Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in Grand and Battlement Mesas, Colorado

The SKYWAY mesonet site on the Grand Mesa recorded an eleven hour period where temperatures were at or below 25F, winds were at or above 10 mph, either gusting or sustained, and wind chill values were below 15F. Temperatures during this period ranged from 14F to 25F, and winds ranged from 10F to 15F. The coldest wind chill value recorded was -2. No reports of injuries, damages, or fatalities were received.

A cold front ushered in an arctic airmass on the evening of January 17th, as well as bringing widespread wind and snow to eastern Utah and western Colorado. This arctic airmass was reinforced over the course of the next week by several passing waves with their own associated cold fronts. Temperatures during this period were 15-20 degrees below normal, and in some places close to 30 degrees below normal. With temperatures this cold, any amount of wind would produce a dangerously cold wind chill. The coldest period of this event was January 20th to the 22nd, with temperatures finally beginning to moderate after the 23rd.