A potent Pacific trough progressed east across the Great Basin and through eastern Utah over several days. Additionally, ample subtropical moisture associated with a decaying low pressure system was advected into the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A potent Pacific trough progressed east across the Great Basin and through eastern Utah over several days. Additionally, ample subtropical moisture associated with a decaying low pressure system was advected into the region. As a result, moderate to heavy snow fell across the mountains of eastern Utah.
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 Nov 19, 10:05 PM MST, 3 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
1005 PM MST Tue Nov 19 2019
.SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Wednesday night)
Issued at 138 PM MST Tue Nov 19 2019
Winter weather conditions are on track to begin later tonight over
SW CO and SE UT. The closed 500 mb low off Baja will combine with
a developing trough as the trough digs down the CA coast tonight.
As the remnants of the cutoff in incorporated into the trough and
lifts NE over AZ, significant moisture and lift spread over the
Four Corners area a bit after midnight tonight then spread north
over central CO and all of eastern UT by about 15z, and finally
reaching northern CO by 18z. Belief significant snowfall will hit
all the mountains, especially the San Juans, La Sals and Abajos,
through Wednesday night. Widespread rainfall will affect all the
lower elevations with the rain/snow line at 8000-8500 feet.
.LONG TERM...(Thursday through Tuesday)
Issued at 138 PM MST Tue Nov 19 2019
Progress of this complex storm to the northeast seems to be closer
to the more progressive GFS solution of the past few days. The
main 500 mb low center will be over extreme southern CA Wednesday
evening. It and several vort maxes rotating around it will
dumbbell northeast to southwestern UT by Thursday morning, wobble
around over southern UT Thursday, then jump east to the Front
Range by Friday morning. There will be a few breaks in the winter
weather Thursdays as minor dry slots come in behind passing vort
lobes, but most of the forecast area will be in and out of
significant valley rain and mountain snow through Thursday night.
Most of the weather will slide east Friday except a last little
shortwave appear to ride down the west side of the low and
continue scattered wintry conditions over the northern and
central CO mountains through late Friday afternoon and early
evening.
Dry conditions area expected Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.
Next Monday and Tuesday are setting up to be a repeat of Wednesday
and Thursday as another strong Pacific trough picks up a closed
low over the Baja and bring a colder wintry mix of weather over
the area.
&&
.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday night)
Issued at 954 PM MST Tue Nov 19 2019
Cigs have begun to drop below ILS breakpoints at times this
evening. Later tonight through the morning MVFR conditions and
periods of IFR will be likely as rain and snow pushes across the
region. The showers will become more scattered during the
afternoon with another round of moderate to heavy precipitation
towards the end of the taf period.
&&
.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CO...Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Wednesday to 5 AM MST Friday
for COZ004-010-013.
Winter Storm Warning until 5 AM MST Friday for COZ018-019.
Winter Storm Warning from 5 AM Wednesday to 5 AM MST Friday for
COZ009-012.
UT...Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Wednesday to 5 AM MST Friday
for UTZ023.
Winter Storm Warning until 5 AM MST Friday for UTZ028.
&&
SHORT TERM...CC
LONG TERM...CC
AVIATION...KJSHazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 309 AM MST Tue Nov 19 2019 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- 309 AM MST Tue Nov 19 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Snow will begin over the San Juan mountains as well as eastern Utah mountains tonight into Wednesday morning. Expect accumulations above 8,500' with rain in the valleys. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Snow will continue in all mountain ranges above 8500 feet through Friday. A foot or more is possible throughout numerous mountain ranges in southeast Utah and southwest Colorado. A soaking rain will fall elsewhere across the valleys. Spotters are encouraged to report rain and snow totals to the NWS. .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 national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Generally 10 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area.
Generally 8 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, 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: 857249, 857250.