High-Impact Weather and Climate Events

"The Grizzly Creek Fire (also called the 120 Fire) was a wildfire that burned 32,631 acres (13,205 ha) in Glenwood Canyon in Colorado. The fire first ignited on August 10, 2020 and was declared 100% contained on December 18, 2020. The Grizzly Creek fire's proximity to Interstate 70 resulted in a 13-day closure of the interstate. It threatened the Shoshone Generating Station and resulted in the evacuation of residences in the area, as well as closure of recreational land in portions of White River National Forest. The fire was human caused with the exact cause under investigation." - Wikipedia

"The Pine Gulch Fire was started by a lightning strike on July 31, 2020, approximately 18 miles north of Grand Junction, Colorado. Initial Attack resources were unable to corral this remote wildfire as it spread rapidly through grass, sage, pinyon juniper and fir. The combination of drought-stressed vegetation, unseasonably hot weather and steep terrain led to weeks of active burning. Smoke columns were often visible from Grand Junction and the surrounding area as the wildfire exhibited extreme fire behavior.  During the night of August 18, the fire grew quickly due to thunderstorm winds up to 40 mph for a three to four hour period.  As a result, the fire increased by more than 30,000 acres that night. 

As of August 27, 2020 the Pine Gulch Fire became the largest wildfire in Colorado State history, surpassing the Hayman Fire that burned near Colorado Springs in the summer of 2002." - InciWeb

The Pine Gulch Fire is now the third-largest wildfire in Colorado history, as it was surpassed by the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires later in 2020.

"A powerful upper-level disturbance moving through the Rockies and Plains on June 6, 2020 sparked the development of a line of thunderstorms that brought widespread damaging winds from Utah and Colorado through northeastern Wyoming, western South Dakota, and southwestern North Dakota. Given the scope and intensity of the damaging winds, the storm system was classified as a "derecho" by the Storm Prediction Center.

Derechos are characterized by a several hundred mile-long swath of persistent severe wind gusts (58 mph or greater), with embedded wind gusts that are considered significantly severe (75 mph or greater). There is more information about derechos here." - National Weather Service

In May 2020, extreme drought started in south CO. Over the course of the summer, the south and entire west of the state are affected by extreme drought. In July 2020, pockets of extreme drought start to develop in central UT as well as in central WY. In September, almost all of UT is affected by extreme drought, with pockets of exceptional drought forming. Pockets of exceptional drought form in west CO. In October 2020, pockets of extreme drought also start forming in east CO. Large areas of UT are affected by exceptional drought in October, and in December, almost the entire state is experiencing exceptional drought. In May 2021, the extreme drought areas in WY have disappeared. In November 2021, drought in CO is mostly resolved to non-extreme levels. In December 2021, UT is still experiencing extreme drought in most of the state.

"A tragic end followed a Mother’s Day weekend camping trip as the bodies of two young sisters were recovered after being swept away in a flash flood in a narrow slot canyon near Goblin Valley State Park." - Deseret News

"On October 19, 2019, a deepening low pressure system and frontal boundary moved across the region producing widespread high winds across southeastern Wyoming with light snowfall while in Carbon County blizzard conditions were reported by Arlington stopping traffic for a period of time. Heavy snow was reported in the mountain ranges in the area with close to two feet in the highest spots of the Snowy Range heavy snow accumulations were estimated by several area sensors including the Blackhall Mountain with 16.5 inches of snowfall and the Webber Springs with 12.0 inches. A huntsman went missing during the snowstorm prompting area search and rescue, cadaver dogs and civil air patrols in hopes of finding and recovering the individual. After a week of searching, the Carbon County Sheriff's Office suspended the operations. Given that the individual has not been recovered, a proper autopsy to determine likely cause of death remains unknown though given the winter elements of wind, snow and subsequent freezing temperatures, assumption will be made to declare the fatality as direct." - WY Hazard Mitigation Plan 2021-2026

Record size hail for Colorado.

"Severe thunderstorms formed across eastern Colorado the afternoon of August 13, 2019. Several grew in strength and became supercells and by 2 PM several supercells began to interact with one another in northwestern Kit Carson County. At around 3 PM, the strongest of the storms generated hail to about 5" in diameter that fell on a farm northwest of the town of Bethune. This ended up being the largest hailstone officially analyzed and recorded in the state of Colorado. Amazingly, just two days prior and about 60 miles northwest of the record breaking hail, another supercell dropped grapefruit size hail with reports up of 5" diameter, but no hailstones were officially measured nor saved for later analysis from that event. The record breaking hailstorm occurred just outside NWS Boulder's area of responsibility, in western Kit Carson County, CO. NWS Goodland has a great write up of the hailstone, hail damage, and subsequent certification of the largest stone officially measured and validated in the state of Colorado, at 4.83" diameter. Please visit the NWS Goodland page for those details. https://www.weather.gov/gld/8132019CORecordHailstone" - National Weather Service

A record-breaking blizzard developed across portions of Colorado Wyoming and Nebraska on March 13th and 14th, 2019. The record-setting area of low pressure reached a minimum central pressure of 971 mb across eastern Colorado. This set an all-time pressure record for the state.

La Junta recorded its strongest wind gust during the bomb cyclone — an 88 mph gust. An 80 mph gust recorded at Denver International Airport during the heart of the storm made it the strongest non-thunderstorm wind gust recorded there. Winds reached a record 96 mph in Colorado Springs.

The "Bomb" Cyclone rapidly intensified from the evening of the 12th through the morning of the 13th. This rapid intensification brought extremely strong winds and very strong dynamic lift which generated extremely heavy snowfall over Wyoming and Nebraska (www.weather.gov). Subsequently, the blizzard resulted in widespread flooding across the US (www.cnn.com), affecting many states.

"An avalanche off Highlands Ridge over the weekend deposited tons of snow in Conundrum Creek Valley, snapped hundreds of mature trees and threatened a house. “This is as big of an avalanche as this terrain can produce,” said Brian Lazar, deputy director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. “This is a landscape-changing event.” The avalanche broke over a mile wide and ran more than 3,000 vertical feet downhill, CAIC estimated from aerial observations. Lazar said it started just outside the boundary of Aspen Highlands ski area. The snow and debris fell with such force that it kept going once it hit the valley floor, traveling a couple hundred feet up the east slope and then spilling downvalley." - The Aspen Times

"The Roosevelt Fire started south of Jackson, Wyoming on September 15 and was fully contained on October 5. It burned 61,511 acres in Bridger-Teton National Forest. The fire was reportedly started by a fire abandoned by hunters or campers. The fire prompted evacuations news Bondurant and Pinedale, Wyoming. Fifty-five homes in the Hoback Ranches subdivision near Bondurant." - 101.9 KING FM