A wildfire, 9 mile east of Ridgway, burned uncontrolled for several weeks after an extremely dry summer.
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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.
A wildfire, 9 mile east of Ridgway, burned uncontrolled for several weeks after an extremely dry summer.
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, 10:03 PM MST, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 1103 PM MDT Thu Oct 31 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Friday night) Issued at 344 PM MDT Thu Oct 31 2019 I like forecasting temperatures during inversion season about like peas...which is not at all. While several places were single digits below zero this morning...sensors in the southern mountains were in the mid to upper 20s above 10000 feet. This was quite noticeable on the 12Z KGJT RAOB where the nose of the warm air was sitting around 650mb. Therefore today's valley temperatures struggled to reach expectations and this will be likely over through at least the next several days. Therefore did lean toward non-biased corrected guidance. With snow cover on the ground in Gunnison...Vernal and Eagle and Yampa River Valleys...these temperatures could really struggle to warm for a bit. There will be a passing system bringing some cloudiness and flurries to the northern mountains which will temper the fall of the mercury tonight. Otherwise it appears a lot of records could be in jeopardy again tonight. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Thursday) Issued at 344 PM MDT Thu Oct 31 2019 A Rex Block continues to hold strong off the Pacific Coast through mid-week. As it breaks down beyond this the low is forecast to track to our South...so dry northwest flow will dominate this period. Not much other to say during this period other than we expect a slow warming trend...unless inversions decide otherwise. Probably the bigger question is what will happen to the Pacific Ridge. The nod goes to the EURO so far this year which keeps more robust heights out West...which hopefully with not turn into the dreaded triple R. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday night) Issued at 1101 PM MDT Thu Oct 31 2019 VFR conditions will prevail with only middle and high clouds over the northern half of the area. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && SHORT TERM...15 LONG TERM...15 AVIATION...CC
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 201 AM MDT Thu Oct 31 2019 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-010815- 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- 201 AM MDT Thu Oct 31 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A bitterly cold airmass will remain over the area today producing all time record low minimum temperatures this morning for the month of October. Very cold conditions are expected early this evening when many children will be out trick-or-treating. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Cow Creek Fire began in mid October, about 9 miles east of Ridgway. The fire grew to 859 acres before it was contained at the end of November.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, November 2019
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: 861323.