High Wind — Grand Valley, Colorado

2024-03-02 · Grand Valley, Colorado

Event narrative

Two mesonet sites, 9 WSW Mack and 070w001 Utah State Line, both reported a peak gust of 64 mph, at 4:36PM and 5:27 PM respectively. The KGJT ASOS reported a peak gust of 60 mph during this period as well. Other gusts recorded across the region ranged from 45 mph to 60 mph. Reports of downed trees in the City of Grand Junction were received from the Grand Junction Fire Department, as well as numerous power outages across the valley according to Grand Valley Power. Two minor brush fires also occurred during this period of high winds, according the Grand Junction Fire Department, possibly sparked by arcing power lines and fanned by the strong winds.

Wider weather episode

A strong Pacific low pressure trough moved into the Pacific Northwest and dropped south through the Great Basin in the days leading up to March 1st. At the base of this trough, a 160 knot jet aloft tracked overhead of eastern Utah and western Colorado beginning on the 1st, with daytime heating starting to mix down these much stronger southwest winds. Winds peaked during the late morning and afternoon hours on the 2nd as the pressure gradient through the atmosphere tightened up ahead of a strong cold front. Strongest winds were observed just prior to the cold front's passage, and led to numerous reports of power outages, downed trees, and even a few small brush fires.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1168932. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.