Issue Date: Friday, August 28th, 2020
Issue Time: 09:40AM MDT

Summary:

Storms fired over the higher elevations yesterday by 11:30AM, but less coverage than on Wednesday. This created more isolated storm cores, and rain gauge observations this morning indicate generally up to 0.4 inches of rain fell from most of these cells across the mountains. These higher totals include 0.39 inch and 0.38 inch CoCoRaHS reports in La Plata County (southern San Juan Mountains), where small hail was also reported, and a 0.36 inch CoCoRaHS report within a storm core in central Huerfano County (Southeast Mountains). CoCoRaHS and Mesowest rain gauges reported of 0.22-0.27 inches of rain accumulation near storm cores in Larimer County (northern Front Range). Rainfall was lighter elsewhere across the state. The exception is a surprisingly isolated storm that moved over north Boulder, where five CoCoRaHS rain gauges picked up between 0.50 and 0.73 inches of rain. Today’s QPE map shows just how small of a storm this was. No flooding was reported yesterday.

Since yesterday was likely the last day of a significant streak of hot weather (a “cool” front will cool things down today), check out just how warm it has been in Denver and Grand Junction in the combined images below. At Grand Junction, daily high temperatures have been above normal for the entire month of August, and 7 daily high temperature records have been broken or tied. Denver had only two days at or below the normal high temperature for August, and has also seen 7 days with record high temperatures recorded. This extreme heat (and precipitation well below normal) has allowed severe drought to take a strong hold in Colorado and allowed the worst wildfire in Colorado’s history. Hopefully September will bring some relief.

Ongoing large fire update (as of 9:15AM on InciWeb):
Pine Gulch – north of Grand Junction: 139,006 acres; 77% contained (now Colorado’s LARGEST WILDFIRE!)
Grizzly Creek – Glenwood Canyon: 32,408 acres; 68% contained (little growth, increased containment)
Cameron Peak – Medicine Bow Mountains: 22,845 acres; 0% contained
Williams Fork – Arapaho National Forest: 12,048 acres; 5% contained

For rainfall estimates in your area over the last 24 to 72 hours, check out our State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

Issue Date: Thursday, August 27th, 2020
Issue Time: 9:35AM MDT

Summary:

Moisture continued to accumulate under the ridge, and a couple days of rainfall helped moisten the boundary layer. Both of these factors lead to an increase in storms coverage, intensity, and rainfall totals on Wednesday, which was beneficial for the ongoing fires as storms produce only minimal lightning. The higher moisture allowed storms to fire over the mountains a little earlier than typical, first firing over the Front Range just after 11AM. By about 3PM, coverage of rainfall over the mountains and higher elevations of western Colorado was fairly widespread with the convection mostly confined to the peaks and ridges. Over western Colorado, the San Juan Mountains received the most wetting rainfall with a large area receiving at least 0.25 inches, and southern La Plata County reporting 0.25 inch hail. SNOTEL sites recorded about 0.60 inches of precipitation, and a CoCoRaHS site in western Rio Grande reported the same. Beneficial rainfall also fell over the San Luis Valley in the evening hours, and a CoCoRaHS station between Alamosa and Monte Vista reported 0.43 inches. The official report at the KALS airport was 0.08 inches. August precipitation climo is about 1 inch for the interior of the valley.

Back over the Front Range, a couple observations around 0.95 inches were recorded over the southern Front Range (ALERT, CoCoRaHS, MesoWest). Several outflow boundaries over the Palmer Ridge help trigger some much needed, widespread rainfall for the area yesterday evening. Reminder, Douglas County is having its driest year on record. QPE had widespread totals between 0.25 and 0.50 inches, and CoCoRaHS stations near Limon had between 0.63 and 0.68 inches. Over Denver, totals were generally less than 0.25 inches.

