Issue Date: Saturday, July 9th, 2022
Issue Time: 10:00 AM MDT

Summary:

The ridge across the southern U.S. continued to build westward on Friday, with rising heights and warming temperatures aloft across the state. Monsoonal moisture flow was cut off for the second day in a row, as dry air continued to advect in from the southwest and lower precipitable water values. Nonetheless, scattered showers and storms developed across the high terrain by late afternoon before tracking eastward into the Plains.

Accordingly, rainfall yesterday was limited to the Front Range, Urban Corridor, and Northeast Plains. Amounts were generally light compared to recent days, with 0.25” or less, while a few localized locations saw up to 1” under the most intense cells, particularly across Washington County. Storm intensity was limited, with the only storm report being 1.5” hail near Platner. The only flood product issued yesterday was a Flash Flood Warning for the Cameron Peak burn scar, although no flooding was reported.

If you observe flooding in your area, remember to use the “Report a Flood” page to make any flood reports when you can safely do so. For precipitation estimates in our area, check out the map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

Issue Date: Friday, July 8th, 2022
Issue Time: 11:00 AM MDT

Summary:

The extensive ridge across the southern U.S. amplified slightly westward on Thursday, advecting in drier air from the southwest and yielding lower precipitable water values. Nonetheless, with sufficient instability remaining and a weak cap, thunderstorms developed along the Continental Divide and the Palmer Ridge by mid-afternoon. Weak upper-level support limited most convection to the eastern half of the state, as storms tracked southeastward off the high terrain and out in the Plains through the remainder of the day. Lower moisture and less shear limited the severe weather threat compared to Wednesday; the only storm report of the day was for nickel-sized hail near Colorado City.

A Flash Flood Warning was issued for southeastern portions of the Cameron Peak burn scar, with minor flooding reported along a private road near Masonville; this flooding was due to heavy rain with no debris flow reported. Another Flash Flood Warning was issued for southeastern Larimer County, with flash flooding reported down Cedar Creek near Cedar Cove. Emergency managers relayed reports of a debris dam behind a bridge along a neighborhood access road, with 15 residents temporarily stranded; no injuries were reported. Additional Flash Flood Warnings were issued for the Calwood burn scar, East Troublesome burn scar, and portions of Cheyenne County, with no flooding reported; a Flood Advisory near Limon also saw no flooding reported.

Portions of the Northern Mountains and Front Range saw up to 1-1.5” inches of rain under the most intense cells. The Urban Corridor saw generally 0.25-0.50”, with localized amounts up to 1”. The heaviest rain across the state fell over the Northeast Plains, eastern Palmer Ridge, and Southeast Plains, where several swaths of 1-2” of rain were observed; localized totals of 1.5-2.5” were observed near Colorado City and across southern Otero/Bent Counties. For the western half of the state, rainfall was isolated with amounts generally less than 0.25”; a cell near the Mesa/Delta County line dropped localized amounts up to 1”.

Some notable rainfall reports along the Front Range include:
• 0.62” 4.7 miles SSE of Idaho Springs
• 0.62” 3.2 miles NNW of Drake (near the report of a debris dam)

Noteworthy rainfall reports across the Plains and Palmer Ridge include:
• 2.90” 2.3 miles SE of Springfield
• 2.50” 1.6 miles W of Colorado City
• 1.90” 17.5 miles S of La Junta

If you observe flooding in your area, remember to use the “Report a Flood” page to make any flood reports when you can safely do so. For precipitation estimates in our area, check out the map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

Issue Date: Thursday, July 7th, 2022
Issue Time: 11:45 AM MDT

Summary:

Wednesday was an exceptionally active weather day, with showers and thunderstorms producing no shortage of all modes of severe weather across the state. Moisture was on the increase yesterday across the lower elevations while the influx of monsoonal moisture continued aloft, providing precipitable water values 150-200% of normal. An early morning disturbance moved north of the state while subsidence in its wake scoured out low clouds, allowing plentiful sunshine and the erosion of convective inhibition (CIN) by noon. With plentiful moisture and no cap, an upper-level shortwave and upslope surface flow combined to trigger widespread storms in the mountains/over the Palmer Ridge.

Storms at first struggled to move off the high terrain, but soon became organized into supercells/multi-cell clusters (thanks to ample shear) and moved out into the Plains, where they produced heavy rain, severe winds, hail, and a few tornadoes. By late evening, the storms grew upscale into a line while departing the state to the east.

The WFOs issued a plethora of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and Tornado Warnings, most notably across the eastern half of the state. Two tornadoes were reported: one tornado along U.S. Highway 50 near the Bent/Otero County line, and another tornado east of Fort Morgan with reports of tree damage and downed power lines. Thunderstorm wind gusts up to 76 mph were reported in both Lamar and La Junta, while hail up to 1” was reported across the state.

