Thunderstorm Wind in Garfield County, Colorado

Late in the day, a round of showers and thunderstorms moved east along the higher terrain of the central and upper Colorado River Valleys. These storms produced gusts above 45 mph, including one recorded gust to 58 mph at the Colorado Department of Transportation mesonet station 0.1 mile West of No Name Tunnel. An additional mesonet station approximately 12 miles to the east recorded a gust to 53 mph.

A trough of low pressure tracking east over California nudged the subtropical high eastward into the Southern Plains in the days leading up to this event. This allowed some monsoonal moisture to trickle into the Four Corners region. On the day of the event, the low crossed the Four Corners, adding some extra lift and instability. The most widespread coverage was south of the I-70 corridor, although that didn't stop a few showers and storms from firing off the higher terrain along and north of I-70. Dry surface levels kept the main threats to being gusty winds and maybe some small hail.