Issue Date: Wednesday, May 12th, 2021
Issue Time: 9:15AM MDT
— Flooding is NOT expected today
After a nearly 4-day period of cool and unsettled weather (mostly east of the Continental Divide), beautiful spring sunshine returns for nearly everyone today. The departing large-scale trough of low pressure, and its last couple of embedded shortwaves, is being replaced by a weak, transient upper-level ridge as depicted in the visible satellite image below. This will increase subsidence and limit clouds today. The increased sunshine will cause a jump in afternoon high temperatures to levels just below seasonal normal. A couple of showers this morning will dissipate quickly over the Palmer Ridge. This afternoon, weak instability will support a few showers and weak thunderstorms mainly in the Northeast Plains. Gusty winds will be possible with the strongest cells. However, flooding is not expected today.
Today’s Flood Threat Map
For more information on today’s flood threat, see the map below. If there is a threat, hover over the threat areas for more details, and click on burn areas to learn more about them. For Zone-Specific forecasts, scroll below the threat map.
Zone-Specific Forecasts:
Northeast Plains:
Partly cloudy and warmer this afternoon with isolated showers and weak thunderstorms possible mainly along the NE border. Max 1-hour rainfall up to 0.4 inches. Gusty winds up to 50mph are possible with the strongest storms. Flooding is NOT expected today.
Primetime: Now through 6AM, with highest rainfall intensity between 1PM and 7PM
Northern Mountains, Front Range, Urban Corridor, Central Mountains, Palmer Ridge, Southeast Plains, Raton Ridge and Southeast Mountains:
A few showers this morning over the Palmer Ridge will dissipate and give way to partly cloudy skies this afternoon, along with much warmer temperatures. Flooding is NOT expected today.
Grand Valley, San Juan Mountains, Southwest Slope & San Luis Valley, Northwest Slope:
Mostly sunny and warmer today with high temperatures just below seasonal normal. Flooding is NOT expected today.
