SPM 05-02-2021: Isolated and Gusting Thunderstorms

Issue Date: Sunday, May 2, 2021
Issue Time: 9:35 am MDT

Summary

The start of May and flood season saw an unseasonably warm and beautiful day, but also the start of a breakdown in the high-pressure systems dominating Colorado’s weather. A low-pressure system and associated cold front began pushing eastward across the state from the Utah border. With it, this system brought cooler temperatures and increased cloud cover, as well as isolated thunderstorms and gusty winds ahead of the front. High winds were reported from Dinosaur National Monument in northwestern Colorado, all the way to Broomfield-Jefferson County Airport on the Front Range. Strong winds can increase fire danger, and the Grand Junction, Pueblo, and Goodland, KS Weather Forecast Offices all issued Red Flag warnings for portions of the state yesterday.

In terms of precipitation amounts, CoCoRaHS observers across the state reported trace to 0.19” of precipitation associated with isolated storms, and some SNOTEL stations picked up as much as 0.2” of new precipitation at high elevations as well. Saturday was just the start of some exciting weather though, with heavy mountain snow likely and the chance for severe thunderstorms on the eastern plains to close out the weekend.

Flooding was not reported on Saturday. For rainfall estimates in your area, check out 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 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.