SPM 08-10-2021: Record Setting Heat Along Urban Corridor

Issue Date: Tuesday, August 10th, 2021
Issue Time: 9:10 AM MDT

Summary:

Isolated showers developed Monday afternoon across the Northern, Central, and Front Range Mountains, as well as portions of the Urban Corridor. Available moisture and rainfall rates were very low, leaving just light (Trace – 0.02 inches) accumulations, if any, scattered across the region. Thunderstorms became more organized on the Northeast Plains. CoCoRaHS observers in Wray, near the Kansas and Nebraska borders, reported between 0.10 – 0.49 inches yesterday evening from a couple of cells. These storms ultimately produced much larger rainfall totals on the Nebraska side of the border and included large hail and damaging winds.

For the most part though it was a hot, dry, and smoky day across Colorado. For the fourth day in a row, the entire state was covered by an air quality alert due to the poor air quality from wildfire smoke and pollutants. With high August heat added into the mix, Colorado Springs broke their record high of 95 degrees yesterday as temperatures reached 96 degrees. In Denver, the record high of 98 degrees (which was just set last year in 2020) was tied.

A new record high set today in the Springs… not a record setter, but still hot in Pueblo. #cowx pic.twitter.com/fsJWOwnviW

— Emily Roehler (@EmilyRoehler) August 10, 2021

No flooding was reported on Monday. For rainfall estimates in your area, check out 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 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.