Thunderstorms moved off the Uncompahgre Plateau and strengthened as they moved into the Grand Valley on the morning of May 22nd.
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.
Thunderstorms moved off the Uncompahgre Plateau and strengthened as they moved into the Grand Valley on the morning of May 22nd.
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 May 22, 9:54 AM MST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1054 AM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 354 AM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015 ANOTHER CLOSED PACIFIC LOW WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF RAIN SHOWERS AND SOME SNOW ABOVE ABOUT 9000 FEET THROUGH SATURDAY. 700 MB TEMPERATURES WILL HOVER BETWEEN -1 C AND +2 C WHICH SHOULD KEEP MOST OF THE ACCUMULATION ABOVE 10K FEET. TODAY WILL START OFF WITH A DRY SLOT SPREADING OVER THE AREA FROM THE SOUTHWEST...BUT AFTER SURFACE HEATING REMOVES THE CONVECTIVE INHIBITION IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...CONVECTIVE CLOUDS SHOULD FILL IN...SOMEWHAT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THOUGH IT APPEARS IN THE MODELS THAT WIDESPREAD PRECIP WON'T RETURN UNTIL SATURDAY. AT THAT TIME THE LOW CENTER WILL BE TRAVELING OVER WRN CO AND ERN UT. THIS STORM WILL BE VERY SLOW MOVING AND THE CIRCULATION AND UPLIFT ASSOCIATION WITH THE LOW CENTER WILL LINGER OVER THE FORECAST AREA THROUGHOUT SATURDAY...PRODUCING AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF CLOUDY AND RAINY WEATHER. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 354 AM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015 CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL BE SLOWLY LIFTING NORTH NORTHEAST AND REACHES THE NRN PLAINS BY MEMORIAL DAY. WRAPAROUND MOISTURE ON THE BACK SIDE OF UPPER LOW WILL BE AFFECTING THE FORECAST AREA ON SUNDAY... KEEPING CONDITIONS COOL AND UNSETTLED. SNOW LEVELS MAY BE LOW ENOUGH TO WARRANT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ACROSS THE WRN CO MOUNTAINS. A SECONDARY MID LEVEL CIRCULATION TRACKS ACROSS ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO ON MEMORIAL DAY. WHILE THIS FEATURE TRACKS SOUTH OF OUR FORECAST AREA...CYCLONIC FLOW CONTINUES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AND THIS LEADS TO ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS/STORMS. TEMPS MAY MODERATE BY A FEW DEGREES AS MORE SUN-BREAKS WILL BE EXPECTED. ANOTHER SPINNING LOW WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. THERE ARE SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE EVOLUTION OF THIS FEATURE...BUT LEANING TOWARD THE GFS THAT SHOWS SOME DRIER AIR FROM THE SOUTHWEST ADVECTING INTO THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WOULD NOT SHUT DOWN THE DIURNALLY DRIVEN STORMS...BUT LIMITS THE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL TO THE HIGH COUNTRY BY NEXT WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY AND MOST VALLEYS WOULD BE MOSTLY SUNNY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1054 AM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015 LINGERING MOISTURE COMBINED WITH ENERGY EJECTED FROM A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STORMS WILL FAVOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN RESULTING IN AREAS OF OBSCURATION. BEST CHANCES OF STORMS IMPACTING AREA AIRPORTS STRETCHES FROM 22Z THROUGH 04Z THIS EVENING. STORMS WILL PRODUCE OUTFLOW WINDS TO 35 MPH ALONG WITH BRIEF MVFR CIGS/VSBY. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT OVERNIGHT...THOUGH COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WILL BE REDUCED WITH JUST A HANDFUL OF THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...CC LONG TERM...PF AVIATION...NL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 535 AM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-231145- 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 FRI MAY 22 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME NUMEROUS IN THE HIGH COUNTRY BY LATE AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS. SOME SHOWERS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE NIGHT BUT WITH LESS COVERAGE. LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY ABOVE 10000 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY UNSETTLED CONDITIONS WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS. ABOVE 9000-10000 FEET...SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH APPRECIABLE ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES...MOSTLY IN THE EVENING AND AT NIGHT. TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THE LOWER DESERT VALLEYS WILL BE DRIER WITH WARMER CONDITIONS...BUT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH AFTERNOON OVER THE WESTERN COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
730 AM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM HAIL DOVE CREEK 37.77N 108.91W
05/22/2015 M0.25 INCH DOLORES CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1500755
MMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1147 AM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1146 AM HAIL REDLANDS 39.09N 108.65W
05/22/2015 E0.25 INCH MESA CO NWS EMPLOYEE
HAIL AND LIGHT RAIN OCCURRING AT TIME OF CALL.
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1500756
NLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1201 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1155 AM HAIL GRAND JUNCTION 39.09N 108.55W
05/22/2015 E0.50 INCH MESA CO PUBLIC
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1500757
NLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1204 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015 COZ003-006-007-009-221845- ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS CO-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS CO- GRAND VALLEY CO-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR CO- 1204 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 2015 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... AT 1204 PM MDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER GRAND JUNCTION...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... GRAND JUNCTION...FRUITA...PALISADE...REDLANDS...ORCHARD MESA... CAMEO...FRUITVALE AND CLIFTON. LAT...LON 3901 10858 3915 10872 3935 10847 3914 10826 TIME...MOT...LOC 1804Z 232DEG 8KT 3913 10858 NL
The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:20 UTC.
1 funnel cloud, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A funnel cloud was photographed and reported by public near Canyonview Park in Grand Junction.
Strong thunderstorms produced hail up to the size of quarters in the community of Clifton.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 2015
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: 612533, 612524.