Dense Fog in Lower Yampa River Basin, Colorado

The K4V0 AWOS in Rangely, CO reported visibilities of less than 1/2 mile beginning around 6 AM local time. In addition, satellite imagery indicated widespread areas of dense fog similar to that around Rangely throughout the Lower Yampa River Basin. As the sun began to rise, a camera located at Rangely Airport, provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as road cameras provided by the Colorado Department of Transportation, allowed for visual confirmation of dense fog. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received.

Unsettled conditions at the end of December brought widespread precipitation to the region. This precipitation, in the form of both rain and snow, allowed for pockets of rich low level moisture to settle into valley locations. As skies cleared in the wake of each passing upper level wave, this rich moisture condensed into areas of dense fog, with several locations reporting visibilities of a quarter mile or less.