As seen in the visible satellite image, below, the season’s first pulse of monsoonal moisture has quickly arrived into the southwest US this morning. Surface and total column moisture has increased dramatically mainly southwest of Colorado into Arizona and western New Mexico. The trajectory of that moisture pulse is heading straight into our state later today and especially by tomorrow. However, it will take most of today to saturate the atmospheric column and prime it for rainfall generation. This morning’s PW<\/span> at Grand Junction was 0.50 inches, but is expected to rise significantly over the next 12-24 hours. Beginning this afternoon, we expected isolated<\/span> to scattered<\/span> shower and weak thunderstorm activity to enter southwest Colorado and spread north and east over the higher terrain along the Continental Divide<\/span>. Rainfall intensities will be well below flood thresholds, but any rainfall will be beneficial over the drought-stricken area. Unfortunately, the bigger threat today will be dry lightning, adding to the challenges with the ongoing wildfire activity. East of the Contintental Divide<\/span>, downsloping<\/span> flow will generally suppress any rainfall, leading to hazy, warm weather this afternoon as smoke continues to advect eastward in the steering flow. However, along the KS and NE border, a strong dryline<\/span> will develop this afternoon, providing a notable convergence boundary for strong-to-severe afternoon thunderstorms (if they can break the convective “cap<\/span>”). The odds of storm formation is limited, but if they do form, large hail, damaging winds and an isolated<\/span> tornado will all be possible. Brief heavy rainfall will also be possible, but steering winds should quickly take the storms out of Colorado, thus mitigating any flood threat.<\/p>\n So overall, we expect a gradual increase in rainfall coverage today, but flooding is NOT expected. Much more active weather is expected for tomorrow so stay tuned to tomorrow’s FTB.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/archive-coftb.dewberryanalytics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Screen-Shot-2021-06-23-at-8.43.13-AM.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nToday’s Flood Threat Map<\/strong><\/h3>\n