SPM 06-24-2018: Two Rounds of Storms Produced Periods of Heavy Rainfall

June 24, 2018 by ·

Issue Date: Sunday, June 24th, 2018
Issue Time: 9:30 AM MDT

Summary:

The first round of thunderstorms yesterday developed as daytime heating peaked, producing isolated-to-widely scattered thunderstorms across the northern High Country and portions of the Urban Corridor, Palmer Ridge, and Eastern Plains. Storms over the High Country were garden-variety due to relatively low moisture and instability. Further east over the lower elevations, however, storms had access to good moisture and favorable wind shear, leading to a few becoming strong-to-severe. Brief periods of heavy rain attended these storms, as well, but storm motions mitigated any potential flooding issues.

The second round of storms overlapped a bit with the first round, with isolated-to-scattered showers and storms developing first over the northern and central High Country, then over the lower elevations of eastern Colorado, as an upper-level low tracked into western Wyoming and associated broad-scale lift overspread Colorado. The bulk of this activity occurred along and north of the I-70 corridor, underneath the upper-level support. Storms grew upscale into a thunderstorm complex over the Northeast Plains, eastern Palmer Ridge and northern Southeast Plains, producing strong winds, plenty of lightning, hail, and heavy rainfall. No flash flooding was reported, but there was likely street/field ponding underneath the stronger thunderstorms.

According to CoCoRaHS observers, these are the highest rainfall totals from yesterday:

1.43 inches: Sedgwick County
1.27 inches: Kit Carson County
1.17 inches: Kit Carson County
1.08 inches: Cheyenne County

For a look at precipitation estimates in your area, please see our State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

The map below shows radar-estimated, rainfall gage-adjusted Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPE) across Colorado. The map is updated daily during the operational season (May 1 – Sep 30) by 11AM. The following six layers are currently available: 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation, as well as maximum 1-hour, 2-hour and 6-hour precipitation over the past 24 hour period (to estimate where flash flooding may have occurred). The 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation contain bias corrections that are not disaggregated into the hourly estimates, so there will likely be some differences. The accumulation ending time is 6AM of the date shown in the bottom right corner. Also shown optionally are fire burn areas (post 2012), which are updated throughout the season to include new burn areas. The home button in the top left corner resets the map to the original zoom.

Filed Under: State Precipitation Map ·

SPM 06-23-2018: Strong-to-Severe Thunderstorms Got an Early Start

June 23, 2018 by ·

Issue Date: Saturday, June 23rd, 2018
Issue Time: 9:30 AM MDT

Summary:

A mid-level disturbance raced across the region yesterday, kicking off a couple showers/thunderstorms during the late morning hours over the Front Range, eventually becoming a complex of strong-to-severe thunderstorms over the eastern Plains during the afternoon hours. Strong winds and hail attended the strongest thunderstorms; here are the severe reports:

1.75 inch hail: 10 miles N of Bristol (Prowers County)
1.5 inch hail: 2 miles S of Holly (Prowers County)
1.0 inch hail: Springfield (Baca County), 9 miles N of Bethune (Kit Carson County)
60 mph Wind Gust: 4 miles SW of Cheyenne (Cheyenne County), Firstview (Cheyenne County)
70 mph Wind Gust: Arapahoe (Cheyenne County)

A smattering of showers dotted the northern half of the High Country, as well as the Front Range, Northeast Plains, Urban Corridor, Palmer Ridge, and Southeast Plains during the late afternoon and into the evening hours, before coming to an end by Midnight. This activity resulted in nothing more than brief periods of light rain and gusty winds.

Flash flooding did not occur yesterday. For a look at precipitation estimates in your area, please see our State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

The map below shows radar-estimated, rainfall gage-adjusted Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPE) across Colorado. The map is updated daily during the operational season (May 1 – Sep 30) by 11AM. The following six layers are currently available: 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation, as well as maximum 1-hour, 2-hour and 6-hour precipitation over the past 24 hour period (to estimate where flash flooding may have occurred). The 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation contain bias corrections that are not disaggregated into the hourly estimates, so there will likely be some differences. The accumulation ending time is 6AM of the date shown in the bottom right corner. Also shown optionally are fire burn areas (post 2012), which are updated throughout the season to include new burn areas. The home button in the top left corner resets the map to the original zoom.

