Temperatures were above normal and precipitation was below normal across much of eastern Utah during the month of January. As a result, drought conditions persisted across the entirety of the region and remained in either the extreme or exceptional category through the end of 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.
Temperatures were above normal and precipitation was below normal across much of eastern Utah during the month of January. As a result, drought conditions persisted across the entirety of the region and remained in either the extreme or exceptional category through the end of 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 Dec 31, 10:23 PM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 1023 PM MST Thu Dec 31 2020 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Friday night) Issued at 153 PM MST Thu Dec 31 2020 The synoptic pattern featured a closed mid-level low pressure system over the SoCal-Arizona-Baja triple point and a shallow open wave trough over the northern Rockies. The forecast area lay under the col between these features early this afternoon. Weak upward forcing in the col region working on residual moisture left behind by the storm earlier this week has resulted in a broad swath of mid-level clouds across the area combined with cirrus in the higher reaches of the atmosphere. Earlier in the day the eastern Uinta Basin experienced some light snow as ice from clouds aloft seeded the low stratus deck below. The col breaks down overnight as the closed low to the south moves east-southeastward over northern Mexico. Models suggest enough lift and moisture for isolated light showers over the eastern Uinta Mountains this evening with little chance later tonight. Light flow will fail to displace moisture so expect skies will remain a mixed bag overnight in response to modest lift. Low stratus and light fog are likely to return to to the eastern Uinta Basin late as strong low level inversions persist. These inversions are also likely to keep temperatures down in the Gunnison Basin and other snow covered valleys. Drying begins across northeast Utah and northwest Colorado on New Years day as a transient ridge approaches from the west. However, lingering moisture and instability may bring isolated snow showers to the higher peaks of the San Juan Mountains during the afternoon. Undercut highs in some of the lower valleys as inversions are likely to persist. Expect clearing beneath the ridge as it moves overhead Friday night. Decreased clouds point to cold overnight lows. NBM wasn't catching on to the strong inversion across the Gunnison Basin and lowered minimums there on the order of 10 degrees. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Thursday) Issued at 153 PM MST Thu Dec 31 2020 A weak, fast-moving shortwave will scoot across Wyoming on Saturday, staying well to the north of the forecast area. With very limited moisture to work with, expecting little, if any, precipitation to come from this wave. More likely, we'll see just a brief increase in mid and high level cloud-clover with dry conditions remaining at the surface. This shortwave exits to our east Saturday night with low- amplitude ridging to follow. Fast, nearly zonal westerly flow aloft will allow a bit more Pacific moisture to spill into the Great Basin and northern Four corners on Sunday, but with no forcing to act on this moisture, dry weather will round out the first weekend of 2020. Temperatures during this period will continue to run about 5 degrees below normal. Mid-level heights rise a bit more on Monday in response to an upstream shortwave digging into Northern California. While this will ensure another day of dry weather, temperatures will at least be a few degrees warmer as a result of weak warm advection aloft. The aformentioned shortwave will trek eastward and be located over eastern Utah and western Colorado by Tuesday morning. Increasing moisture and dynamical forcing will lead to snow breaking out across the higher terrain late morning into the afternoon, but the quick forward speed will likely limit accumulations to below advisory criteria. That being said, the GFS/GEFS are hinting at a possible slower, closed low solution. This would then have implications on both precipitation amounts and duration. Given this system is still 5 days away, we'll take a conservative approach for now and make any adjustments to the forecast as necessary. Dry, seasonable weather returns on Wednesday as Tuesday's system ejects into the central Plains. The next feature of interest arrives Thursday or Friday with another opportunity for snow, particularly in the higher terrain once again. Temperatures will remain within a few degrees of seasonal norms. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday night) Issued at 1022 PM MST Thu Dec 31 2020 Mid level and some low level moisture will continue to impact our region as the trough aloft makes its way across the region through the TAF period. Ceilings at or below ILS breakpoints will continue across northern airports, including KEGE and KASE. KVEL has the greatest potential for ceilings to go below IFR overnight into Friday morning. Ceilings improve during the late morning. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && SHORT TERM...NL LONG TERM...MDM AVIATION...BM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 526 AM MST Thu Dec 31 2020 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011230- 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- 526 AM MST Thu Dec 31 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A few snowshowers are possible over the eastern Uintas today but little accumulation is expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday A series of weak disturbances will move through every few days bringing some light snow to the mountains. A stronger system may bring more widespread snow on Tuesday. .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 January with exceptional (D4) conditions persisting across the entirety of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of January with exceptional (D4) conditions across all but the far northern portion of the zone where the extreme (D3) category continued.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of January with exceptional (D4) conditions across all but the far northern portion of the zone where the extreme (D3) category continued.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of January with extreme (D3) conditions persisting across the entirety of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of January with extreme (D3) conditions persisting across the entirety of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of January 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 January 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, January 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: 931798, 931799, 931801, 931802, 931803, 931804, 931805.