Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 22, 2026Jefferson County, Park County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 22, 2026, 3:10 PM MDT for Jefferson County, Park County, Colorado. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 22, 2026, 3:10 PM MDT (21:10 UTC)
Expired
Jul 22, 2026, 6:00 PM MDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Jefferson County, CO, Park County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:11 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The text

As transmitted.

711 
WGUS55 KBOU 222110
FFWBOU
COC059-093-230000-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FF.W.0009.260722T2110Z-260723T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Denver CO
310 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  West Central Jefferson County in central Colorado...
  Northeastern Park County in central Colorado...

* Until 600 PM MDT.

* At 310 PM MDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated
  thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between
  1.5 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or
  expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, gulches,
           roads, and poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Pine Junction, Pine Grove and Shaffers Crossing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 3941 10547 3947 10547 3948 10543 3948 10533
      3939 10529 3938 10540 3940 10544

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED

$$

MAI
3 follow-up statements
596 
WGUS75 KBOU 222202
FFSBOU

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
402 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

COC059-093-230000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-260723T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Jefferson CO-Park CO-
402 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR WEST CENTRAL JEFFERSON AND NORTHEASTERN PARK COUNTIES...

At 402 PM MDT, Heavy rain has currently ended in the area. However,
additional showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon.
Between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is
ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, gulches, roads,
         and poor drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Pine Junction, Pine Grove and Shaffers Crossing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 3941 10547 3947 10547 3948 10543 3948 10533
      3939 10529 3938 10540 3940 10544

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED

$$

MAI
525 
WGUS75 KBOU 222240
FFSBOU

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
440 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

COC059-093-230000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-260723T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Jefferson CO-Park CO-
440 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR WEST CENTRAL JEFFERSON AND NORTHEASTERN PARK COUNTIES...

At 440 PM MDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated
ongoing thunderstorms producing moderate to heavy rain across the
warned area. Between 2 and 3.5 inches of rain have fallen. Flash
flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, gulches, roads,
         and poor drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Pine Junction, Pine Grove and Shaffers Crossing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National
Weather Service when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3941 10547 3947 10547 3948 10543 3948 10533
      3939 10529 3938 10540 3940 10544

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED

$$

MAI
352 
WGUS75 KBOU 222357
FFSBOU

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
557 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

COC059-093-230007-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-260723T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Jefferson CO-Park CO-
557 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR WEST
CENTRAL JEFFERSON AND NORTHEASTERN PARK COUNTIES...

The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a
threat. However, additional rainfall is possible later this evening
and tonight. Please continue to heed any remaining closures.

&&

LAT...LON 3941 10547 3947 10547 3948 10543 3948 10533
      3939 10529 3938 10540 3940 10544

$$

MAI

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 22, 2:11 PM MDT, 59 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Storm coverage and intensity increases today and Thursday as monsoonal moisture moves into the region. Storms will be capable of producing locally heavy rainfall along with a localized threat of flash flooding.
  • Storm coverage expected to decrease again by Friday into this upcoming weekend, although mountain areas should see at least scattered storm coverage each afternoon and evening.
  • Temperatures will rise back into the upper 90's to lower 100's over northeast Colorado for the weekend into early next week.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 22, 2:11 PM MDT, 59 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
211 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Storm coverage and intensity increases today and Thursday as
  monsoonal moisture moves into the region. Storms will be
  capable of producing locally heavy rainfall along with a
  localized threat of flash flooding.

- Storm coverage expected to decrease again by Friday into this
  upcoming weekend, although mountain areas should see at least
  scattered storm coverage each afternoon and evening.

- Temperatures will rise back into the upper 90's to lower 100's
  over northeast Colorado for the weekend into early next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION /Through Wednesday/...
Issued at 209 PM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

Today and tomorrow will bring beneficial rainfall to a majority
of the area with an isolated risk of flash flooding. High
temperatures will reach the low to mid 90s once again today across
the plains. There are already several storms ongoing across the
high country and the Palmer Divide. Storms today will migrate into
the plains by mid-afternoon and push east into the early evening.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will likely continue across
our area through at least midnight tonight.