Filed Under: State Precipitation Map ·

SPM 06-22-2018: Isolated Summer Solstice Thunderstorms

June 22, 2018 by ·

Issue Date: Friday, June 22, 2018
Issue Time: 09:40AM MDT

Summary:

A mid-level shortwave trough moved through the northern portion of Colorado yesterday afternoon during peak heating. This helped enhance and kick off a little more thunderstorm action over the northern Colorado mountains and Cheyenne Ridge. While, moisture was plentiful at the surface for some rainfall, quick storm motion prevented the isolated thunderstorm, up north, from dropping heavy precipitation over the Urban Corridor. Radar estimates were just over 0.5 inches/hour. Stillwater Creek SNOTEL recorded 0.1 inches of precipitation on Thursday. Another couple isolated thunderstorm fired off the Palmer Ridge and Raton Ridge during the evening hours. Low dew points plus quick storm motion again limited the thunderstorm’s total rainfall. A Mesonet in Sedalia picked up 0.31 inches. After the latest sunset of the year, instability rapidly dropped off and the storms came to an end. There was no flooding on Thursday.

Below is the current streamflow map for the state of Colorado. Streamflow continues to be much below normal for the majority of the high country with the bright red dots representing the lowest recorded streamflow at that location. The reservoir storage maps for June will come out around July 7. The May maps showed reservoir storage was close to or above 100% for all basins. The exception was the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan Basin, which was at 75% of average. With the very hot and dry conditions this last month, the June report will likely show decreases in storage across all basins.

To see how much precipitation fell in your area on Thursday, scroll down to the State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

The map below shows radar-estimated, rainfall gage-adjusted Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPE) across Colorado. The map is updated daily during the operational season (May 1 – Sep 30) by 11AM. The following six layers are currently available: 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation, as well as maximum 1-hour, 2-hour and 6-hour precipitation over the past 24 hour period (to estimate where flash flooding may have occurred). The 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation contain bias corrections that are not disaggregated into the hourly estimates, so there will likely be some differences. The accumulation ending time is 6AM of the date shown in the bottom right corner. Also shown optionally are fire burn areas (post 2012), which are updated throughout the season to include new burn areas. The home button in the top left corner resets the map to the original zoom.

Note: We have identified a possible underestimation in QPE over the southwest part of the state. We are working to on this issue, and will provide an update as soon as possible.

Filed Under: State Precipitation Map ·

SPM 06-21-2018: A Few Evening and Nighttime Showers/Thunderstorms Broke Up the Otherwise Calm Day

June 21, 2018 by ·

Issue Date: Thursday, June 21st, 2018
Issue Time: 9:30 AM MDT

Summary:

Yesterday was marked by the return of calm conditions for much of the state, as high pressure settled in and brought cooler and drier air with it. A few isolated, brief showers dotted the High Country during the afternoon and evening hours, resulting in mainly virga and gusty winds with very little rainfall. Around 7:30 PM, a weak disturbance began to generate a few scattered showers/thunderstorms across the Raton Ridge, far eastern portions of the Palmer Ridge, and Southeast Plains. Activity peaked at around 11 PM, with a couple thunderstorms over the Raton Ridge in Las Animas County and a line of showers stretching across eastern Elbert, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Bent, and Prowers Counties. The showers/thunderstorms were of the garden-variety, producing gusty winds and light-to-moderate rainfall.

Flash flooding did not occur yesterday. For a look at precipitation estimates in your area, please see our State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

The map below shows radar-estimated, rainfall gage-adjusted Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPE) across Colorado. The map is updated daily during the operational season (May 1 – Sep 30) by 11AM. The following six layers are currently available: 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation, as well as maximum 1-hour, 2-hour and 6-hour precipitation over the past 24 hour period (to estimate where flash flooding may have occurred). The 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour total precipitation contain bias corrections that are not disaggregated into the hourly estimates, so there will likely be some differences. The accumulation ending time is 6AM of the date shown in the bottom right corner. Also shown optionally are fire burn areas (post 2012), which are updated throughout the season to include new burn areas. The home button in the top left corner resets the map to the original zoom.

Filed Under: State Precipitation Map ·
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