Drought conditions remained unchanged across eastern Utah through the end of April as a result of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation across the majority of the region throughout the month.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
Drought conditions remained unchanged across eastern Utah through the end of April as a result of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation across the majority of the region throughout the month.
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 Mar 31, 8:28 PM MST, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 928 PM MDT Wed Mar 31 2021 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 155 PM MDT Wed Mar 31 2021 Not a cloud in the sky is currently detectable via satellite imagery, making for a clear cut picture of the snow capped mountains across eastern Utah and western Colorado. The ridge of high pressure responsible for clearing skies and warming trend will slide overhead tonight. Minimal cloud cover and calm winds support another night of decent radiational cooling, though, warm air advecting into the region will prevent low temperatures from dropping as cold as observed last night. Winds shift to the southwest on Thursday, as a closed low becomes ingested into the broad ridge and lifts towards the Desert Southwest. This will enhance warm air advection and allow Thursday's high temperatures to rise another 5 to 10 degrees warmer than today. Cloud cover will start to invade the Four Corners region Thursday evening ahead of the approaching wave, which will moderate overnight lows Thursday night as moisture streams in aloft. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 155 PM MDT Wed Mar 31 2021 On Thursday night, the closed low pressure trapped under the expansive ridge will move ashore in southern Cal. During the day Friday it will track northeastward over the Desert Southwest causing the winds to increase, but nothing like the last system. The low pressure will not provide much lift, but moisture will try to advect into the area in the southwest flow. As of now it appears that the moisture might not be enough to overcome the warm and dry surface conditions. Perhaps a few light showers develop over the peaks mainly in the San Juans, but mid/high level clouds is more likely. On Friday night that system exits the region allowing the ridge to reach it's full potential over the weekend. Under this ridge temperatures will continue to rise with highs nudging 80 degrees, and low-to-mid 60's for mountain towns. The warmest day will be Sunday or maybe Monday depending on the speed of the next low pressure in the Pacific Northwest. Not much has changed with the models regarding this next system. There are still some differences in how the low weakens over eastern Pacific before it lifts inland back into the main flow as an open wave/trough. Overall the GFS is more progressive than the ECMWF, and slower seems to verify more often. Regardless the ridge will have to break down, and most of the ensemble guidance shows temperatures cooling down by Tuesday. Still plenty of time for changes. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) Issued at 928 PM MDT Wed Mar 31 2021 Widespread VFR conditions will prevail at all TAF sites for the next 24 hours with typical diurnal winds. High clouds may begin to infiltrate the region late in the period as upper level flow shifts to the southwest, but will pose no threat to aviation. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && SHORT TERM...ERW LONG TERM...KJS AVIATION...TGJT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 251 AM MDT Wed Mar 31 2021 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- 251 AM MDT Wed Mar 31 2021 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 Isolated thunderstorm development is possible Friday afternoon in the eastern San Juan mountains. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of April as exceptional (D4) conditions persisted across all but the northern part of the zone where extreme (D3) conditions continued.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the end of April with exceptional (D4) conditions across all but the southern part of the zone where extreme (D3) conditions persisted.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the end of April with exceptional (D4) conditions across the northern and southern portions of the zone and extreme (D3) conditions across the central portion of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of April with extreme (D3) conditions persisting across the entirety of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of April with extreme (D3) conditions persisting across the entirety of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of April with exceptional (D4) conditions across all but the far southern portion of the zone where the extreme (D3) category continued.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of April with exceptional (D4) conditions across the southern portion of the zone, the extreme (D3) category across the central areas, and the severe (D2) drought across the far northwest portion of the zone.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, April 2021
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: 947242, 947244, 947247, 947248, 947249, 947251, 947253.