{"id":4013,"date":"2016-09-29T09:40:22","date_gmt":"2016-09-29T15:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coloradofloodthreat.com\/?p=4013"},"modified":"2016-09-29T09:40:22","modified_gmt":"2016-09-29T15:40:22","slug":"ftb-09-29-2016-colorado-contrast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive-coftb.dewberryanalytics.com\/?p=4013","title":{"rendered":"FTB 09-29-2016: Colorado Contrast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Issue Date: 9\/29\/2016
\nIssue Time: 9:40 AM<\/p>\n

A LOW FLOOD THREAT IS FORECAST FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST SLOPE, GRAND VALLEY, AND SOUTHWEST SLOPE.<\/em><\/p>\n

Stuck between an upper-level ridge over the central US and an upper-level trough<\/span> off the West Coast, the flow across Colorado will be southerly today\/tonight. This will continue to bring in subtropical moisture (associated with the weakening upper-level low) to western Colorado, while drier air remains in place for areas east of the mountains. This stark contrast between the two regions is illustrated well by the IPW graph below, showing the dramatic increase in moisture over Grand Junction (green line), while measurements from Boulder (blue line) and Schriever AFB (pink line) have remained fairly steady for the past few days.<\/p>\n

\"ipw_20160929\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The continued stream of subtropical moisture into western Colorado will lead to scattered<\/span> showers\/isolated<\/span> thunderstorms throughout the day\/night, producing mainly light-to-moderate rainfall. During the afternoon and early evening hours, thunderstorms will produce their most efficient rainfall. However, storms will be moving northward at a good pace, minimizing the flooding threat. Overall, a low flood threat is warranted, but it is important to note that any flooding issues will likely be localized ponding on roadways and in poorly drained areas.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, due to the southerly flow aloft, showers\/storms are expected to stay confined along and west of the Continental Divide<\/span>, with perhaps one or two spill-over showers into the Front Range\/Southeast Mountains. East of those regions, the lower elevations will be controlled by high pressure and a stable<\/span> air mass, keeping conditions dry and mostly sunny. For more details, including rain rates and timing, please see the zone-specific forecast discussions below.<\/p>\n

Today’s Flood Threat Map<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For more information on today’s flood threat, see the map below (hover over threat areas for more details). For Zone-Specific forecasts, jump below the map.<\/p>\n