Several systems, many of them dry, quickly brushed eastern Utah in April which led to precipitation generally trending below normal for the region. This continued below normal precipitation allowed the drought conditions to remain unchanged for the majority of eastern Utah.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Several systems, many of them dry, quickly brushed eastern Utah in April which led to precipitation generally trending below normal for the region. This continued below normal precipitation allowed the drought conditions to remain unchanged for the majority of eastern Utah. However, areas of extreme drought were confined to southeast Utah with lesser categories elsewhere.
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, 10:32 PM MST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 1132 PM MDT Thu Mar 31 2022 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Friday night) Issued at 247 PM MDT Thu Mar 31 2022 Mid and high clouds are increasing across the CWA as a shortwave trough approaches from the west. The trough axis appears to be somewhere over central Utah along the Wasatch Front. Convective showers with some embedded thunderstorms seem to be developing along and just ahead of this boundary just west of the Green River to Lake Powell line (west of our CWA boundary). Expect this activity to spread eastward and across eastern Utah and western Colorado this evening and overnight, with best thunderstorm potential in southeast utah this evening, spreading towards west- central and southwest Colorado tonight. Mid level lapse rates remain steep in the 7 to 9 degrees C/km range with 300 to 500 J/kg of CAPE through this period so makes sense to keep mention of thunderstorms through the early morning hours before conditions stabilize. Large scale forcing is maximized at this time as well with the trough passage with the best QG forcing through 12Z Friday and large scale subsidence quickly filling in behind by late Friday morning into the afternoon. So, all in all, this will be a quick moving shortwave trough with about 12 hours worth of potential impacts with lower elevation rain and mountain snow. Conditions remain mild through this period with H7 temps lowering to about -3C south to -7C north by Friday morning. Seems like the better snowfall accumulation will remain above 9500 feet with roughly 3 to 6 inches, remaining below advisory criteria. The convective nature of this event though could result in some locally higher amounts across the higher peaks of the central and southern mountains, but overall anticipating a sub-advisory event. Therefore, no winter weather highlights will be issued with this forecast package. Temperatures overnight tonight will remain fairly mild as well given increased cloud cover and limited CAA. Temperatures should bounce back rather quickly Friday afternoon as drier air and subsidence take hold with high pressure sliding in from the west and WAA taking place quickly behind this wave. So, afternoon highs on Friday look to remain near normal with even warmer temperatures in store for Saturday. More on this in the Long Term section below. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Thursday) Issued at 247 PM MDT Thu Mar 31 2022 Under another transitory ridge, Saturday is shaping up to be the warmest day of the weekend with temperatures running several degrees above normal. As the ridge shifts eastward through the day Saturday mostly sunny skies will give way to increasing cloudiness thanks to a shortwave trough moving through the Northern Rockies. This trough moves out over the Dakotas by Sunday morning, dragging a frontal boundary south through eastern Utah and western Colorado. This east- west oriented boundary will combine with large scale ascent from a favorably positioned jet to bring widespread precipitation by Sunday afternoon. A shift in the flow aloft from zonal to slightly southwesterly will allow for moderate moisture transport as well as some weak warm air advection. This will keep snow levels high, with the highest snow accumulations generally above 9500 feet. Flow once again becomes more amplified for the start of the workweek as a strong Pacific low moves onshore over British Columbia. This low pressure has the potential to bring significantly colder weather, as well as a chance of precipitation, to eastern Utah and western Colorado. These possibilities are tied strongly to the track of the low pressure, and forecast confidence remains low. Latest model runs have come round to a cooler, wetter solution for the northeastern half of the area. This forecast is likely to change in the intervening days, so stay tuned. This will be a system to keep watch on. With the exception of the unseasonable warmth on Saturday, temperatures through Tuesday are expected to be near normal. Current forecast guidance has temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday near normal as well, however this will be influenced heavily by the aforementioned trough's exact track. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday night) Issued at 1132 PM MDT Thu Mar 31 2022 Scattered showers were continuing across the area from west to east. Conditions will approach MVFR and perhaps IFR at KASE and KTEX since rain could change to snow there. Showers will clear out of most sites by sunrise if not earlier, and clouds will clear and scatter out a few hours after that. Gusty winds are possible with the initial showers. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && SHORT TERM...MDA LONG TERM...BGB AVIATION...TGJT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 403 AM MDT Thu Mar 31 2022 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011015- 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- 403 AM MDT Thu Mar 31 2022 This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Snow becomes likely over the eastern Uinta Mountains this afternoon becoming widespread over the remaining mountains of eastern Utah and western Colorado tonight. Accumulations from this activity is expected to range from 3 to 6 inches with locally higher amounts. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Periodic, weak disturbances are expected to bring light snow to the mountains of eastern Utah and western Colorado off and on from Sunday through Wednesday. Significant accumulations aren't expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1138 PM MDT THU MAR 31 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1015 PM SNOW 7 NE SAWPIT 38.06N 107.91W
03/31/2022 M2.3 INCH SAN MIGUEL CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
NLThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of April as extreme (D3) drought conditions persisted across the entirety of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged across the zone through the month of April. The extreme (D3) drought continued over all but the far eastern portion of the zone where severe (D2) conditions remained.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of April as extreme (D3) drought conditions persisted across the entirety of the zone.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, April 2022
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: 1012577, 1012578, 1012579.