Flash Flood, Rio Blanco
- When
- July 25, 2:00 PM MST to 4:30 PM MST
- Where
- Rio Blanco County, 9 mi NW of Rio Blanco
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 39.800, -108.083
Flash Flood in Colorado, July 25, 2005
Slow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rains and flash flooding along Piceance Creek near the intersection of County Roads 3 and 5. Culverts were washed out and flood waters flowed over the roadway.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.
Slow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rains and flash flooding along Piceance Creek near the intersection of County Roads 3 and 5. Culverts were washed out and flood waters flowed over the roadway. Mud and debris up to five feet deep were deposited on the roads, in addition to rock and mud slides in the area.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Jul 25, 1:44 PM MST, 16 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 1:44 PM MST, 16 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
244 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2005
.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
STRONG CONVECTION CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN UTAH AND
WESTERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON. ACTIVITY BUILDING ALONG THE
LEADING EDGE OF A SFC COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...BOTH OF
WHICH WILL BE PASSING THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT. MODERATE SPEED
SHEAR AND DIRECTIONAL SHEAR IS IN PLACE OVER THE NORTHERN ZONES AND
COMBINED WITH DEEP INSTABILITY WITH COOLER AIR MOVING IN ALOFT...
EXPECT ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. WITH
CELLS MERGING AND EXCESSIVE RAIN FALLING PER THE LATEST OHP
PRODUCTS FROM THE KGJX RADAR...HAVE ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR
THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH.
CONDITIONS OVER THE SOUTHERN ZONES SUPPORT MORE OF A FLASH FLOODING
THREAT WITH SLOWER STORM MOTION AND VERY MOIST AMBIENT CONDITIONS
PRESENT PER REGIONAL SOUNDINGS. THE 12Z KGJT SOUNDING INDICATED
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES NEAR 200% OF THE SEASONAL NORM AND RECENT
RAINS IN THE REGION HAVE RESULTED IN SATURATED SOILS IN MANY
LOCATIONS. THE MORNING SHOWERS DROPPED OVER 0.50 OF RAIN OVER A
FAIRLY LARGE AREA. STORMS WILL REDEVELOP/INTENSIFY OVER THE SOUTHERN
ZONES LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND WITH TRAINING OF ECHOES AND STORM
MOTION RUNNING UNDER 15 KTS...WILL CONTINUE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH
UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
AFTER MIDNIGHT...MUCH DRIER AIR WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE FORECAST
AREA...EVIDENCED BY IMPRESSIVE DEW POINT FALLS UPSTREAM IN EASTERN
NEVADA. WITH THE AIRMASS EXPECTED TO DRY OUT FAIRLY QUICKLY LATER
TONIGHT AND CLEARING SKIES...HAVE UNDERCUT GUIDANCE FOR OVERNIGHT
LOWS...MAINLY ACROSS NORTHEAST UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO WHERE
CLEARING WILL OCCUR EARLIER.
DRIER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF A FEW STORMS NEAR THE DIVIDE TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
GRADUAL WARM-UP IN STORE WITH TEMPS CLIMBING BACK TO SEASONAL NORMS
BY WEDNESDAY.
.LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)...HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AND REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH THE
PERIOD. WITH TIME THE AIR MASS WILL MOISTEN...WITH A SOUTHERLY
CONNECTION DEVELOPING DURING THE WEEKEND FOR A BETTER SUB-TROPICAL
TAP. INITIALLY DRIER AND WARMER CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL...HOWEVER
TEMPS WILL NOT REACH THE HOT VALUES SEEN LAST WEEK. THEN THE CHANCE
FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE DURING THE WEEKEND WITH TEMPS
DROPPING OFF TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES.
&&
.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.CO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH COZ001>003-007-008-017>019-021>023 UNTIL
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
.UT...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UTZ022-025-028-029 UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
&&
JDC/EHHazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 8:00 AM MST, 6 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 900 AM MDT MON JUL 25 2005 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM MDT FOR SOUTHEAST UTAH AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO... UTZ023>025-027-261200- ARCHES/GRAND FLAT-EASTERN UINTA BASIN-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS- TAVAPUTS PLATEAU- 900 AM MDT MON JUL 25 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST UTAH. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS...WILL OCCUR ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL UTAH TODAY AND THIS EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL IS POSSIBLE AND MAY CAUSE NORMALLY DRY CREEK BEDS...WASHES...AND SLOT CANYONS TO QUICKLY FILL WITH WATER. ADDITIONALLY...GUSTY WINDS AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT....BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION. COZ001>014-017-261200- CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN- CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN- CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR- ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-FLAT TOPS- GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS- GRAND VALLEY-LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS- UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE-UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY- UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS- 900 AM MDT MON JUL 25 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL COLORADO TODAY AND THIS EVENING...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE. MORE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND THE UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU. HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...AND LOW LYING AREAS TO QUICKLY FILL WITH WATER. ADDITIONALLY...GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TUESDAY...AND AGAIN ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR WITH THE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT....BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION. COZ018>023-UTZ022-028-029-261200- ANIMAS RIVER BASIN-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES- FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS- NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER- SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS- 900 AM MDT MON JUL 25 2005 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM MDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST COLORADO AND SOUTHEAST UTAH. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHWEST COLORADO AND SOUTHEAST TODAY AND THIS EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH SOME STORMS...CAUSING SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...AND LOW LYING AREAS TO QUICKLY FILL WITH WATER. ADDITIONALLY...GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TUESDAY...AND AGAIN ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR WITH THE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT....BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION. TAL/ELH
The radar
The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:59 UTC.
Event by event
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heat in Pennsylvania, July 25 to 27, 2005
- Flood and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 25, 2005
- Heavy Rain in Maryland, July 25, 2005
- Tornado and Hail in Wisconsin, July 25, 2005
- Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, July 25, 2005
- Tornado and Hail in Michigan, July 25 to 26, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, July 25, 2005
- Flash Flood and Hail in Wyoming, July 25, 2005
- Flash Flood in Colorado, July 25, 2005
- Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 25, 2005
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Michigan, July 25 to 26, 2005
- Lightning Strikes in New Jersey, July 25, 2005
More
Every storm in Colorado in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, July 2005
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5470050.