SPM 08-02-2020: Rinse and Repeat

Issue Date: Sunday, August 2nd, 2020
Issue Time: 10:15AM MDT

Summary:

Not much change in details from Friday into Saturday, so the QPE footprint looks pretty similar over eastern Colorado. Perhaps there was a bit more drying, so totals weren’t quite as high. A gauge in Fort Collins (from their mesonet) picked up 0.36 inches, and a USGS gage near Colorado Springs picked up the same. While the higher totals remained isolated, the stronger storm cores were likely producing around 0.5 inches. Over the Front Range, there was a severe thunderstorm in Larimer County that produced some severe hail. Reports of hail diameter were between 1 and 1.75 inches. Lastly, the Spring Creek burn area was warned for Flash Flooding. A Weather Underground station picked up about a quarter inch, and flooding was not reported as of this morning.

There were a couple differences between the QPE maps. One, additional storms fired overnight in the Northeast Plains associated with an upper level jet streak. Totals just under 0.75 inches were estimated with a 0.63 inch observation in eastern Kit Carson County. Secondly, more moisture was available over western Colorado, so storm coverage was bit better (south). High-bases still meant that storms produced more wind than rainfall, but the San Juan Mountains picked up isolated totals around 0.5 inches as well. A 62-mph gust was measured at the La Plata County Airport, but no damage was reported.

To see precipitation estimates over your community the last 24 to 72-hours, 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 7AM of the date shown in the bottom right corner. Also shown optionally are vulnerable fire burn areas (post 2012), which are updated throughout the season to include new, vulnerable burn areas. The home button in the top left corner resets the map to the original zoom.