NWS Grand Junction
Fall 2025 Seasonal Weather Summary
- Title
- Fall 2025 Seasonal Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 7 days ago
- Description
- Fall 2025 Seasonal Weather Summary
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For a written Summer 2025 weather summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Fall2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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December 1st marked the end of Meteorological Fall, which runs from September 1st to November 30th, and the beginning of Meteorological Winter. September saw some impressive severe weather impact the Western Slope, with numerous reports of 1-2 inch hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and even two tornadoes in southeast Utah, one of which was rated an EF2. In October, the remnants of Tropical Storms Priscilla and Raymond brought unusual amounts of deep tropical moisture into eastern Utah and western Colorado. Southwest Colorado, and in particular the towns of Vallecito and Pagosa Springs, was hit particularly hard, with rainfall totals out of this multi-day event totalling 5-6 inches at the higher elevations. All t...
- Title
- November 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 7 days ago
- Description
- November 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
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For a written November 2025 weather summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/November2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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The month of November started warm and dry and remained as such through much of the month. Sunny skies and temperatures 5-10 degrees above normal dominated the first week. A weak system brought a brief return to seasonal temperatures and some light mountain snow to the northern Divide on the 6th and 7th, but dry and warm weather reasserted itself by the 9th. Conditions remained warm and quiet through the midpoint of the month before a pattern shift finally brought cooler and wetter conditions by the 16th. The snow with this system remained generally above 9000 feet, and favored the southern and central mountains, although the northern ranges picked up a couple of inches as well. Temperatures finally dropped ...
- Title
- October 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 28 days ago
- Description
- October 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
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For a written October 2025 weather summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/October2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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The month of October kicked off warm and dry, with highs 5-10 degrees above normal for the time of year. Moisture quickly started to return, with even some very light early season snow at the highest elevations. Much cooler, even below seasonal, temperatures filled in for the end of the first week, with a short lived return to sunshine. We also saw our first freezes of the season at this point as well. Temperatures gradually warmed through the beginning of the second week of the month, but a large change was on the way. By the end of the second week of the month, deep and abundant tropical moisture associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Priscilla made its way into eastern Utah and western Colorado, dren...
- Title
- September 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 28 days ago
- Description
- September 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
---------------------------------
For a written September 2025 weather summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/September2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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The month of September started out under high pressure, with warm temperatures and abundant sunshine. Moisture very slowly began to infiltrate from the south, bringing returning chances of mountain showers as the week wore on, eventually overspreading all of eastern Utah and western Colorado by the end of the week. These storms produced heavy rain and frequent lightning, and temperatures cooled to near-normal values. The second week of the month saw a very similar pattern, with dry and warm conditions to start, and wet and cool for the end. However, severe weather made a return at the end of this week, with widespread severe thunderstorms producing large hail, flash flooding, and even two tornadoes. The t...
- Title
- August 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- August 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
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For a written August 2025 weather summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/August2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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August started hot and dry, with daily Red Flag Warnings in effect for much of those first two weeks. Enough moisture was present in the first few days of the month that a few high elevation thunderstorms were able to form. From these dry thunderstorms, several new fires started in the first week of the month, including the Lee Fire, which ultimately grew to over 137,000 acres. Temperatures during this period also ran consistently 5-10 degrees above normal. Moisture began to sneak back in starting on the 14th, spawning dry thunderstorms across the higher terrain each afternoon, resulting in concerns for gusty outflows and frequent lightning. The peak heat of the month arrived in the third week, with several new re...
- Title
- Summer 2025 Seasonal Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- Summer 2025 Seasonal Weather Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Summer 2025 weather summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Summer2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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September 1st marked the end of Meteorological Summer, which runs from June 1st to August 31st, and the beginning of Meteorological Fall. The season was overall warmer and drier than normal, as the monsoon was largely nonexistent this year. June started off with a bit of excitement in the form of some severe weather that brought 1.5 inch hail, strong winds, and heavy rain to the Grand Valley. But by the end of the month, conditions turned hot and dry, and this lasted all through the month of July and into August. Multiple large wildfires started during this period. The Turner Gulch fire burned southwest of Grand Junction, and lasted well into August. The Deer Creek Fire spawned an EF-2 tornado. The South Rim fire...
