Colorado, 2016

Dense Fog in Colorado, January 19, 2016

January 19, 2016 · NWS GJT · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Recent snowfall and evaporation caused widespread dense fog to form across the Grand Valley.

Where it happened

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.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

Recent snowfall and evaporation caused widespread dense fog to form across the Grand Valley.

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 Jan 19, 4:09 AM MST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 4:09 AM MST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 19, 5:09 AM MST, 21 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

3 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Grand Valley

When
January 19, 5:30 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where
Grand Valley forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense fog across the Grand Valley lowered the visibility to a quarter mile or less in some areas, including the Grand Junction Regional Airport.

Dense Fog, Debeque to Silt Corridor

When
January 19, 7:00 AM MST to 12:00 PM MST
Where
Debeque to Silt Corridor forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
39.308, -108.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense fog lower the visibility to a quarter mile or less in some areas, including the Rifle Garfield County Airport.

Dense Fog, Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin

When
January 19, 8:00 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where
Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.294, -108.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense fog reduced the visibility to a quarter mile or less in some areas, including Nucla Hopkins Field Airport.

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, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 659981, 659982, 659983.