November 2018 was a great month for enhancing the snowpack as several disturbances moved across western Colorado and produced significant early season snow accumulations. However, even with all the winter storms that moved into the region, November still ended up being drier than normal for the valleys.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
November 2018 was a great month for enhancing the snowpack as several disturbances moved across western Colorado and produced significant early season snow accumulations. However, even with all the winter storms that moved into the region, November still ended up being drier than normal for the valleys. Nonetheless, several areas in northwest and west-central Colorado experienced a one category improvement in the drought classification.
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 Oct 31, 9:15 PM MST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 1015 PM MDT Wed Oct 31 2018 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 156 PM MDT Wed Oct 31 2018 Upper level flow will continue to transition to northwesterly as the last system finishes exiting Colorado late this afternoon. Clouds will increase again later this evening and overnight as the next disturbance tracks over the the northwestern and central mountains. With the northwesterly flow aloft the northwestern mountains, Flat Tops, and northern part of the central mountains will be favored for snow shower development. Models have backed off somewhat with amounts and the snow will be on and off. May reach snow depth criteria but only after a prolonged time period and in localized areas. Will not issue any hilites for now but will need to watch. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 156 PM MDT Wed Oct 31 2018 Short waves will continue to track through the northwesterly flow through the weekend. The stronger of the waves moves over the northern mountains late Friday into Saturday and has the potential to bring more snowfall reaching criteria for hilites. Slight break Saturday night and early Sunday before the next system dives southeastward bringing the possibility of more widespread precipitation to western Colorado and eastern Utah. This system is fairly progressive exiting late Monday leaving northwesterly flow to dominate. Another short wave tracks over the northern mountains Tuesday and brings additional potential of snow showers for the northwestern mountains. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) Issued at 1015 PM MDT Wed Oct 31 2018 Mid and high level clouds have spread through much of the region tonight with isolated snow showers increasing through the northern and central Colorado mountains. These conditions will continue through 00z Thursday evening. In showers, CIGS will drop below ILS breakpoints with reductions in VIS possible in heavier showers. KHDN and KASE are most likely to be impacted by showers with KRIL and KEGE having showers in the vicinity. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && SHORT TERM...AS LONG TERM...AS AVIATION...TGJT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 544 AM MDT Wed Oct 31 2018 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- 544 AM MDT Wed Oct 31 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Some lingering showers will persist over the San Juans and central mountains but should end mid-morning. Outside of that, plenty of sunshine is expected this morning. However, the next system will start dropping down from the northwest causing an increase in clouds. Some light snow is possible over the northern mountains and Flat Tops later tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Northwest flow continues allowing disturbances to move through this flow and bring continued snow to the northern mountains and Flat Tops Wednesday and Thursday and again Saturday and then Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions improved to severe (D2) drought by the end of November across the majority of the forecast area. A sliver of D3 drought persisted along the west-central border.
All traces of extreme (D3) drought improved to severe (D2) conditions across the far western and east-central perimeters of the zone by the end of November.
All traces of extreme (D3) drought improved to severe (D2) conditions across the far east-central perimeter of the zone by the end of November.
All traces of extreme (D3) drought improved to severe (D2) conditions across the far western perimeter of the zone by the end of November.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions improved to severe (D2) drought across the forecast zone by the end of November.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions improved to severe (D2) drought by the end of November across the far western portion of the forecast area. However, a sliver of D3 drought persisted along the southeast border.
All traces of extreme (D3) drought improved to severe (D2) conditions across the eastern portion of the zone by the end of November.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions improved to severe (D2) drought across the zone by the end of November.
Weather conditions at the end of November resulted in an improvement with the state of the drought from exceptional (D4) to extreme (D3) drought across the southeast portion of the zone and an improvement from extreme (D3) to severe (D2) drought across the northeast. However, extreme (D3) drought persisted across the central portion of the zone.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions improved to severe (D2) drought by the end of November across the majority of the forecast area. However, a sliver of D3 drought persisted along the southern border.
Weather conditions by the end of November resulted in an improvement with the state of the drought from the exceptional (D4) category to extreme (D3) across the zone.
Exceptional (D4) drought conditions improved to the extreme (D3) drought category by the end of November across the western perimeter of the zone, while exceptional (D4) drought persisted over the far southwest portion. Extreme (D3) drought continued across the remainder of the zone through the end of the month.
All traces of extreme (D3) drought improved to severe (D2) conditions across the east and southeast portions of the zone by the end of November.
Extreme drought (D3) persisted across the eastern portion of the zone through November. |Exceptional (D4) drought conditions persisted across the western portion of the zone through the end of the month, except for the far northwest corner where it improved to extreme (D3) drought by the end of the month.
The exceptional (D4) drought was trimmed back slightly to include only the southeast portion of the zone, while extreme (D3) drought continued across the central portion and severe (D2) persisted across the northern portion.
Exceptional (D4) drought conditions persisted across all but the far northeast portion of the forecast zone through the end of the month where extreme (D3) conditions remained.
Exceptional (D4) drought conditions persisted across the zone through the end of the month.
Extreme (D3) drought continued across the central and west-central portions of the zone, while exceptional (D4) drought persisted across the east and southeast portions of the zone through November.
Exceptional (D4) drought conditions persisted across the zone through the end of the month.
Exceptional (D4) drought conditions persisted across the zone through the end of the month.
Exceptional (D4) drought conditions persisted across the zone through the end of the month.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, November 2018
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: 790484, 790485, 790486, 790487, 790488, 790489, 790490, 790491, 790493, 790494, 790495, 790496, 790497, 790498, 790499, 790500, 790501, 790502, 790503, 790504, 790505.