- Title
- July 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- July 2025 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written July 2025 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/July2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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While the month of July typically brings a reprieve from hot and dry summer conditions, thanks to monsoonal moisture from the south. And indeed, while the month started hot, it also started on the wetter side. There were several days of widespread shower and thunderstorm activity, along with multiple days where the Weather Prediction Center had eastern Utah and western Colorado under a marginal risk of excessive rain. However, by the second week of the month, temperatures climbed to 5-10 degrees above normal, hitting triple digits across the lower desert valleys, and rain chances dried up. A cluster of overnight convection worked across central portions of the area on the 10th, kicking off several wildfires that grew t...
- Title
- Spring 2025 Seasonal Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Spring 2025 Seasonal Weather Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Spring 2025 weather summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Spring2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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June 1st marked the end of Meteorological Spring, which runs from March 1st through May 31st, and the beginning of Meteorological Summer. The season was generally unsettled, with mountain snows in March gradually giving way to afternoon thunderstorms by May. Occasional periods of much above normal temperatures occurred at times during each month. March showed the most unusual warmth, judging by the overall warmer than normal mean temperatures and mean temperature departures between 1.5F and 4.5F above normal. April and May saw more normal temperatures for the time of year, with a few sites having below normal mean temperatures at the end of each month, and the overall departure range between 1F below normal to 2....
- Title
- June 2025 Monthly Weather Summary
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- June 2025 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written June 2025 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/June2025_WeatherSummary.pdf
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The month of June started off hot and unsettled, with high temperatures running 10-15 degrees above normal and moisture leading to widespread showers and thunderstorms. This tropical moisture stuck around for the first week of the month, helping to create severe thunderstorms that produced golfball sized hail, strong winds, and heavy rains that created a low-end flash flood threat. Temperatures cooled to near-normal for a day or two, thanks to the clouds and showers, but quickly climbed above normal again and conditions dried out. By the middle of the second week of the month, high pressure was in control, with any chance of showers confined to the higher terrain. Critical Fire Weather conditions began to emerge as wind...
- Title
- Winter 2024/2025 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Winter 2024/2025 Seasonal Climate Summary
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For a written Winter 2024/2025 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Winter2024/2025_ClimateSummary.pdf
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March 1st marked the end of Meteorological Winter, which runs from December 1st through February 28th, and the beginning of Meteorological Spring. The season was characterized by periods of unusually warm and pleasant conditions, punctuated by cooler and stormier periods. A handful of notable storms moved through during the season, largely in the second half. The first, in late January, brought some truly arctic cold air to the Western Slope, with the first round of Extreme Cold highlights issued. The second, around Valentine's Day, brought the first substantial mountain snowstorm since the Thanksgiving storm. But of course, we also saw periods of unseasonably, even record setting, heat during thi...
- Title
- February 2025 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- February 2025 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written February 2025 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/February2025_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The first week of February made good on the promise of warmth that January ended with, as a near straight week of record highs kicked off the month. Some of the new records were 10 or more degrees above the previous records. This record warmth lasted through the 7th before a pattern shift kicked in and returned the area to cooler and wetter conditions. This unsettled period culminated in a large, strong, and atmospheric river fueled winter storm for the weekend between Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day. This was the most impressive storm the Western Slope had seen since the Thanksgiving storm in November, bringing a much needed shot of fresh snow to the mountains. Weaker disturbances around this major sto...
- Title
- January 2025 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- January 2025 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written January 2025 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/January2025_ClimateSummary.pdf
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January started off unsettled across the higher terrain of eastern Utah and western Colorado, with a series of winter storms bringing mountain snow. The northern mountains were most favored, followed by the central, then southern mountains. Temperatures to start out the month were above normal, but a cold front at the end of the first week brought a return to near or below normal temperatures. Mountain snow showers persisted into the second week of the month, with light snows punctuated by the occasional stronger system, and again favoring the northern mountains. A brief period of warming snuck in during the middle of the month, while high pressure stationed itself overhead for a few days, although valley cold ...
