SPM 06-10-2018: Exceptionally Hot and Dry to Start the Weekend

Issue Date: Sunday, June 10, 2018
Issue Time: 10:40AM MDT

Summary:

It was more of the same hot and dry weather for Saturday across Colorado, as the upper atmosphere ridge continued to stay put over the Southwest. Daytime highs near 100 degrees were felt across the eastern plains, and even the high country couldn’t escape the unusually hot weather. Some storms were able to develop over the Central Mountains, but with a lack of moisture to build off of they mostly created wisps of virga and the occasional light rain shower. The highest credible rainfall report, a CoCoRaHS gauge in Eagle County near Avon, recorded 0.1 inches for the day. There may have been higher rainfall totals elsewhere across the more sparsely-populated areas of the high country, but not enough for any sort of flooding to occur.

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 6AM of the date shown in the bottom right corner. Also shown optionally are fire burn areas since 2012. The home button in the top left corner resets the map to the original zoom.

Note: We have identified a possible underestimation in QPE over the southwest part of the state. We are working to on this issue, and will provide an update as soon as possible.