS INLAND A BIT CREATING WARM ADVECTION ALOFT. THIS WILL ONLY STRENGTHEN VALLEY INVERSIONS WHILE MTN SLOPES WILL BE SOMEWHAT MILDER...GENERALLY INTO THE 20S. TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY...THE NEXT DISORGANIZED SYSTEM DIVES THROUGH THE PACIFIC NW THREATENING SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN COLORADO MTNS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THE EC HAS A COLDER AIR MASS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WAVE COMPARED TO THE GFS. NEITHER PRODUCES MORE THAN A FEW INCHES OF SNOW IN THE NORTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS AND LESSER AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE. STILL NO FORCING MECHANISM SEEN TO SCOUR OUT VALLEY INVERSIONS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 357 PM MST THU DEC 19 2013 INVERSIONS REMAIN INTACT WITH STRATUS AND FOG FORMING IN THE UINTAH BASIN AND TO A LESSER EXTENT IN THE GRAND VALLEY. IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PERSIST IN KVEL THROUGH FRIDAY. LIGHT MIST/HAZE MAY PERSIST IN SOME OF THE WESTERN VALLEYS TONIGHT IMPACTING KGJT. FINALLY KTEX WILL HAVE VICINITY -SHSN OCNLY OBSCURING MTN TOPS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL SPREAD INTO THE NORTHERN AREAS TONIGHT...AND ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL BRING SOME IMPACTS DUE TO LOWERED FLIGHT CRITERIA WITH THE MOUNTAIN TERMINALS THE MOST LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED WITH MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS 10Z-16Z FRIDAY AND MTNS FQTLY OBSCURED NORTH...OCNLY OBSCURED SOUTH. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...15 LONG TERM...JOE AVIATION...JOE
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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
151 PM MST THU DEC 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0114 PM DENSE FOG VERNAL 40.45N 109.53W
12/19/2013 E0.25 MILE UINTAH UT TRAINED SPOTTER
UTAH STATE HWY 45 SOUTH OF VERNAL MM 5... VISIBILTY .25
MILE TO 200 FEET IN AREAS... 10 AM TO TIME OF REPORT
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1302317
BKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
354 PM MST THU DEC 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM DENSE FOG VERNAL 40.45N 109.53W
12/19/2013 E0.25 MILE UINTAH UT TRAINED SPOTTER
FOG HAS LIFTED ON NORTH SIDE... .25 MILE HWY 45 MM 25
AND SOUTH. GLEN BENCH ROAD FROM HWY 45 SOUTHWEST TO MM 9
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1302318
BKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.
Dense fog occurred across portions of the Uintah Basin as visibilities dropped down to a quarter mile or less.
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, 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: 515344.