- Title
- December 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- December 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written December 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/December2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of December started out quiet and near seasonal, under an area of high pressure. This area of high pressure stuck around, allowing temperatures to climb several degrees above normal by the end of the first week. The only exception to this were several high elevation river valleys, including the Upper Yampa and especially the Upper Gunnison, where valley inversions kept temperatures well below normal for much of the month, regardless of the overall pattern. The second week of the month saw a round of light mountain snow and cooler temperatures to start the week, with high pressure behind it bringing a return to above normal temperatures and quiet weather. Another round of light snow moved through th...
- Title
- Fall 2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Fall 2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Fall 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Fall2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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December 1st marked the end of Meteorological Fall, which runs from September 1st to November 30th, and the beginning of Meteorological Winter. The first half of the season was warmer than normal, while the stormier and cooler second half of the season was near to below normal in terms of temperatures. However, the unusual warmth of late September and early October meant that the season as a whole came in warmer than normal, with all ten of the automated weather observation stations finishing the season with above normal mean temperatures. Mean temperature departures ranged from 0.2F to 5.2F above normal. Precipitation was more of a mixed bag, with periods of much above normal precipitation during the season, with the...
- Title
- November 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- November 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
---------------------------------
For a written November 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/November2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of November started off quiet and cool, and while that coolness lasted through the month, the quietness did not. By the 3rd, the next storm had moved in, bringing mountain snow, valley rain, and even cooler temperatures. Another storm right on the heels of this one brought substantial mountain snow to the San Juans and central mountains, with even a few flakes to around an inch of snow in the Grand Valley. Unsettled conditions lingered through the first week of the month and into the second, with cloudy skies and mountain showers being the norm. Finally, by the 10th, some quieter weather moved in, bringing sunny skies and temperatures rebounding to near or a few degrees above normal. This set up a ...
- Title
- October 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- October 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written October 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/October2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of October started hot, with high temperatures in the 80s persisting to the middle of the month. In Grand Junction alone, 10 record highs were either tied or broken during the first 15 days of the month. The days that didn’t at least tie the record saw highs fall only a single degree short. This was all thanks to stubborn high pressure overhead and the storm track being pushed northward toward the Canadian border. However, things finally started to change in the middle of the month as the first fall storm of the season set its sights on the Western Slope. Temperatures cooled to near normal values, with widespread valley rain and mountain snow between the 16th and the 20th. The San Juans saw the most...
- Title
- September 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- September 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written September 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/September2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of September started off generally warm and dry in the first few days, with only afternoon showers or thunderstorms forming over the higher terrain. However, moisture gradually increased from the 3rd onward, bringing increasing coverage of showers and storms, as well as an increased threat for severe weather. A few storms produced some severe winds and hail of around an inch. Conditions dried out again briefly for the first weekend of the month, with a gradual warming trend. The 2nd week of the month saw the return of moisture and increased shower and storm coverage for the first half of the week, then dry and hot conditions that brought increased fire weather concerns. Temperatures cooled and w...
- Title
- August 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- August 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written August 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/August2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of August was one of contradictions. It was one of the warmest Augusts on record, with Grand Junction having a monthly average temperature above 80F for the first time in the 132 year long record, and the state of Colorado as a whole experiencing its 6th hottest August. But at the same time, for the Western Slope in general, it was the 11th wettest August on record. The month started hot and dry, with record heat throughout the first week of the month, and several wildfire starts. One fire, the Bucktail fire, near Nucla, CO, reached over 7000 acres in size before monsoonal rains finally put it out. And that neatly brings us to the other half of the August story- monsoonal rains. Moisture began to increas...
- Title
- Summer 2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Summer 2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Summer 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Summer2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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June 1st marked the beginning of Meteorological Summer and the end of Meteorological Summer, which runs from March 1st to May 31st. This Summer was a rollercoaster, with the month of March being either warmer or cooler than normal depending on where you were, followed by April that was warmer than normal across the board. May saw overall cooler than normal conditions. As such, it makes sense that the season as a whole was either warmer or cooler than normal depending on where you stood, with six of the ten automated weather observation stations across eastern Utah and western Colorado ending the season with below normal mean temperatures, and the remaining four with above normal mean temperatures. Means ranged f...
