A strong rotating thunderstorm produced damaging outflow winds in Daggett County and continued on into Uintah County where it produced a relatively long-lived but short track tornado.
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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.
A strong rotating thunderstorm produced damaging outflow winds in Daggett County and continued on into Uintah County where it produced a relatively long-lived but short track tornado.
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 Jun 16, 9:47 AM MST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1047 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 640 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 A WEAK DISTURBANCE CONTINUED TO TRACK EASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS FEATURE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR GENERATING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WEST- CENTRAL COLORADO...THE FOUR CORNERS AND THE NORTHERN TIER ZONES. STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND MODERATE WIND GUSTS TO 20-25 MPH. EXTRAPOLATED MOVEMENT YIELDED MOVEMENT OF THIS MASS OF MOIST CONVECTION AS GENERALLY EASTWARD AT 20-25 MPH. CONSEQUENTLY...INCREASED POP VALUES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS WEST-CENTRAL COLORADO THIS MORNING. EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY WILL LARGELY PASS EAST OF THE AREA BY LATE MORNING...THOUGH BY THIS TIME THE AREA WILL LIKELY SEE REDEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS THUNDERSTORMS DUE TO DIURNAL WARMING. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 328 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 BY SUNRISE THIS MORNING THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND AREA OF UPLIFT OVER NORTHWEST CO WILL HAVE MOVED TO SE WY AND INTO THE HIGH PLAINS...BUT IT APPEARS THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE VORT MAX THAT MOVED THROUGH NORTHERN NV OVERNIGHT AND INTO EASTERN UT WILL STILL BE DRAGGING THROUGH WEST-CENTRAL CO THIS MORNING WITH A FEW SHOWERS EXITING THE AREA EAST OF EAGLE AND VAIL BEFORE NOON. DRIER AIR WILL THEN CONTINUE FILTERING INTO EASTERN UT AND THEN WESTERN CO. AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD FORM MAINLY THE HIGHER TERRAIN. TONIGHT WILL SEE CONTINUED DRYING AS A RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE SW U.S. WEDNESDAY SHOULD BE DRY AND RELATIVELY HOT WITH CONVECTION CONFINED TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND POINTS EAST. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 328 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 SUBTROPICAL HIGH CORE POSITIONED OVER THE SWRN CONUS SHUTS DOWN ANY MOISTURE PLUMES IN THE LONG TERM PERIOD. A DIGGING SHORT WAVE INTO MONTANA ON SATURDAY TIGHTENS WESTERLY GRADIENT FLOW ACROSS COLORADO. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN SOME AFTERNOON BREEZES...BUT MINIMAL FIRE WEATHER IMPACT GIVEN ROBUST RAIN AMOUNTS DURING THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS. WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE...FORECASTED AFTERNOON TEMPS LEAVES NO DOUBT THAT SUMMER HAS ARRIVED. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1047 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 AN AGITATED ATMOSPHERE IS IN PLACE WITH EARLY DAY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY GETTING A VERY EARLY START ACROSS THE REGION. RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW UPSTREAM SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS CONTINUING FORM AND MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST UTAH AND MUCH OF WESTERN COLORADO. THIS WEATHER WILL BE IMPACTING ALL BUT THE KVEL TERMINAL THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. PREVAILING CATEGORIES WILL REMAIN AT VFR LEVELS THROUGH THE BULK OF THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PASSING SHOWERS MAY TEMPORARILY DROP CONDITIONS TO MVFR BUT CONFIDENCE QUITE LOW ON THIS. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE GUSTY AND ERRATIC OUTFLOW WINDS WHICH WILL LIKELY EXCEED 30 MPH AT TIMES THROUGH MID EVENING. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY DECREASE AFTER SUNSET. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && UPDATE...NL SHORT TERM...CC LONG TERM...PF AVIATION...TGJT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 544 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-171145- 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- 544 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED OVER WESTERN COLORADO...LESS NUMEROUS OVER EASTERN UTAH. A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. STORMS WILL END QUICKLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SCATTERED AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY. WIDESPREAD HOT AND DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEGINNING ON THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES IN THE DESERT VALLEYS OF SOUTHEAST UTAH WILL BE APPROACHING 100 DEGREES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
842 AM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 AM HAIL 2 NW REDLANDS 39.10N 108.67W
06/16/2015 E0.25 INCH MESA CO COCORAHS
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1500831
MALEKSASPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 136 PM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 COZ001-UTZ023-162015- LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN CO-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS UT- 136 PM MDT TUE JUN 16 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL MOFFAT... NORTHEASTERN UINTAH AND SOUTHEASTERN DAGGETT COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM MDT... AT 135 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 24 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MANILA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF WEST CENTRAL MOFFAT...NORTHEASTERN UINTAH AND SOUTHEASTERN DAGGETT COUNTIES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 4072 10949 4089 10939 4070 10875 4045 10890 TIME...MOT...LOC 1935Z 296DEG 28KT 4078 10936 JDC
The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 221 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:45 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A supercell thunderstorm produced strong winds which snapped off or uprooted many coniferous and aspen trees up to two feet in diameter within the Greens Draw area. This event was experienced by some people who were in that area when it occurred.
The supercell thunderstorm which produced strong damaging outflow winds in Daggett County moved into nearby Uintah County and spawned a funnel cloud which was observed for well over 5 minutes before the rotation made contact with the ground. The tornado remained over open country during its existence. Although the rotation was on the ground for about 9 minutes, it was estimated to have only traveled about one mile during that time. After the rotation lifted off the ground, the funnel cloud persisted for at least another 5 minutes.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Utah, 2015Warnings in Utah, June 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: 575000, 575007.