Ouray, Utah
Unincorporated community
Ouray is located in Utah
Ouray
Ouray
Location of Ouray within the State of Utah
Ouray is located in the United States
Ouray
Ouray
Ouray (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°05′21″N 109°40′38″W / 40.08917°N 109.67722°W / 40.08917; -109.67722
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountyUintah
Named forChief Ouray
Elevation
4,675 ft (1,425 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code
84026
Area code435
GNIS feature ID1431039[1]

Ouray /ˈjʊəreɪ/ is an unincorporated village of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation, located in west‑central Uintah County, Utah, United States.[1]

Description

The community is located primarily on the north bank of the confluence of the Duchesne and Green rivers at an elevation of 4,675 feet (1,425 m).[1] (The confluence of the Green and White rivers is approximately 1.5 miles [2.4 km] further south.)[2] Ouray is situated within the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation at the southern terminus of State Route 88, about 26.5 miles (42.6 km) south-southwest of Vernal.[3]

The community is the second oldest modern settlement within the Uinta Basin[4] and was named in honor of Chief Ouray, a Native American chief of the Uncompahgre band of the Ute tribe.[4] In the Ute language, "Ouray" means arrow.[5]

History

The area was first settled by Europeans in the early 1830s when a trading post was established by French fur trader, Antoine Robidoux. The trading post was also known as Antoine Robidoux' Fort. Although he moved the trading post further north within a few years, the settlement remained in use and became known as Fort Kit Carson. (Some of the remains of structures from this earlier settlement still exist.)[5][6]

Decades later, in 1881, an Indian agency for the Uncompahgre band of the Utes was established and included a post office for the area.[7] At that time the settlement received its current name of Ouray. In response to the Meeker Massacre in Colorado in 1879, Fort Thornburgh was built in the area in 1886, but was moved to near the present day Vernal less than a year later.[5] (However, the "new" Fort Thornburgh was abandoned several years after that when it was replaced by Fort Duchesne at the present site of Fort Duchesne.)[6][8]

Even with the abandonment of the forts in the area, the community still prospered. However, by the late 1920s the population began to slowly decline. By December 1964, the post office finally closed.[5][7]

Climate

Ouray has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) with short but cold winters and long, hot summers. Precipitation is sparse year round.

Climate data for Ouray, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 62
(17)		 68
(20)		 82
(28)		 90
(32)		 100
(38)		 106
(41)		 108
(42)		 105
(41)		 101
(38)		 90
(32)		 81
(27)		 63
(17)		 108
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 43.7
(6.5)		 54.5
(12.5)		 72.2
(22.3)		 82.0
(27.8)		 90.9
(32.7)		 99.4
(37.4)		 102.4
(39.1)		 99.2
(37.3)		 93.9
(34.4)		 82.4
(28.0)		 63.3
(17.4)		 47.4
(8.6)		 102.9
(39.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 28.7
(−1.8)		 39.2
(4.0)		 56.5
(13.6)		 66.5
(19.2)		 77.1
(25.1)		 88.7
(31.5)		 95.1
(35.1)		 91.8
(33.2)		 82.1
(27.8)		 66.5
(19.2)		 48.5
(9.2)		 32.1
(0.1)		 64.4
(18.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 16.8
(−8.4)		 26.2
(−3.2)		 41.5
(5.3)		 50.6
(10.3)		 60.5
(15.8)		 70.1
(21.2)		 76.7
(24.8)		 73.6
(23.1)		 63.9
(17.7)		 49.9
(9.9)		 35.0
(1.7)		 20.9
(−6.2)		 48.8
(9.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 5.0
(−15.0)		 13.1
(−10.5)		 26.4
(−3.1)		 34.8
(1.6)		 43.9
(6.6)		 51.6
(10.9)		 58.3
(14.6)		 55.4
(13.0)		 45.6
(7.6)		 33.3
(0.7)		 21.5
(−5.8)		 9.7
(−12.4)		 33.2
(0.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −13.2
(−25.1)		 −6.5
(−21.4)		 12.8
(−10.7)		 22.5
(−5.3)		 31.3
(−0.4)		 40.0
(4.4)		 49.1
(9.5)		 45.9
(7.7)		 33.3
(0.7)		 20.0
(−6.7)		 7.5
(−13.6)		 −8.3
(−22.4)		 −16.6
(−27.0)
Record low °F (°C) −43
(−42)		 −41
(−41)		 −18
(−28)		 6
(−14)		 8
(−13)		 30
(−1)		 38
(3)		 32
(0)		 20
(−7)		 −1
(−18)		 −10
(−23)		 −40
(−40)		 −43
(−42)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.34
(8.6)		 0.33
(8.4)		 0.49
(12)		 0.73
(19)		 0.84
(21)		 0.40
(10)		 0.56
(14)		 0.64
(16)		 0.93
(24)		 0.92
(23)		 0.42
(11)		 0.43
(11)		 7.03
(178)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 4.4
(11)		 3.1
(7.9)		 1.1
(2.8)		 0.5
(1.3)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.4
(1.0)		 1.3
(3.3)		 4.7
(12)		 15.5
(39.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.7 3.3 3.6 4.9 5.2 2.8 3.3 4.4 4.5 4.4 2.7 3.4 46.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 3.0 1.8 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 2.6 9.4
Source 1: NOAA[9]
Source 2: National Weather Service[10]

See also

flag Utah portal

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ouray". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ↑ "MyTopo Maps - Ouray, UT, USA" (Map). mytopo.com. Trimble Navigation, Ltd. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  3. ↑ Google (February 20, 2018). "Ouray, Utah 84063" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names: A Compilation. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. pp. 283–84. ISBN 978-0-87480-345-7. OCLC 797284427.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tabbee, Paul J. "Ouray". ghosttowns.com. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Payette, Pete; Payette, Phil (November 29, 2015). "American Forts West: Utah". northamericanforts.com. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Forte, Jim. "Utah: Uintah County". postalhistory.com. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  8. ↑ Powell, Allen Kent. Utah History Encyclopedia. Utah Education Network. Fort Duchesne entry. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Ouray 4NE, UT". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  10. ↑ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Grand Junction". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
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