- Title
- July 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- July 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written July 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/July2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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July started off with lingering monsoonal moisture bringing widespread shower and thunderstorms. In addition to the usual threats of gusty winds, frequent lightning, and small hail, heavy rain and flash flooding were also concerns. This wet period did not last long, however, as drier air and warmer temperatures built in to round out the first week of the month. As temperatures increased, so did fire weather concerns, with several days of critical fire weather conditions occurring during the middle of the month. Isolated to widely scattered showers and thunderstorms remained a daily nuisance, with the lightning and gusty outflow winds having the potential to create new wildfires. Near record heat moved in for the second...
- Title
- June 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- June 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written June 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/June2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of June started off with lingering showers over the terrain and near normal temperatures, but that changed real quickly, with conditions drying out and temperatures jumping well above normal. The desert valleys of eastern Utah and western Colorado saw their first triple digits of the year. At the Grand Junction Regional Airport in the week between June 7th and the 14th, 5 new records were set. Four were tied or broken record daytime highs, and one was a broken record high low. By the middle of the month tropical moisture began working into the region, with temperatures cooling to near normal, and storms firing off the terrain. The dry air at the surface would take a while to saturate, so for the third week of ...
- Title
- May 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- May 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written May 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/May2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of May was characterized by overall cooler and unsettled weather. Passing disturbances brought periods of strong, gusty winds, below normal temperatures, and accumulating mountain snow. Even some of the lower elevations across northwest Colorado saw a quick couple of inches with passing strong cold fronts. Mountain passes, including Vail Pass, had to close multiple times due to weather, reminding everyone as to why chain laws are in place through May 31st. On the night of May 10th to the 11th, all of Colorado, and indeed most of the US, was treated to a light show that hasn’t been seen in these parts for around 20 years as a massive solar storm activated the Aurora Borealis. As the month went on and Spring slow...
- Title
- Spring 2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- Spring 2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Spring 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Spring2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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June 1st marked the beginning of Meteorological Summer and the end of Meteorological Spring, which runs from March 1st to May 31st. This spring was a rollercoaster, with the month of March being either warmer or cooler than normal depending on where you were, followed by April that was warmer than normal across the board. May saw overall cooler than normal conditions. As such, it makes sense that the season as a whole was either warmer or cooler than normal depending on where you stood, with six of the ten automated weather observation stations across eastern Utah and western Colorado ending the season with below normal mean temperatures, and the remaining four with above normal mean temperatures. Means ranged f...
- Title
- April 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- April 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written April 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/April2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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April started out on the cool and unsettled side, with lingering showers from a late March storm hanging around to set the mood. High pressure moved in for much of the first week, however, with temperatures climbing 10-15 degrees above normal before once again crashing into below normal territory with the next potent Pacific storm. Strong, gusty winds out ahead of this system led to numerous high wind warnings and wind advisories, as well as a Dust Storm Warning for Southeast Utah. Mountain snow and temperatures 10 degrees below normal rounded out the first week. High pressure once again returned for the start of the second week, along with a warming trend back to above normal temperatures. It was during this period ...
- Title
- March 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- March 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written March 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/March2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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March remained cooler and unsettled, with a never ending train of storms bringing valley rain and mountain snow. The month came in like a lion with a system that brought strong, gusty winds to all elevations, and significant mountain snow and valley rain. Unsettled northwest flow in the wake of this system kept mountain showers going through the rest of the first week. The next quick moving system took aim at the San Juan mountains, bringing several inches to the highest elevations. A brief period of warmer and drier weather arrived around the 10th to the 12th of the month, before cooler and unsettled conditions returned once more. Mountains saw a foot to two feet out of this system, with valleys seeing a quarter to ...
