A Look Back at the Fall 2019 Season

Fall 2019 Climate Summary for Eastern Utah and Western Colorado

Please note that all data mentioned is collected from our automated observing stations from 10 different airports across eastern Utah and western Colorado. Some of our cooperative observers in more remote areas may have measured warmer or colder temperatures, or more or less precipitation than what was mentioned in this summary.

December 1st marked the beginning of Meteorological Winter and the conclusion of Meteorological Fall, which was observed from September 1st to November 30th. The 2019 fall season was generally active and cooler than normal across eastern Utah and western Colorado. However, the season started off hot and dry as a strong ridge of high pressure remained overhead during the first week of September with numerous record high temperatures set across the area. The rest of September saw a few disturbances move into the region which produced severe thunderstorms on September 8th, 10th and 11th as well as the first snow of the season over the central Colorado mountains on September 12th. October was a busy month with numerous disturbances moving into the region which brought mountain snow. The system that moved through the last few days of the month left an anonymously cold arctic airmass in its wake. Clearing skies, calm winds and fresh snowpack resulted in numerous record low temperature records to be shattered for October 30th and 31st. Finally, the month of November was dry and mild to start before several disturbances moved into the region and produced heavy mountain and some valley snow.

Meteorological Fall was drier than normal as 10 out of 10 of our automated stations at airports across the area ended the season with below normal precipitation. As a result of the continued below normal precipitation, the severe to moderate drought category persists across much of eastern Utah and western Colorado. Mean temperatures were generally cooler than normal for the season, thanks to the abnormally cold October.

For more climate information from other sites, please visit our climate page on our website at http://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=gjt (select the NOWDATA tab for even more sites). You can also follow us on Facebook (@NWSGrandJunction) or Twitter (@NWSGJT).