A wildfire began from unknown causes 20 miles east-southeast of Moab.
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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 began from unknown causes 20 miles east-southeast of Moab.
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 Sep 2, 10:53 AM MST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 1153 AM MDT Wed Sep 2 2020 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday) Issued at 350 AM MDT Wed Sep 2 2020 Anomalously high heights pushing in from the west will lead to warming temperatures and minimal chance of precipitation for the next several days. An embedded shortwave in strong, northwest flow to our north will tighten the pressure gradient across Wyoming this afternoon. As a result, localized critical fire weather conditions are possible along the Wyoming border. Otherwise, dry northwest flow and clear skies are forecast for this afternoon, which will allow temperatures to rise back to climatological normal values for early September. Expect generally light winds for the remaining forecast area, with typical drainage flow steering the winds through the night. High pressure noses east into Thursday, which will help push the upper level trough and associated jet away from the CWA. Temperatures will start to climb back above normal Thursday afternoon, with light winds expected across the region. .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Tuesday) Issued at 350 AM MDT Wed Sep 2 2020 Ridging will continue to amplify into the weekend, leaving little change to the beginning of the extended forecast. Expect a gradual climb in high temperatures through the weekend, with the potential of lower valleys across Utah reaching triple digits by Friday and mountain towns climbing to unusually warm temperatures for this time of year. Models are in fairly good agreement with the high's progression through Sunday, so confidence in a hot and dry period persisting into the weekend is high. Models begin to diverge with the evolution of the next major trough plunging into the Plains next week, however, there is a sign of relief from the abnormally warm temperature trend. First, a shortwave trecking across the Northern Rockies may suppress the ridging overhead, and allow the center of high pressure to start retrograding west. As a result, temperatures will begin a downward trend early next week. However, this also tightens the pressure gradient aloft which will likely increase winds from the Northwest. A prolonged dry period combined with increased winds may return the potential for critical fire weather conditions developing by Monday. The big kicker for next week lies in the evolution and strength of the next polar jet and its associated vort max by Tuesday. The EC is a bit more aggressive in the 00Z run, driving a closed low directly over the UT/CO border. As a result, a polar air mass is pulled as far south as the Four Corners as well as bringing the potential for a decent spread of precipitation across the western slope. Meanwhile, the GFS keeps the belly of the trough skirting the lee side of the Rockies. Though, this solution brings notably cooler temperatures, it also stunts the chance of precipitation to areas along and east of the Divide. The extended forecast reflects an average of these solutions, taking the median of cooler temperatures by Tuesday and increased chance of precipitation over the higher terrain, with the highest probability along the Divide. Confidence decreases as we move into next week. So, take the back half of the long term forecast with a grain of salt as projections will likely vary as we move closer to this event. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 1147 AM MDT Wed Sep 2 2020 VFR flight conditions expected for the next 24 hours. Daytime heating will kick up diurnal wind gusts up to 20 knots at times across the higher terrain terminals this afternoon and evening. A clear sky and light, terrain driven winds will prevail overnight and into the morning hours on Thursday. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && SHORT TERM...ERW LONG TERM...ERW AVIATION...MDM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 433 AM MDT Wed Sep 2 2020 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-031045- 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- 433 AM MDT Wed Sep 2 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Warming trend continues under ridge of high pressure. The next low pressure system may bring a chance for cooler temperatures by Tuesday of next week. However, confidence in weather pattern is low at the moment. Thus, 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 Lackey Fan Fire began in early September 20 miles east-southeast of Moab from unknown causes. The fire grew to 100 acres before it was contained a day later.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, September 2020
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: 911067.