- Title
- Winter 2023-2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- Winter 2023-2024 Seasonal Climate Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Winter 2023-2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Winter2023-2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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March 1st marked the beginning of Meteorological Spring and the end of Meteorological Winter, which runs from December 1st through, this year, February 29th. The Winter Season was slow to start, with the month of December being warmer and drier than normal. Snowpacks remained below normal values through the month, although a few good storms did keep values from dropping below 50% of normal across the state. As December transitioned into January, the warmth continued but moisture began to increase significantly thanks to several Atmospheric River events. The Winter grew increasingly unsettled through January and into February, where almost weekly substantial storms finally brought mountain snowpacks...
- Title
- February 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- February 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
---------------------------------
For a written February 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/February2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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February continued where January left off, with a continuing parade of mild and wet Pacific systems bringing significant mountain snow. Ahead of each system, temperatures jumped several degrees above normal and then would crash back to near or below normal values. This parade of storms did help the mountain snowpacks to climb up to near normal, even above normal for Utah, for the time of year, something which hasn’t been seen since early in the season. This pattern persisted through the month, with warmer than normal and quiet conditions giving way to very unsettled and cooler weather on an almost weekly basis. Snow squalls were also an issue with each cold front passage, as these fronts tended to be quit...
- Title
- January 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- January 2024 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written January 2024 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/January2024_ClimateSummary.pdf
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Mother Nature truly said “New Year, New Me” this year, as the first month of 2024 was characterized by a prolonged pattern shift to much colder and more unsettled conditions. Several storms moved through the area during the first half of the month, bringing substantial mountain snow to all ranges, as well as valley snow to even the lowest valleys. The northern mountains were the most favored during this unsettled period, gaining several feet of snow between the 1st and the 15th of the month. Temperatures were seasonably cool for the first week or so of the month, but by the second week an Arctic air outbreak brought significantly colder temperatures to the entire Western Slope. Northwest Colorado was the co...
- Title
- December 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- December 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written December 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/December2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The last month of 2023 was characterized by short but intense stormy periods broken up by clear periods with near to above normal temperatures. The first storm of the month brought snow to all ranges in eastern Utah and western Colorado, but the subsequent storms tended to target only certain areas of the CWA. The system that hit from the 8th to the 10th mainly focused on the central and northern mountains and brought a snow squall to the I-70 corridor on the 8th. The next system focused primarily on the San Juans and the southern Colorado valleys. As snow cover accumulated in valley locations and cooler air began to work into the region, valley inversions and fog became issues in favored spots, such as Crai...
- Title
- Fall 2023 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- Fall 2023 Seasonal Climate Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Fall 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Fall2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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December 1st marked the beginning of Meteorological Winter and the end of Meteorological Fall. Meteorological Fall runs from September 1st through November 30th. Fall 2023 was characterized by short but intense periods of below normal temperatures and precipitation up against a background trend of above normal temperatures and benign weather. While snow started flying early, the sporadic nature of the systems during the season and the above normal temperatures in between each system have somewhat hampered snowpack development in the mountains. As a season, Fall 2023 was overall warmer than normal, with nine of the ten automated reporting stations across eastern Utah and western Colorado rounding out the season with abo...
- Title
- November 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- November 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written November 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/November2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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November started off with high pressure in control and temperatures a bit cooler than normal for a day or two, before warming to near normal values. A passing disturbance brought some mountain showers, but overall quiet conditions lingered into the second week of the month, along with that warming trend. By the 6th, temperatures had climbed to 10-15 degrees above normal. A potent system then dropped in, bringing breezy conditions, mountain snow, and temperatures once again below normal. And the pattern repeats. By the 11th, quiet weather had settled in and temperatures had once again warmed to near or slightly above normal values for much of eastern Utah and western Colorado. Temperatures climbed into unseas...
- Title
- October 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- October 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written October 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/October2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The start of October brought a period of cooler than normal and unsettled weather, with valley rain showers and mountain snow characterizing the first few days. This didn’t last long, however, as a warming trend kicked in around the 4th, and by the 7th temperatures had become above normal. After a spell of above normal temperatures and sunny, dry conditions, winter made a reappearance on the 11th. The central Colorado mountains did the best with this system, with snow accumulations anywhere from 6 inches to over a foot. Clear skies and quiet weather, along with a gradual warming trend, filled in behind this system. This was a good thing, as the morning of October 14th, an Annular Solar Eclipse would occur acr...
