A moist and moderate southwest flow ahead of an upper low produced significant to heavy snowfall and gusty winds in the mountains of eastern Utah.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
A moist and moderate southwest flow ahead of an upper low produced significant to heavy snowfall and gusty winds in the mountains of 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 Feb 28, 10:01 PM MST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1001 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 558 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014
HAVE UPDATED ALL ZONES TO INCREASE THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION
THROUGH THIS EVENING AS SPOTTERS REPORTING AREAS OF RAIN AND SNOW
ACROSS THE WESTERN SLOPE. ACTIVITY WILL ONLY BE ON THE INCREASE
THROUGH TONIGHT AS DEEPER MOISTURE MOVES INTO THE AREA. WITH THE
RADAR DOWN...WILL BE RELYING HEAVILY ON SPOTTER REPORTS...SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SO
KEEP THE REPORTS COMING. ALSO MAKING A CORRECTION TO THE SHORT
TERM DISCUSSION BELOW TO REMOVE EXTRANEOUS DATE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE PRODUCT.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)
ISSUED AT 310 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014
KGJX RADAR IS DOWN AND WILL BE THROUGH TONIGHT. PARTS ARE ON ORDER
AND ELECTRONICS STAFF WILL BE LOOKING FOR A BREAK IN THE WEATHER
TO TRAVEL OUT TO THE REMOTE LOCATION ON THE GRAND MESA SATURDAY TO
REPAIR THE RADAR. NOT A GOOD TIME FOR THE RADAR TO FAIL. A
SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE REGION TONIGHT THROUGH
THE WEEKEND...WITH HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION BETWEEN MIDNIGHT TONIGHT
AND NOON SATURDAY.
MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH BRINGING THE DEEP LOW PRESSURE
CENTER THAT IS CURRENTLY WEST OF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA...OVER
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. TONIGHT THOUGH...A
SHORTWAVE GETS EJECTED OUT OF THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND TRAVELS
OVER UTAH LATE TONIGHT AND WRN CO SATURDAY MORNING. THIS FEATURE
IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM PHASE OF THIS STORM AND ATTENDANT
PLUME OF HALF INCH PLUS PRECIPITABLE WATER. BEST UPPER LEVEL
FORCING APPEARS TO REMAIN SOUTH OF I-70 THROUGH SATURDAY. EXPECTING
PRECIPITATION TO MOVE IN IN EARNEST AFTER 9 PM FROM SOUTHWEST TO
NORTHEAST. FLOW THROUGH SATURDAY WILL BE LARGELY SOUTHWESTERLY
OVER THE AREA...SO THIS AND THE STRONGEST DYNAMICAL FORCING WILL
FAVOR HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION OVER THE SAN JUAN MTNS AND
SECONDARILY THE CENTRAL MTNS OF COLORADO. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF
LIQUID EQUIVALENT...OWING TO 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW EXPECTED IN THESE
AREAS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.
FIGURING OUT SNOW LEVELS HAS BEEN TRICKY AND DECIDED TO USE A
BLEND OF THE NAM/GFS/ECMWF AS A STARTING POINT WITH ADJUSTMENTS
MADE BASED ON WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS AND ANTICIPATED CONVECTION
DRIVING SNOW LEVELS LOWER...ESPECIALLY SATURDAY. UPGRADED
EARLIER ISSUED WATCH TO AN ADVISORY FOR THE FAR NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS...ABOVE 7000 FEET IN THE UPPER I-70 CORRIDOR...THE
GUNNISON VALLEY...AND ABOVE 7000 FEET OF THE FOOTHILLS AROUND
PAGOSA SPRINGS. A WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR THE GORE AND ELK
MOUNTAINS. PLACES BELOW 7000 FEET MAY SEE A MIX WITH SNOW OR
GRAUPEL FROM TIME TO TIME...BUT ANY MINOR ACCUMULATIONS WILL NOT
LAST LONG WITH TEMPERATURES STAYING ABOVE FREEZING.
THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE
PRECIPITATION LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. MODEL SOUNDINGS
ESPECIALLY SATURDAY SHOW RATHER STEEP LAPSE RATES AND THIS WILL
YIELD SHOWERY AND SHORT-LIVED BUT INTENSE PRECIPITATION.
.LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 310 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014
BY SATURDAY NIGHT MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE WITH THE DETAILS FOR
THIS STORM. THE GFS AND NAM HAVE A DECREASE IN PRECIPITATION OVER
THE NORTHERN CO MOUNTAINS STARTING SATURDAY EVENING. THE ECMWF AND
CMC KEEP MORE PRECIP OVER THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF CO. THE SAN
JUANS REMAIN ACTIVE THROUGH THE NIGHT. WENT WITH A BLEND AND KEPT
POPS HIGHER OVER THE NORTH THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT BUT WITH LESS
PRECIP AND SNOW AMOUNTS. THE SOUTH SHOULD HAVE MORE SNOWFALL.
WINDS WILL DECREASE ALSO SATURDAY NIGHT DECREASING FIRST OVER THE
NORTH AND TRANSITIONING TO THE SOUTH. THE UPPER TROF MOVES
OVER EASTERN UTAH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT STARTING THE TRANSITION FROM
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW TO MORE WESTERLY EARLY SUNDAY.
THE TROF CONTINUES TO WEAKEN AND AND MOVES EAST OF THE REGION
DURING SUNDAY MORNING. THE UPPER FLOW WILL BECOME NORTHWESTERLY
ALLOWING THE NORTHWEST FACING SLOPES TO BECOME FAVORED AS THE
STORM EXITS. SNOW SHOULD DIMINISH THROUGH THE DAY. EXPECT SNOW
SHOWERS TO LINGER OVER THE NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS UNDER
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. WENT ABOVE GUIDANCE SLIGHTLY WITH THE
LINGERING SNOW OVER THE NORTH.
A MINOR SHORTWAVE MOVES OVER THE NORTH MONDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AND SHOULD BRING ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS. A RIDGE
DEVELOPS ON WEDNESDAY WITH ANOTHER TROF FOR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO
FRIDAY. ALL MODELS SHOW THESE FEATURES BUT THE TIMING AND
PLACEMENT ARE QUITE DIFFERENT.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1001 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST OVERNIGHT
WITH LOWERING CIGS RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE AND PERSISTENT MOUNTAIN
OBSCURATION. EXPECT LENGTHY PERIODS OF MVFR CIGS AT THE TAF SITES
BETWEEN 09Z-19Z SATURDAY WITH PERIODS OF IFR CIGS/VSBY IN VALLEY
RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW.
&&
.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY ABOVE 7500 FEET
FOR COZ003.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY COZ014.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY
COZ009-010-012-013-018-019.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY COZ017.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MST SUNDAY ABOVE 7000 FEET
FOR COZ023.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY COZ004.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY ABOVE 7000 FEET
FOR COZ008.
UT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY ABOVE 7500 FEET
FOR UTZ023-025.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MST SUNDAY ABOVE 7500 FEET FOR
UTZ028.
&&
UPDATE...JDC
SHORT TERM...BM
LONG TERM...AS
AVIATION...JADHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 250 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011300- 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- 250 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA LATER TONIGHT. NUMEROUS WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED. SEVERAL INCHES TO UP TO 15 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED GENERALLY ABOVE 7500 TO 8500 FEET TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AND WINDS WILL GUST 30 TO 50 MPH OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO BRINGING SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL AND RAIN SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE EASTERN UINTAHS AND ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAU WHILE THE SAN JUANS AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS MAY SEE UPWARDS OF 2 FEET OF SNOW IF NOT MORE. MOST VALLEY LOCATIONS WILL SEE RAINFALL AS TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING THOUGH NORTHERN VALLEYS MAY SEE SOME ACCUMULATION. THE STORM WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT WITH THE NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION BEING MONDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1159 PM MST FRI FEB 28 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1158 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SW SWAMP ANGEL 37.88N 107.74W
02/28/2014 M81 MPH SAN JUAN CO MESONET
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1400668
RENWICKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
This event which began on the last day of February and continued into March produced snowfall amounts of 5 to 8 inches across the area. Wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph produced extensive blowing and drifting snow.
This event which began on the last day of February and continued into March produced snowfall amounts of 5 to 6 inches across the area. Wind gusts of 25 to 40 mph produced extensive blowing and drifting snow.
Snowfall amounts of 12 to 15 inches were measured in the Abajo Mountains. Lesser amounts were measured across the remainder of the zone. Wind gusts of 25 to 40 mph produced extensive blowing and drifting snow. Locally stronger winds on ridgetops included a gust to 73 mph on La Sal Mountain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, March 2014
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: 510704, 510707, 510709.