Colorado, 2017

Dense Fog in Colorado, January 19, 2017

January 19, 2017 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An abundance of low-level moisture remained trapped under a strong inversion which led to another round of dense fog in some southwest Colorado valleys.

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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  • Winter weather
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  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

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.

An abundance of low-level moisture remained trapped under a strong inversion which led to another round of dense fog in some southwest Colorado valleys.

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, 3:48 AM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 3:48 AM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 19, 3:04 AM MST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
304 AM MST THU JAN 19 2017

COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-201015-
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-
304 AM MST THU JAN 19 2017

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SERIES OF WINTER STORMS WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE AREA THIS
EVENING WITH MOUNTAIN SNOWS AND A RAIN SNOW MIX FOR THE GRAND
VALLEY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

TWO MORE WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA BRINGING
ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ON SATURDAY WITH A BREAK IN THE WEATHER ON
SUNDAY. A STRONGER SYSTEM WILL ARRIVE MONDAY MORNING DELIVERING
ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL THROUGH TUESDAY.

.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.

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, Animas River Basin

When
January 19, 5:30 AM MST to 9:00 AM MST
Where
Animas River Basin forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
37.287, -107.843 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense fog occurred across portions of the Animas River Basin as visibilities dropped to a quarter mile or less.

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 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, January 2017

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: 685405.