- Title
- September 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- September 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written September 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/September2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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September started off warm and unsettled, with a push of monsoonal moisture bringing widespread showers and storms for the first week. As moisture increased, temperatures dipped a bit around the 4th, but returned to above normal values quite quickly, with drying conditions bringing a return of fire weather concerns to round out the first week of the month. Unsettled conditions accompanying another moisture push led to a very similar pattern for the second week of the month, with wet and cool conditions for the first half of the week followed by drying, warming weather to round out the week. Some of these showers and storms were capable of putting down some very heavy rain across the southern half of the r...
- Title
- Summer 2023 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- Summer 2023 Seasonal Climate Summary
—------------------------------
For a written Summer 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Summer2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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September 1st marked the beginning of Meteorological Fall and the end of Meteorological Summer. Meteorological Summer runs from June 1st through August 31st. Summer 2023 began as a continuation to the cool, wet Spring, with June coming in overall as cooler and wetter than normal. That changed dramatically in July, where very little precipitation was recorded across the area, and temperatures soared to well above normal. To round out the season, August came in at near normal, with above or below normal precipitation really depending on where you were. As a season, the Summer was overall warmer than normal, with eight of the ten automated weather observation stations at airports across the region finishing the seas...
- Title
- August 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- August 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
---------------------------------
For a written August 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/August2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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August began with above normal temperatures, but also a much needed return of precipitation. Like much this year, the monsoon was delayed a bit in getting going, but once it started it brought some beneficial rain to areas across the West Slope. It also brought widespread storms that started off as high based, mostly dry thunderstorms that created gusty winds and frequent lightning and led to new fire starts. They also spawned a funnel cloud near Yampa, Co early in the month. As these monsoonal surges continued to bring deep moisture into the area, temperatures dropped to near normal and storms transitioned away from dry and high based to lower based and most assuredly wet. The Grand Junction airport received 0.88...
- Title
- July 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- July 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
---------------------------------
For a written July 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/July2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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Summer finally started in earnest at the beginning of July, with temperatures climbing each day. Red Flag Warnings for critical fire weather conditions were issued on the Fourth of July, and afternoon thunderstorms that fired off the terrain were more likely to start fires with dry lightning and gusty winds than they were to put them out with heavy rain. By the second week of the month, temperatures were several degrees above normal across the board, although the Grand Valley had yet to hit the triple digits it had been flirting with since the start of the month. That all changed on July 11th, when the Grand Junction Regional Airport hit 100F for the first time. High temperatures dropped as low as 97F a few times during...
- Title
- June 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 2 years ago
- Description
- June 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written June 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/June2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The first half of the month was cooler and unsettled, with almost daily widespread showers and thunderstorms. As usual for summer storms, the higher terrain of eastern Utah and western Colorado was most favored to see shower and thunderstorm activity. The increased moisture across the area led to an increased risk of heavy rain and small hail, as well as increased cloudiness across the area which kept temperatures at or below normal throughout the first two weeks of the month. Some high mountain passes even saw snowfall! At about the midpoint of the month, conditions shifted rapidly to a much warmer, drier, and windier pattern. There were a few days where Wind Advisories were issued for large portions of the lower eleva...
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Debris Flows
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in San Diego, California as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the San Diego office discusses what will be covered this week.
Debris flows are dangerous land and water flows caused by heavy rainfall in areas of steep terrain and loose-bare soil. Flash flooding and debris flows are common in or near wildfire burn scars, so unfortunately many areas within the American Southwest are susceptible to their impacts.
Burned soil can be as water repellant as pavement. When vegetation is burned at high intensity, water-repelling compounds are vaporized and then condense on the soil layers below which prevents soil from absorbing water. This leads to excessive runoff whenever rain falls, resulting in flash flooding and the development of debris flows. Accumulations of ash, soot and burned logs are just a few of the things that wildfires will leave behind, and this debris can quickly move downstream and...
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Hiking During the Monsoon - Flash Flood Safety
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in Flagstaff, Arizona as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the Flagstaff office discusses hiking during the monsoon, ending with flash flood safety tips!