Low-level flow is currently southeast which is continuing to
provide ample moisture to our area. Additionally, we already have
MLCAPE of 500-1000 J/kg and 20-30 knots of bulk shear as of early
this afternoon. Storms will be outflow dominant, so any storm
could produce gusty winds up to 50-60 mph with the highest risk
across the plains.

PWATs are at 150-200% of normal today and will approach
climatological record high values on Thursday. We have a low
flooding risk today given slow storm motions and the warm cloud
layer depth approaching 5000 feet. The highest risk of flooding
will be across the high country, mainly for burn areas and also
where storms train or for areas that received significant rainfall
yesterday (and thus have lower flash flood guidance).

A shortwave moves through tomorrow during the day which should
provide a slight increase in rainfall coverage tomorrow afternoon
as well as high temperatures in the upper 80s for the plains.
Storms will once again form in the high country by late morning to
early afternoon and then move into the plains during the
afternoon and evening. Storm motion will be faster than today
(around 20 kts) given increased flow aloft, but tomorrow still
carries a low risk for flash flooding. Additionally, the warm
cloud layer should be deeper than today allowing for more
efficient warm rain processes. Tomorrow will likely be the 3rd day
in a row of rainfall for some areas. Rainfall rates could once
again approach 2-3 inches per hour, so the WPC is now highlighting
most of our area in a slight (2 out of 4) risk for flooding.

In summary, there are several ingredients in place that lead us
to be concerned about the potential for isolated instances of
flash flooding in our area, but also some ingredients that will
lessen the extent of the threat. Given the nature of these storms,
there will be varying rainfall totals across short distances.
Overall, additional rainfall totals across the area will generally
be around 0.25 to 0.75 inches with some isolated totals of 2-3+
inches by Thursday evening.

The high pressure will build back into the area starting Friday
and strengthen through the weekend. The last several model runs
have been keying in on the heat peaking on Sunday. This is when
temperatures across the plains could reach 100 degrees F once
again, given the thermal ridge aloft will be near 20 C and
centered over our area. Record highs could be in play and a Heat
Advisory could be needed as we get closer to the weekend. A chance
for scattered showers is expected to continue through the weekend
for the high country.

By Monday and Tuesday, models show the ridge weakening and
shifting slightly off to the southeast. At the same time, moisture
from the remnants of Bertha could be pulled into the Southwest
United States and into western Colorado. This will be something to
watch as this could bring an increase in rain chances, mainly for
the high country. Otherwise, highs should still be in the mid to
upper 90s for the plains through much of next week.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday/...
Issued at 1136 AM MDT Wed Jul 22 2026

Convection this afternoon remains the primary concern of the TAF
period. KDEN recently reported an observation of 87F/55F, with
ACARS soundings showing MLCIN quickly decreasing across the metro.
Continued destabilization is likely over the next couple hours,
with convection likely to develop sometime between about 20-22z.
Forecast soundings would suggest the potential for at least some
brief TSRA/+TSRA at the terminals, with relatively high confidence
that this would occur sometime between 22-01z this afternoon.
Scattered showers or a few thunderstorms could continue into the
evening hours.

Some guidance is fairly bullish on developing low stratus late
this evening (~05z), with that potentially continuing through the
overnight hours. This looks like it would be highly dependent on
today's convection, so at this time the only change was to add in
a FEW010 group to DEN for most of the night.

A reasonably similar forecast pattern is expected tomorrow.
Guidance continues to advertise a favorable environment for slow
moving SHRA/TSRA tomorrow afternoon, with the best chance of any
storms coming after 21z Thursday.

&&

.BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

DISCUSSION...MV
AVIATION...Hiris

The office that day

Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 21, 6:01 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUPark3 hr
Jul 21, 6:22 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUGrand, Jackson, Larimer23 min
Jul 21, 7:21 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULarimer114 min
Jul 21, 8:29 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULarimer2 hr
Jul 21, 9:12 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 21, 11:53 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 22, 12:02 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULarimer, Weld17 min
Jul 22, 1:24 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 22, 2:09 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 22, 2:36 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUJefferson, Park34 min
Jul 22, 3:19 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 22, 4:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Denver, Weld32 min
Jul 22, 5:39 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULincoln4 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026

Sources

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