On May 29, a shortwave trough brought with it ample mid-level moisture to produce virga and isolated rain showers across eastern Utah. For valleys, where surface conditions remained extremely dry, inverted-V profiles supported strong downdrafts from virga showers.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
On May 29, a shortwave trough brought with it ample mid-level moisture to produce virga and isolated rain showers across eastern Utah. For valleys, where surface conditions remained extremely dry, inverted-V profiles supported strong downdrafts from virga showers.
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 May 29, 5:26 PM MST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
626 PM MDT Fri May 29 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Critical fire weather conditions continue today, with
afternoon gusts of 35-45mph and low relative humidities.
- Red Flag Warnings are in effect for much of eastern Utah and
portions of southwest Colorado until 8PM today.
- A pattern shift this weekend will bring cooler temps,
increased cloud cover, and a chance of showers north of I-70.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1211 PM MDT Fri May 29 2026
A closed low centered over the Nevada and Utah border will
influence our weather through the weekend. Dry and gusty
conditions ahead of the system is allowing for critical fire
weather conditions today, especially in eastern Utah and the
Four Corners area. In the northern and central Colorado
mountains lingering moisture will allow for convection this
afternoon. By this afternoon the center of the low pressure
system will reach eastern Utah, bringing moderate moisture
advection and substantial forcing. PoPs increase around 6PM MDT
around the I-70 corridor, and will gradually move north through
the evening. Tonight and tomorrow most of the precipitation is
expected to occur in the northern half of our CWA, with PoPs
favoring the Uinta Mountains. The moisture advection with this
low pressure system will keep critical fire weather conditions
localized after today.
Frontal passage this evening will allow for a drop in high
temperatures tomorrow. So, expect tomorrow's highs to be around
5 to 15 degrees below normal, with the most anomalous
temperatures expected north of I-70. Although, a shift to
warmer southwesterly flow on Sunday will cause temperatures to
gradually warm again, and widespread above average temperatures
return by Tuesday.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 555 PM MDT Fri May 29 2026
A line of scattered showers with embedded isolated
thunderstorms extending from KSLC to KDRO are moving through
the region south to north. Look for these storms to settle in
along and north of I-70 after about 03Z where they will linger
through the overnight hours. Showers and thunderstorms will pick
up again after 18Z north of I-70 pushing west to east across the
region. Main threats from these storms will be lightning and
strong outflow winds gusting 40 kts or more. Otherwise, look for
VFR conditions through the TAF period with areas of gusty
southerly winds through the evening, becoming more light
drainage winds after 06Z. Expect possible areas of Low-Level
Windshear across the mountains with a strong southerly flow
overnight becoming more westerly after 12Z.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1211 PM MDT Fri May 29 2026
Hot, dry, and windy conditions are causing critical fire weather
conditions, particularly in eastern Utah and the Four Corners
area where Red Flag Warnings remain in effect through 8PM
today. Today's gusty southwesterly winds are associated with a
low pressure system approaching the region. This system is
expected to bring increased moisture to the area by this
evening, which will keep critical fire weather conditions
localized beginning tomorrow. A frontal passage tonight will
drop high temperatures by roughly 5 to 15 degrees between today
and tomorrow, but warmer temperatures return beginning Sunday.
&&
.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CO...Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for COZ207-290-
292.
UT...Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for UTZ486-487-
490-491.
&&
DISCUSSION...GF/TGJT
AVIATION...DB
FIRE WEATHER...TGJTPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
508 PM MDT Fri May 29 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0320 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 E Monticello 37.87N 109.31W
05/29/2026 M59 MPH San Juan UT Mesonet
Mesonet station UTMPO Us-491 At Mp 2
Monticello Poe.
0301 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 16 NW Moab 38.75N 109.75W
05/29/2026 M56 MPH Grand UT ASOS
ASOS station KCNY 16 NW Moab.
0330 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 NNE Monticello Arpt 37.97N 109.32W
05/29/2026 M56 MPH San Juan UT Mesonet
Mesonet station PC592 Carbide.
0440 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 E Blanding Muni Arpt 37.58N 109.47W
05/29/2026 M56 MPH San Juan UT AWOS
AWOS station KBDG Blanding.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
715 PM MDT Fri May 29 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0353 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 17 NW Moab 38.76N 109.74W
05/29/2026 M56 MPH Grand UT ASOS
&&
DBPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
716 PM MDT Fri May 29 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0353 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 SW Cortez 37.31N 108.63W
05/29/2026 M51 MPH Montezuma CO ASOS
&&
DBThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
At approximately 7:31 PM MDT, the KVEL ASOS at the Vernal Regional Airport recorded a gust of 58 mph. Other sensors around the zone recorded gusts of 47-53 mph. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received associated with this event.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, May 2026
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: 1341436.