A nearly stationary thunderstorm produced heavy rain and flooding on the west side of Colorado Springs.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A nearly stationary thunderstorm produced heavy rain and flooding on the west side of Colorado Springs.
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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 7, 2:25 PM MST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 325 PM MDT WED JUL 7 2010 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND THURSDAY) CURRENTLY...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL SPREAD EAST INTO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN PLAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING. TEMPERATURES HAVE REMAINED COOL ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON WITH CLOUD COVER HOLDING HIGHS IN THE 70S FOR THE PLAINS. THE CLOUD COVER HAS LIMITED THE INSTABILITY OVER THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON WHICH MAY PLAY A ROLE IN HOW MUCH CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IS SEEN THIS EVENING. OUT WEST WHERE THE SUN WAS MORE PREVALENT THIS MORNING THINGS HAVE DESTABILIZED ALLOWING SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAIN REGIONS TO BE STRONG THIS AFTERNOON. HAIL TO 1/2 AN INCH AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. MODELS CONTINUE TO WANT TO DEVELOP HEAVY RAINFALL OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO FOR TONIGHT BUT CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH WHERE IT WILL OCCUR. FOLLOWED A VARIATION OF THE NAM/WRF/GFS FOR TONIGHT IN REGARDS TO HEAVY RAINFALL. SEVERAL THINGS WILL BE COMING TOGETHER TONIGHT TO SET UP HEAVY RAIN. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER THE REGION WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS COLORADO THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. AT THE SURFACE...FLOW HAS TURNED SOUTHEASTERLY ADVECTING MOISTURE INTO THE REGION AND BANK IT UP AGAINST THE UPPER MOUNTAINS. AN UPPER LEVEL JET WILL BE EXITING THE REGION PROVIDING FAVORABLE LIFT ACROSS THE REGION. INSTABILITY AND SHEAR LOOK TO BE LIMITING FACTORS FOR THIS EVENING WITH CAPE VALUES RUNNING AROUND 1000 J/KG AND SHEAR LESS THAN 30 KTS. EXPECT THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO PROGRESS EAST INTO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND PICK UP IN INTENSITY AS THEY ENCOUNTER THE UPSLOPE EASTERLY MOIST FLOW. THE NAM IS THE FURTHEST NORTH AT DEVELOPING HEAVY PRECIPITATION OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE AND SPREADING IT SOUTH ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR OVERNIGHT. THE GFS BANKS HEAVY PRECIPITATION ALONG THE LEE SLOPES AND MOVES IT OFF INTO THE PLAINS BY MORNING. THE HRRR AND WRF FOLLOW A SIMILAR SUITE AS THE NAM...HOWEVER ARE MORE SOUTH AND EAST WITH THE HEAVY PRECIP. FOR NOW HAVE HIGHEST POPS OVER THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON...ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE AND I-25 CORRIDOR THROUGH MIDNIGHT...SPREADING EAST INTO THE PLAINS BY MORNING. MODEL QPF FIELDS ARE INDICATING SEVERAL INCHES OF RAINFALL UNDER THE HEAVIEST STORMS. LACK OF SHEAR AND INSTABILITY SHOULD KEEP THUNDERSTORMS BELOW SEVERE LIMITS TONIGHT WITH SMALL HAIL...GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ALONG WITH LIGHTNING BEING THE MAIN THREATS. HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO BUILD OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION ON THURSDAY WITH WEAK UPPER LEVEL ENERGY STILL TRANSITING THE AREA. MOISTURE WILL BE POOLED OVER THE AREA AND CONTINUED UPSLOPE EASTERLY FLOW WILL SET THE STAGE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY 18Z AND SPREAD INTO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS THROUGH THE EVENING. FORCING REMAINS A LIMITING FACTOR WITH HEAVY RAINFALL ONCE AGAIN BEING THE MAIN THREAT. THE MOST LIKELY AREA TO SEE HEAVY RAIN LOOKS TO BE OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE SOUTH ALONG THE LEE SLOPES. LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING WILL ALLOW THUNDERSTORMS TO DISSIPATE BY MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE REGION. MOZLEY .LONG TERM... (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) SOMEWHAT STAGNANT PATTERN THROUGH THE EXTENDED WITH A DAILY THREAT OF CONVECTION AND TEMPERATURES AT RIGHT AROUND SEASONAL NORMALS. GFS AND ECMWF LONG RANGE MODELS ARE IF FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...BROAD RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN US...SPANNING FROM THE GULF ACROSS TEXAS AND INTO THE DESERT SW. THIS WILL SET UP RELATIVELY LIGHT W-NW FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE REGION...WHILE AT THE SFC A PREDOMINANTLY SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL HELP IN DRAWING UP MOISTURE ACROSS NM AND THE 4 CORNERS INTO COLORADO. THIS WILL HELP FUEL A DAILY CHANCE OF AFTN AND EVE CONVECTION...WITH A BETTER CHANCE FOR THE MTS AND WESTERN AREAS SINCE THAT IS WHERE THE MOISTURE FEED WILL BE. CLOUD COVER...EXPECTED PCPN AND A GENERAL LACK OF STRONG WINDS ALOFT SHOULD KEEP AFTN MAX TEMPS RIGHT AROUND AVERAGE. SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...AXIS OF THE LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER CANADA IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...PROVIDING THE SPARK FOR AN INCREASED CONVECTION POTENTIAL THROUGH MON. RIGHT NOW...TIMING OF THE ASSOCIATED SFC FRONT IS TOUGH TO PIN DOWN. THEREFORE...INSTEAD OF TRYING TO PARSE OUT DIURNAL CONVECTION TIMES...BROADBRUSH ISOLATED POPS FOR THE CWA SEEMS REASONABLE AND WILL HAVE TO FURTHER DEFINE AS THE EVENT NEARS. CURRENTLY...NUMERICAL GUIDANCE IS NOT INDICATING ANY SIGNIFICANT COOLING WITH THIS FRONT BUT MOST LIKELY WILL HAVE TO COOL MAX TEMP GRIDS FOR MON. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...A RETURN TO HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS AS THE RIDGE OF HI PRESSURE RESTRENGTHENS OVER THE DESERT SW FOR TUE AND WED...BUMPING TEMPS BACK UP AND HELPING TO DRY UP PCPN CHANCES. ONE SAVING GRACE IS THAT IT DOES NOT LOOK AS IF STRONGER WINDS WILL MOVE IN UNTIL PERHAPS LATE WED AND BEYOND. MOORE && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND SPREAD EAST OVER THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY MOVED NEAR KALS THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. EXPECT MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS ALONG WITH VARIABLE GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WITH THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY PASS. THE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES AT KALS GO DOWN AFTER 02Z WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. EXPECT KCOS AND KPUB TO EXPERIENCE PERIODS OF MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON WITH DECKS GENERALLY RUNNING NEAR 3 KFT FROM TIME TO TIME. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST AND MOVE OVER THE TERMINALS OVERNIGHT WITH HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED. CURRENTLY THINKING THE MOST LIKELY TIME FRAME FOR THUNDERSTORMS AT KCOS WILL BE 22Z THROUGH 08Z...AND 23Z THROUGH 10Z AT KPUB. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LOWER CIGS AND VIS TO LIFR AT TIMES AS THUNDERSTORMS PASS. SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS. MOZLEY && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 88/27
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 322 PM MDT WED JUL 7 2010 COZ058>089-093>099-082130- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- 322 PM MDT WED JUL 7 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PALMER DIVIDE...WITH ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. THE MAIN THREATS WITH ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND HEAVY RAIN. ONE OR TWO STORMS OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE AND ALONG THE COLORADO NEW MEXICO BORDER COULD BECOME SEVERE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH HAIL AROUND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS INCLUDING THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...WITH THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE STORMS BEING LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH THE BEST COVERAGE OF STORMS EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS. SMALL HAIL MAY ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STRONGEST STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS MEETING REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE AND EASTERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. 88/23
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 116 PM MDT WED JUL 7 2010 COZ060>062-065-069-072-073-077-071945- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT-DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT-EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT-NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET-NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT-SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT-WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT-WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- 116 PM MDT WED JUL 7 2010 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... SOUTHEASTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY IN CENTRAL COLORADO WEST CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY IN CENTRAL COLORADO NORTH CENTRAL SAGUACHE COUNTY IN CENTRAL COLORADO AT 114 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PONCHA PASS...OR 45 MILES EAST OF GUNNISON...WHICH WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 5 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... PONCHA PASS. SWISSVALE. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. KAM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
320 PM MDT WED JUL 07 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0312 PM HAIL 5 WSW MONUMENT 39.07N 104.96W
07/07/2010 M0.75 INCH EL PASO CO AMATEUR RADIO
&&
TLMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
346 PM MDT WED JUL 07 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0342 PM HAIL PALMER LAKE 39.12N 104.92W
07/07/2010 E0.88 INCH EL PASO CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TLMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 441 PM MDT WED JUL 7 2010 COZ074-088-072315- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- 441 PM MDT WED JUL 7 2010 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... WEST CENTRAL LAS ANIMAS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO AT 437 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BONCARBO...OR 15 MILES WEST OF TRINIDAD... WHICH WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BONCARBO. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:00 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash flooding occurred in the Upper Skyway and Broadmoor neighborhoods.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, July 2010
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: 250800.