Colorado, 2016

Dense Fog in Colorado, December 31, 2016

December 31, 2016 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Dense fog formed in the Four Corners region as low level moisture remained trapped under a surface-based inversion.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
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  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

Dense fog formed in the Four Corners region as low level moisture remained trapped under a surface-based inversion.

What forecasters said that day

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 31, 4:46 PM MST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 4:46 PM MST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 4:48 AM MST, 13 hours 42 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
448 AM MST SAT DEC 31 2016

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-FLAT TOPS-
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-
448 AM MST SAT DEC 31 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN
COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WIDESPREAD SNOW WILL FALL OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST UTAH AND
SOUTHWEST COLORADO THIS MORNING WITH RAIN BELOW 5000 TO 5500 FEET.
THE RAIN/SNOW LINE WILL RISE TO AROUND 6000 TO 6500 DURING THE
AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES RISE. THE SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR SNOW
WILL MOVE FROM NORTHERN ARIZONA TO NORTH-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO LATE
THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE SYSTEM SHIFTS EASTWARD SNOW WILL DIMINISH
FROM WEST TO EAST. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT.
SNOW WILL INCREASE AGAIN LATE TONIGHT AS THE NEXT SYSTEM BEGINS TO
APPROACH FROM THE SOUTHWEST.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO ALL MOUNTAINS AND SOME ADJACENT
VALLEYS ON NEW YEARS DAY AS THE NEXT STORM DRAWS DOWN ON THE
AREA. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY AS A DEEP
ARCTIC SYSTEM LINGERS OVER THE REGION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT...HOWEVER
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 31, 3:18 PM MST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 31, 5:43 PM MST, 47 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin

When
December 31, 6:30 PM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
37.698, -108.507 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense fog occurred across portions of the area with visibilities down to a quarter mile.

What these are

Dense Fog
Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2016

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 702143.