We love outdoor activities, especially hiking! However, it’s important to remain weather-aware before you head outside. Check the forecast beforehand, and know what to expect, as the monsoon can abruptly bring thunderstorms and associated weather hazards. Know before you go!
Once you do head outdoors, keep your guard up! Stay alert and keep an eye on the skies. Look for bubbling cumulus clouds, the building blocks of thunderstorms, and have a plan to take shelter in a sturdy structure should storms become imminent. #Monsoon2k23
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National Weather Service
Weather Forecast Office
Grand Junction, CO
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Hiking During the Monsoon - Heat Safety
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in Flagstaff, Arizona as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the Flagstaff office discusses hiking during the monsoon, starting with heat safety tips!
We love outdoor activities, especially hiking! However, it’s important to remain weather-aware before you head outside. Check the forecast beforehand, and know what to expect, as the monsoon can abruptly bring thunderstorms and associated weather hazards. Know before you go!
Once you do head outdoors, keep your guard up! Stay alert and keep an eye on the skies. Look for bubbling cumulus clouds, the building blocks of thunderstorms, and have a plan to take shelter in a sturdy structure should storms become imminent. #Monsoon2k23
--------------------------------
National Weather Service
Weather Forecast Office
Grand Junction, CO
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Camping During the Monsoon
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- We love outdoor activities, especially camping! However, it’s important to remain weather-aware before you head outside. Check the forecast beforehand, and know what to expect, as the monsoon can abruptly bring thunderstorms and associated weather hazards. Know before you go!
If camping, plan where you will pitch your tent. Stay out of washes, arroyos, dry creeks or river beds, as flash flooding can abruptly impact these areas, even if it’s not raining directly on you. Thunderstorms may be occurring miles upstream, leading to runoff that could send torrents of water downstream into these normally dry drainage areas. #Monsoon2k23
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National Weather Service
Weather Forecast Office
Grand Junction, CO
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Downburst Winds
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in Albuquerque, New Mexico as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the Albuquerque office talks about downburst winds.
Monsoon Awareness Week: Downburst winds are commonly associated with thunderstorms during the Monsoon and they can be extremely hazardous. Downburst winds are one of the thunderstorm-related weather hazards most likely to produce property damage.
A downburst is a non-rotating wind that is created by a column of sinking air in a thunderstorm that, after hitting ground level, spreads out in all directions and is capable of producing damaging straight-line winds of over 100 mph. These winds can often produce damage similar to, but distinguishable from, that caused by tornadoes. The physical properties of a downburst are completely different from those of a tornado.
Rain falling from a thunderstorm will create a column of cool air that will sink along with the rain. Th...
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Dust Storms
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in Tucson, Arizona as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the Tucson office talks about dust storms.
Strong thunderstorm winds, or even downburst winds, can create areas of blowing dust during the Monsoon. Blowing dust can quickly reduce visibility, posing hazards to travelers and motorists.
If you are driving and encounter extremely low visibility in a dust storm:
- Pull OFF the side of the road
- Lights OFF to ensure others don’t try to follow your taillights
- Foot OFF brake
- Stay in the vehicle with your seat belts buckled and wait for the dust storm to pass. #PullAsideStayAlive #Monsoon2k23
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National Weather Service
Weather Forecast Office
Grand Junction, CO
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Lightning
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in Phoenix, Arizona as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the Phoenix office discusses lightning safety during the monsoon.
Lightning is the MOST UNDERRATED weather hazard! On average, only extreme heat and floods kill more people. Lightning makes every single thunderstorm a potential killer, whether the storm produces one single bolt or ten thousand bolts. Tornadoes, hail, and wind gusts get the most attention, but only lightning can strike well outside the storm itself. Lightning is often the first thunderstorm hazard to arrive and the last to leave.
Here are some things you can do to ensure your safety when thunderstorms are present:
- Watch for signs of an approaching thunderstorm
- Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent. This is your best way to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation
- REMEMBER if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to a s...
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Extreme Heat
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in El Paso, New Mexico as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the El Paso office discusses extreme heat.
