Outflow from a high-based thunderstorm produced damaging winds that were concentrated in a small area within Grand Junction.
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The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.
Outflow from a high-based thunderstorm produced damaging winds that were concentrated in a small area within Grand Junction.
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 8, 4:21 PM MST, 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 521 PM MDT SUN MAY 8 2016 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 134 PM MDT SUN MAY 8 2016 MAIN ELONGATED CIRCULATION IS SPINNING OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS A FEW EMBEDDED WAVES ROTATING AROUND THE LOW TO OUR SOUTH IN ARIZONA AND NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO WHICH IS AIDING SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN CWA. TO THE NORTH A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE STRATIFORM PRECIPITATION FIELD IS SLOWLY DRIFTING SOUTH OVER NORTHERN UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO. SNOW IS FALLING OVER THE HIGHWAY 191 SUMMIT BUT SO FAR ONLY SOME LIGHT SLUSH MIGHT BE AFFECTING TRAVEL. MODELS ALL HINT AT THE PRECIPITATION FIELD CONTINUE TO DRIFT SOUTHWARD AND BECOME ORIENTED NORTH TO SOUTH NEAR AND EAST OF THE UTAH/COLORADO BORDER. HAVE INCREASED POPS AS SUCH TO ACCOMMODATE THIS OVERNIGHT WHILE AREAS TO THE FAR EAST AND WEST MAY SEE SOME DECLINE THROUGH THE EVENING AS THE CONVECTIVE ELEMENT OF THIS STORM SUBSIDES. MOIST NORTHERLY FLOW INTO THE NORTHEAST UINTA MOUNTAINS CONTINUE WELL INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS MONDAY. AS WE HAVE SEEN LATELY SOME PROBLEMS CAN ARISE AS TEMPERATURES COOL AFTER SUNSET. MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES SUGGEST SOME WARMING OVERNIGHT BUT DOUBT PTYPE WILL CHANGE OVER OR SNOW LEVEL LIFT MUCH. NO ADVISORIES PLANNED ATTM AND HAVE COORDINATED WITH UDOT FOR A CONSISTENT MESSAGE OF ROAD CONDITIONS PLANNED ATTM. UPPER LOW GETTING KICKED OUT OF OUR AREA ON MONDAY BY ANOTHER UPPER LOW TO OUR NORTHWEST...WILL RESULT IN WAA AND MOISTURE GRADUALLY ERODING FROM THE WEST ACROSS OUR CWA. EXPECT MAX TEMPERATURES MONDAY TO BE AS MUCH AS 10 DEGREES WARMER THAN TODAY AT MANY LOCATIONS. H7 TEMPERATURES LIKELY TO RISE 4 DEGREES C HIGHER THAN TODAY. DRIER AIR IS SHORT-LIVED AS A BAND OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE DEVELOPS MONDAY NIGHT FROM SE UTAH/SW CO TO THE NORTHERN CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AREA OF NW CO...SOUTH OF LEADING EDGE OF BAROCLINIC ZONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW TO THE NORTH OF OUR AREA. HAVE CHANCE/SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE MOUNTAIN ZONES...WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS MANY LOWER ELEVATION ZONES. SNOW LEVELS SHOULD BE ABOVE 9000 FEET SOUTHERN ZONES AND 8000-8500 FEET NORTHERN ZONES...WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS GENERALLY NO MORE THAN AN INCH...AND MINIMAL IMPACT EXPECTED ON TRAVEL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 304 PM MDT SUN MAY 8 2016 MODELS IN GOOD GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT MID LEVEL MOISTURE ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE BAROCLINIC ZONE EXPECTED TO PERSIST ON TUESDAY MAINLY S OF I-70...FOR A CONTINUATION OF SHOWERS MOSTLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THEN A VORT LOBE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW TO OUR NORTH WILL LIKELY BE SWINGING MOISTURE INTO THE NORTHERN PORTION OF OUR CWA TUESDAY NIGHT WHILE THE MOISTURE SOUTH OF I-70 IS PUSHED EAST OF OUR CWA. DRIER AIR THEN EXPECTED TO SPREAD IN FROM THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY ...ALTHOUGH A FEW SHOWERS MAY PERSIST IN THE MOUNTAINS NORTH OF I-70. WEDNESDAY WILL USHER IN THE BEGINNING OF A WARMING TREND THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...WITH A GENERALLY DRY AIRMASS ...AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE DEVELOPS TO OUR WEST AND DRIFTS OVER OUR CWA TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK. FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED IN SOME LOWER ELEVATION ZONES LATE TUESDAY NIGHT/EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING DUE TO COMBINATION OF COLD AIR PUSH FROM THE NORTH...AND WHERE DRYING WILL BE OCCURRING THAT RESULTS IN LOWER DEW POINT TEMPERATURES. FOR NOW...LOOKS LIKE FRUIT GROWING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE CRITICAL TEMPERATURES. MODELS THEN FLATTEN THE UPPER RIDGE OVER OUR AREA ON SATURDAY... AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH THAT SHOULD BRUSH THE NORTHERN PORTION OF OUR CWA SUNDAY WITH SOME SOME SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. MAX TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY SHOULD BE SEVERAL DEGREES LOWER THAN SATURDAY. .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1047 AM MDT SUN MAY 8 2016 STRATIFORM WIDESPREAD RAINFALL ACROSS NORTHEAST UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO HAS BROUGHT POCKETS OF MVFR CIGS TO KVEL AND POINTS EAST. TO THE SOUTH THE PRECIPITATION IN MORE CONVECTIVE IN NATURE WITH CIGS EITHER UNLIMITED OR RUNNING AT VFR LEVELS. THE AREA TO THE NORTH WILL BE SHIFTING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY WHILE SHOWERS IN THE SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO FILL IN AS AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY ALONG I-70 AND SOUTHWARD...AND AVIATION HAZARDS WILL COME FROM GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL AND RIMING...VSBY COULD AFFECT AIRFIELDS DOWN TO IFR AS THEY PASS THROUGH AS WELL. EXPECT POSSIBLE WIDESPREAD MVFR CONDITIONS AT FORECAST TERMINALS THE BACK EDGE OF THIS STORM PASSES THROUGH...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE NEAR 7500 FEET. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 452 PM MDT SUN MAY 8 2016 SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE EAST OF A LINE FROM KCNY TO KCAG. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH AFTER ABOUT 04Z WITH SHOWERS CONTINUE THEREAFTER. AREAS OF STRATIFORM RAIN WILL CONTINUE NORTH OF THE LINE. MOUNTAINS WILL REMAIN OBSCURED AND ALL TAF SITES HAVE ABOUT A 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS IN STRONGER STORMS. ALL TAFS WILL EXPERIENCE PERIODS OF CIGS DROPPING TO ILS BREAKPOINTS. CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE FROM WEST TO EAST MONDAY. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...15/JRP LONG TERM...JRP AVIATION...CC
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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
140 PM MDT SUN MAY 08 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM HAIL GLENWOOD SPRINGS 39.54N 107.33W
05/08/2016 E0.25 INCH GARFIELD CO TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND LASTED FOR 10 MINUTES
&&
EVENT NUMBER GJT1600682
MALEKSAThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong thunderstorm outflow winds downed some trees and broke off large tree limbs in a neighborhood within Grand Junction. Only minor damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 2016
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: 638477.