As far as flooding, a Flash Flood Warning was issued for the Pine Gulch Fire around 3:30PM, and 0.65 inches of rain fell over about an hour and a half (starting at 3PM). A flash flooding report indicated a shallow debris flow at the edge of the burn area with the exact location along Roan Creek Road unknown. Other than that, flooding was not reported yesterday.

Ongoing large fire update (as of 9:30AM on InciWeb):
Pine Gulch – north of Grand Junction: 135,958 acres; 53% contained
Grizzly Creek – Glenwood Canyon: 32,302 acres; 61% contained
Cameron Peak – Medicine Bow Mountains: 21,017 acres; 0% contained
Williams Fork – Arapho National Forecast: 11,992 acres; 5% contained

To see precipitation estimates over your area the last 24 to 48-hours, scroll down to the State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

Issue Date: Wednesday, August 26th, 2020
Issue Time: 11:15AM MDT

Summary:

Showers and storms covered much of the high terrain across Colorado yesterday, producing rain totals up to 0.82 inches according to rain gauge observations. This 0.82 inch total was reported by a CoCoRaHS observer along the southern tip of the Spring Creek burn area, and 0.46 inches was reported on the other side of the mountain ridge along the southwest edge of the burn area. A nearby USGS gage reported 0.5 inches. Surprisingly, no flooding was reported near the Spring Creek burn area as of this morning.

Elsewhere, A 0.7 inch rain total was reported from a CoCoRaHS observer in Rico (western San Juan Mountains), and totals near up to 0.75 inches were observed in Douglas County, south of the Denver metro area. A SNOTEL site at Hayden Pass (northern Southeast Mountains) also reported 0.7 inches of rain accumulation. Today’s QPE map shows heavy rain fell over Fremont County, with totals just over 1 inch indicated near the southern border with Custer County. Storms over this area triggered the one and only flash flood warning yesterday. No flooding was observed across Colorado as of this morning.

Ongoing large CO fire update (as of 10:45AM on InciWeb):
Pine Gulch – north of Grand Junction: 135,920 acres; 47% contained
Grizzly Creek – Glenwood Canyon: 32,060 acres; 61% contained (large jump in containment)
Cameron Peak – Medicine Bow Mountains: 21,017 acres; 0% contained
Williams Fork – Arapaho National Forest: 11,726 acres; 5% contained

For rainfall estimates in your area over the last 24 to 72 hours, check out our State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview

Issue Date: Tuesday, August 25th, 2020
Issue Time: 9:50AM MDT

Summary:

It was another hot one yesterday with high temperatures reaching over 100F on the eastern plains and over some of the lower elevations of western Colorado. Eagle reach 93F and Steamboat 91F, so even the mountain towns were toasty. Diurnally driven storms fired over the mountains yesterday just after 1PM due to an increase in mid and upper level moisture. For the most part, storms were pop-like without much mid-level energy, so the rainfall cores were small and fairly weak in intensity. Thankfully, that meant not too much lightning, although I’m sure a couple storms produced a bolt or two. With the large dew point depressions, some 35 mph gusts were also recorded coming from the storms that formed over the Southeast/Wet Mountains.

As for observations, CoCoRaHS stations in southern Archuleta and Las Animas counties reported 0.27 and 0.32 inches, respectively. A couple SNOTEL stations in the San Juan Mountains and near Crestone, CO also recorded 0.30 inches. An evening storm popped over the Cheyenne Ridge and tracked into Weld County. QPE picked up a small storm core which produced just over a half inch of rainfall. As expected, flooding was not reported.

Ongoing large fire update (as of 9:45AM on InciWeb):
Pine Gulch – north of Grand Junction: 134,108 acres; 47% contained
Grizzly Creek – Glenwood Canyon: 30,719 acres; 37% contained
Cameron Peak – Medicine Bow Mountains: 20,118 acres; 0% contained
Williams Fork – Arapho National Forecast: 11,266 acres; 5% contained

To see precipitation estimates over your area the last 24-hours, scroll down to the State Precipitation Map below.

Click Here For Map Overview