Quick Colorado Update

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Dangerous situation...

As expected (see below), major flash flooding has developed in the Colorado Springs metro area. Here is the rainfall since 6am MDT. Yes, that is eight inches in the dark red.

As of 9:02pm MDT, rain continues to fall in the metro Colorado Springs area. Green polygons are flash flood warnings.


Farther north, a rare flash flood emergency is in effect in the Boulder area. Here is the rainfall from 6am today to 8pm MDT this evening. Another four inches in the Boulder area. That is six inches in Aurora and southeast Denver.

Here is the radar at 9:06pm MDT. The green polygons are flash flood warnings.

Here is the total rainfall for the last five days. That is 14" in southeast Boulder near the University of Colorado campus. Boulder Creek is used for training by meteorologists as a "disaster waiting to happen." It appears those fears have come to pass.
click to enlarge any map
In my opinion, this is not making the national news that it should be making. Local officials in both the Colorado Springs and Denver-Boulder areas are going to need outside help. 

 And, try to avoid this entire area tomorrow if you are traveling. Numerous roads have been washed out and traffic will be a giant mess. There is also a possiblility of flooding along I-70 from Goodland, Kansas, to Denver. Some of the computer models are forecasting more than three inches during the night.

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 17, 2016 at 8:37 PM

    Mike, I read a book in Northern Colorado Conservancy District's library that reported that on the weekend of the 1976 Big Thompson flood, the Limon weather radar unit was shut down for maintenance. The government issued a flat denial of that. What have you discovered about Limon's activity that night? TOM ARON, LONGMONT

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike SmithJuly 17, 2016 at 8:52 PM

    That is a topic covered in my book, "Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather." The radar was running and the radar operator in Limon was urging a flash flood warning be issued.

    Unfortunately, the warning responsibility was in Denver and no timely warning was issued.

    ReplyDelete

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