Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Watches in 2021

Flash Flood Watch 25, NWS Grand Junction, CO

July 30, 202118 counties in Colorado

NWS Grand Junction, CO issued this flash flood watch at Jul 30, 2021, 3:44 AM MDT for 18 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Jul 31, 2021, 11:00 AM MDT. It was in force for 12 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 30, 2021, 3:44 AM MDT (09:44 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 31, 2021, 11:00 AM MDT
Expired
Jul 31, 2021, 10:36 PM MDT
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Junction, CO
Flood severity
None

Counties Archuleta County, CO, Delta County, CO, Dolores County, CO, Eagle County, CO, Garfield County, CO, Gunnison County, CO, Hinsdale County, CO, La Plata County, CO, Mesa County, CO, Moffat County, CO, Montezuma County, CO, Montrose County, CO, Ouray County, CO, Pitkin County, CO, Rio Blanco County, CO, Routt County, CO, San Juan County, CO, San Miguel County, CO

The radar

The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:43 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Grand Junction, CO (KGJT), launched 00:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 83 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Grand Junction, CO at 00:00Z on 2021-07-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 407 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Grand Junction, CO at 00:00Z on 2021-07-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -17 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
407 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-168 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2854 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood watch went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood watch went out at Jul 29, 11:43 PM MDT, 4 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 11:43 PM MDT, 4 hours 1 minute before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 29, 4:57 AM MDT, 22 hours 47 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
457 AM MDT Thu Jul 29 2021

COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-301100-
Lower Yampa River Basin-Central Yampa River Basin-
Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus-Elkhead and Park Mountains-
Upper Yampa River Basin-Grand Valley-Debeque to Silt Corridor-
Central Colorado River Basin-Grand and Battlement Mesas-
Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys-
Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin-
West Elk and Sawatch Mountains-Flat Tops-
Upper Gunnison River Valley-Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide-
Northwest San Juan Mountains-Southwest San Juan Mountains-
Paradox Valley/Lower Dolores River-
Four Corners/Upper Dolores River-Animas River Basin-
San Juan River Basin-Southeast Utah-Eastern Uinta Mountains-
Eastern Uinta Basin-Tavaputs Plateau-Arches/Grand Flat-
La Sal and Abajo Mountains-Canyonlands/Natural Bridges-
457 AM MDT Thu Jul 29 2021

This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western
Colorado.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms will become more widespread today,
beginning over the high terrain by late morning and drifting into
lower elevations late afternoon into the evening. Lightning and
heavy rainfall will be the main threats along with gusty outflow
winds and hail in the stronger storms. Flash flooding is possible
with heavy rainfall over portions of southwest Colorado and
southeast Utah. Storms will continue into the overnight hours.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Daily scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms can be
expected each day with monsoon moisture entrenched across the
area. Storm activity and coverage looks to increase late this
week into the weekend with better potential for storms to last
through the overnight hours. Moderate to heavy rain, gusty winds
and lightning will be the primary threats with storms.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 29, 10:20 PM MDT, 5 hours 24 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
1020 PM MDT Thu Jul 29 2021

COZ009-011-014-017-300500-
Upper Gunnison River Valley CO-Grand and Battlement Mesas CO-
Uncompahgre Plateau/Dallas Divide CO-
Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin CO-
1020 PM MDT Thu Jul 29 2021

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN DELTA AND NORTH
CENTRAL MONTROSE COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM MDT...

At 1019 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Olathe to 11 miles southwest of Delta.
Movement was northwest at 20 mph.

Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with these storms.

Locations impacted include...
Delta, Orchard City, Olathe, Cory and Austin.

This includes the following highways...
 U.S. Highway 50 in Colorado between mile markers 59 and 81.
 Colorado 65 between mile markers 1 and 4.
 Colorado 92 between mile markers 1 and 8.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Heavy rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 3891 10805 3876 10833 3859 10816 3864 10780
TIME...MOT...LOC 0419Z 139DEG 17KT 3867 10792 3860 10817

15
Local storm report, Jul 29, 11:30 PM MDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 29, 11:34 PM MDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 29, 11:49 PM MDT, 3 hours 55 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Junction, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 29, 6:14 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTGarfield46 min
Jul 29, 6:27 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTArchuleta48 min
Jul 29, 6:32 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningGJTMontezuma3 hr
Jul 29, 6:38 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTGarfield52 min
Jul 29, 6:55 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTLa Plata, Montezuma3 hr
Jul 29, 7:00 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTMoffat45 min
Jul 29, 7:11 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTGarfield2 hr
Jul 29, 7:39 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTRio Blanco51 min
Jul 29, 7:48 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTLa Plata42 min
Jul 29, 7:50 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGJTMoffat, Rio Blanco25 min
Jul 29, 7:56 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTRoutt49 min
Jul 29, 8:25 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGJTGarfield, Rio Blanco35 min
Jul 29, 8:41 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTMontezuma49 min
Jul 29, 8:45 PM MDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyConsiderable damage threatGJTEagle, Garfield4 hr
Jul 29, 9:42 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTMoffat48 min
Jul 29, 9:43 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTMoffat47 min
Jul 29, 9:46 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTMoffat3 hr
Jul 29, 10:20 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTDelta40 min
Jul 29, 10:28 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTMoffat3 hr
Jul 29, 10:45 PM MDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatGJTGarfield, Mesa4 hr
Jul 30, 2:09 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTRoutt36 min
Jul 30, 2:22 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTRoutt38 min
Jul 30, 3:46 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningGJTEagle3 hr
Jul 30, 3:48 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTPitkin42 min
Jul 30, 3:57 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTRio Blanco48 min
Jul 30, 3:59 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGJTPitkin46 min
Jul 30, 4:34 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTGunnison100 min
Jul 30, 4:43 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTRio Blanco2 hr
Jul 30, 4:45 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTRio Blanco45 min
Jul 30, 4:53 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTEagle52 min
Jul 30, 5:02 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTRio Blanco102 min
Jul 30, 5:22 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTEagle97 min
Jul 29, 6:17 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningGJTSan Juan3 hr
Jul 29, 6:31 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTGrand44 min
Jul 29, 6:34 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTSan Juan3 hr
Jul 29, 6:53 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTSan Juan3 hr
Jul 29, 7:41 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTGrand, San Juan3 hr
Jul 29, 7:44 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTSan Juan3 hr
Jul 29, 11:49 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTUintah41 min
Jul 30, 2:23 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTUintah52 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Watches in Colorado, 2021Every flash flood watch in 2021

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.