Monsoon Awareness Week has begun! One weather hazard that often accompanies the early part of the monsoon is heat. Heat is often at its worst across the American Southwest before monsoon thunderstorms become widespread, but it can also become problematic during drier stretches within the heart of the season.
"But it's a dry heat..." Many residents and visitors to the desert Southwest think since relative humidity is low, they need not worry about heat stress. While high relative humidity can certainly increase the adverse effects of heat on the human body, the hottest of days during the monsoon can still result in numerous health issues such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. #Monsoon2k23
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National Weather Service
Weather Forecast Offi...
- Title
- NWS Monsoon Awareness Week 2023: Introduction to the Monsoon
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- This video was created by our friends at the NWS office in Albuquerque, New Mexico as part of the 2023 Monsoon Awareness Week. Here, the Albuquerque office discusses what will be covered this week.
It’s Monsoon Awareness Week! Each day this week we will be discussing various topics related to the North American Monsoon, a season when some locations within the American Southwest can receive a majority of their annual rainfall. However, it’s not just about the rainfall! Unfortunately, there are various weather hazards that can accompany the beneficial rainfall.
Monsoon Season is defined as the seasonal reversal of winds from June 15th through September 30th. That doesn’t necessarily mean that thunderstorms will only develop during these dates, but rather this is a time of year to stay alert and aware of monsoon hazards, much like hurricanes have a defined season to stay prepared and ready for potential storms. Stay tuned this week as we take a deep dive i...
- Title
- Spring 2023 Seasonal Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- Spring 2023 Seasonal Climate Summary
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For a written Spring 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/Spring2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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June 1st marked the beginning of Meteorological Summer and the end of Meteorological Spring. Meteorological Spring runs from March 1st through May 31st. Spring 2023 was characterized by a cooler, wetter pattern for the first half of the season, with a gradual warming and drying for the second half. The season was overall cooler than normal, with all ten of the automated weather observation stations at airports across eastern Utah and western Colorado having below normal mean temperatures. Mean temperatures ranged from 6.9 degrees F below normal at the Vernal, UT airport, to 1.2 degrees F below normal at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. The season was either wetter or drier than normal, depending on where you...
- Title
- May 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- May 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
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For a written May 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/May2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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The month of May kicked off with above normal temperatures leading to an enhanced risk of snowmelt flooding across much of eastern Utah and western Colorado. Showers and thunderstorms fired off the terrain most afternoons, with only differences being in how widespread or strong these showers were. Temperatures dropped below normal at the beginning of the second week of the month, but began to warm once again a few days later. Unsettled conditions gave way to drier, quieter weather for the remainder of the week. Around May 10th, a system moved through that brought rain to the valleys and snow to the high peaks. Temperatures once again warmed to near or slightly above normal after this system passed, with afternoon showers a...
- Title
- March 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- March 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
---------------------------------
For a written March 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/March2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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March was yet another month of below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Storm after storm swung through eastern Utah and western Colorado, with at best a day or two of a break in between. For the first week of the month, the northern mountains were favored for snow, but the second week brought a return of substantial accumulations to the central and southern mountains. As the pattern shifted a bit and the Atmospheric Rivers once again returned to the West Coast, the southern mountains became most favored for snow accumulations. While temperatures remained below normal throughout the month, the last week of March took the cake as far as cold temperatures were concerned. A potent cold front dropped thr...
- Title
- February 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- February 2023 Monthly Climate Summary
---------------------------------
For a written February 2023 climate summary, please visit our website at https://www.weather.gov/media/gjt/February2023_ClimateSummary.pdf
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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the month of February was generally cold and unsettled. The month kicked off with well below normal temperatures, though skies were sunny to start. With high pressure overhead the first few days, temperatures were able to climb to near normal values where there wasn’t a deep snowpack. Inevitably though, the next winter storm would arrive and drop temperatures once again. The storms through much of February were drier than had occurred in February, thanks to most of these systems coming under drier, but cold, northwest flow. The potent cold fronts that brought the much below normal temperatures also brought several rounds of snow squall concerns through the mont...