Downed power pole from tor warned storm just went through CR25 and CR R east of Ft Morgan. Morgan County. #cowx pic.twitter.com/eldWtJwRdZ

— Frontier Views | Jim Hobson (@FrontierViews) July 6, 2022

The main weather story with yesterday’s storms was the heavy rainfall, which prompted the issuance of numerous Flash Flood Warnings and Flood Advisories. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for north-central, east-central, and southeast portions of the Cameron Peak burn scar, and Larimer County officials reported flooding west of Rustic. Other warnings were issued for north-central Boulder County (including the Calwood burn scar), central Chaffee County, and northeast El Paso County, but no flooding was reported. Flash Flood Warnings for portions of east-central San Miguel, southern Crowley, and central Otero Counties encompassed the most severe flooding in the state: a mudslide was reported 5 miles west of Telluride covering State Highway 145, while U.S. Highway 50 near La Junta was closed for water running across the road and under an overpass. Check out the image below from the Colorado State Patrol:

Hwy 50 at Hwy 71 had some water still running across the roadway. The ditches are overflowing. Watch for tree branches on roadways in La Junta and Rocky Ford. pic.twitter.com/pt0mkmE99s

— CSP La Junta&Lamar (@CSP_LaJunta) July 7, 2022

In terms of rainfall amounts, 1-2” was widespread across much of the Northeast Plains, Palmer Ridge, and Southeast Plains. Portions of the Front Range saw up to 1.5” of rain, while amounts up to 0.5” (including near the mudslide west of Telluride) were widely scattered across the western half of the state. The heaviest rain fell in two general locations: Weld/Morgan Counties, were 2.5-3.5” of rain was observed, and Kit Carson/Cheyenne Counties south of I-70, where 3-4” of rain was observed!

Some impressive rainfall totals across the Plains include:
• 3.79” in Rocky Ford
• 3.25” in Cheyenne Wells
• 3.22” in Pawnee National Grasslands
• 2.54” 2.9 miles ESE of Rocky Ford
• 2.29” 5 miles SSE of Brush

Some impressive rainfall totals at high elevations in the mountains include:
• 2.06” 6.6 miles WNW of Arvada
• 1.35” at Georgetown Lake
• 1.22” 6.2 miles N of Black Hawk
• 1.20” in Nederland

The station in Rocky Ford measured 3.36” of its 24-hour total in just one hour! This extreme rainfall rate has an estimated ARI of over 350 years, per NOAA Atlas 14 data!

If you observe flooding in your area, remember to use the “Report a Flood” page to make any flood reports when you can safely do so. For precipitation estimates in our area, check out the map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

Issue Date: Wednesday, July 6th, 2022
Issue Time: 11:15 AM MDT

Summary:

Rain was widespread across the state yesterday. South-central Colorado received above 0.7” in many areas, with many observations across the area in the 0.2”-0.5” range. Moving north, the Urban Corridor saw most observations coming in under 0.05”, but saw a few observations up to 0.22” southwest of Denver and near Greeley.

There wasn’t much rain in the Northwest Slope, but the rest of the western half of the state received rainfall to make up for it. Grand Junction saw up to 0.14”, while Glenwood Springs and Crested Butte received up to 0.4” from afternoon thunderstorms. There was an additional Flood Advisory issued east of Glenwood Springs on the Grizzly Creek burn scar. Although I-70 was preemptively closed, no flooding was reported. Pagosa Springs and other southwestern areas also received afternoon/evening showers, with varying precipitation amounts from T- 0.71”.

The Eastern Plains saw much less rain yesterday, with most reports coming in under 0.06″, although Logan County in the Northern Plains saw up to 0.5”. This was associated with a severe thunderstorm warning AND a tornado warning that was issued yesterday afternoon. A tornado was confirmed soon after, along with quarter-sized hail.

The Front Range received higher rainfall totals, however- 0.78” north of Estes Park, 1.06” east of Kremmling, 0.52” near Dumont were a few of the higher observations. There was a myriad of flood advisories overlapping across the Rocky Mountains yesterday due to these storms, with two near Grand County where the East Troublesome burn scar is located. As noted above, there was a debris flow in this area across CO-125 once again. The flood advisory stayed in effect until 4:30 p.m. yesterday- precipitation estimates in this area include observations up to 0.54”. See below for closure and debris flow details.

Happening Now on 7/5: Hwy 125 is closed between FS Rd. 730 & US 40 (Willowcreek Pass) from Mile Point 21.5 to Mile Point 0. Expect delays due to a mud slide. Road only open to locals.

➡️https://t.co/mXEnWDgmIp to stay updated on road closures @ColoradoDOT
#CO125 #GrandCounty pic.twitter.com/TPBxbBiYW4
— Grand County Sheriff (@GrandCoSheriff) July 5, 2022

For precipitation estimates in our area, check out the map below.

Click Here For Map Overview