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

The SKYWAY Mesonet station on the Grand Mesa recorded a 12 hour period where temperatures were below 25F, winds were at or above 10 mph, sustained or gusting, and wind chill values were below 15F. Temperatures ranged from 8F to 24F, and winds ranged from 12 mph to 21 mph. The coldest wind chill value recorded during this period was -7F. 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.