Lightning struck four people on the Denny Creek Trail above timberline. One woman perished.
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.
Lightning struck four people on the Denny Creek Trail above timberline. One woman perished.
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 17, 10:18 AM MST, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1118 AM MDT FRI JUL 17 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 412 AM MDT FRI JUL 17 2015 PRIMARY NEAR/SHORT TERM METEOROLOGICAL CONCERNS ARE TEMPERATURES AND POPS. FORECAST DISTRICT CURRENTLY GRACED BY MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES IN COMBINATION WITH EARLY MORNING TEMPERATURES RUNNING NEAR TO ABOVE MID-JULY CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES. OVERALL...RELATIVELY LOW-GRADE CONVECTION(IN COMPARISON TO TYPICAL SOUTHERN COLORADO MID JULY ACTIVITY) AND NEAR TO ABOVE CLIMATOLOGICAL TEMPERATURES ARE ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE FORECAST DISTRICT DURING THE NEAR/SHORT TERM AS LEE-SIDE TROUGHING/SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS OVER SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO. RECENT REAL-TIME DATA...COMPUTER SIMULATIONS...FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS AND PV ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT UPPER RIDGE REMAINS CENTERED OVER NORTHEASTERN TEXAS THROUGH TONIGHT WHILE EASTERN COLORADO LEE- SIDE TROUGHING/SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS OVER SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE SHIFTING INTO WESTERN KANSAS BY LATER TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...NORTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY SURFACE SURGE IS PROJECTED TO BE MOVING INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWFA BY 12Z SATURDAY. ENOUGH ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE AND WILL COMBINE WITH THE DIURNAL OROGRAPHIC HEATING CYCLE TO ALLOW FOR ISOLATED TO LOW GRADE SCATTERED POPS PRIMARILY FAVORING WESTERN AND HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER FAR EASTERN SECTIONS(WITH MAJORITY OF STRONGER TO MARGINALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO REMAIN NORTHEAST TO EAST TO SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST DISTRICT). MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TODAY ARE PROJECTED TO RUN ABOVE MID-JULY CLIMATOLOGY AVERAGES...ESPECIALLY OVER EASTERN SECTIONS...WHILE MANY WESTERN SITES SHOULD NOTE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES RUNNING NEAR CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES TONIGHT SHOULD RUN NEAR TO ABOVE MID-JULY CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE CWFA IN COMBINATION WITH GENERALLY LOW-GRADE GRADIENT WINDS. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 412 AM MDT FRI JUL 17 2015 ON SAT AN UPR HIGH PRESSURE CENTER WL BE OVR ERN TX...WITH AN UPR TROF OVR THE NRN ROCKIES. A FRONT WL MOVE SOUTHWARD THRU THE SERN CO PLAINS SAT MORNING. IN THE LATE MORNING HOURS...SHOWERS/TSTMS WL PROBABLY DEVELOP OVR SOME OF THE MTN AREAS. THEN IN THE AFTERNOON MTNS PCPN WL LIKELY INCREASE AND WL SPREAD TO THE NEARBY LOWER ELEVATIONS. THE FAR SERN PLAINS WL MOSTLY BE DRY UNTIL THE EVENING HOURS WHEN PCPN IS FORECAST TO SPREAD EASTWARD ACRS THE PLAINS. HIGH TEMPS ON SAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND AVERAGE. MUCH OF THE PCPN IS EXPECTED TO END BY LATE SAT NIGHT...BUT THERE COULD BE SOME ISOLD LINGERING AREAS OF PCPN. THE NAM MAINLY KEEPS SOME LIGHT PCPN OVR THE FAR SERN PLAINS INTO SUN MORNING. ON SUN THE UPR HIGH IS EXPECTED TO BE CENTERED NR THE AR AND TX BORDER AREA...WITH AN UPR TROF OVR THE GREAT BASIN. MSTR WL BE STREAMING INTO THE DESERT SW AND INTO CO AHEAD OF THE TROF AND ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPR RIDGE. ANOTHER FRONT MOVES INTO ERN CO ON SUNDAY...WITH THE LOW LEVEL WIND BECOMING UPSLOPE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD PCPN IS EXPECTED ON SUN. WITH LOW TO MID LEVEL UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG THE ERN MTNS...POTENTIALLY BRINGING A THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN. WITH A DISTURBANCE MOVING ACRS THE AREA SUN NIGHT...CHANCES FOR PCPN WL CONTINUE...ESPECIALLY OVR THE ERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. WITH SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER EXPECTED ON SUN ALONG WITH PCPN...HIGH TEMPS WL BE COOLER. THE GFS SHOWS A DISTURBANCE MOVING ACRS THE STATE ON MON WHICH SHOULD BRING PCPN CHANCES TO MUCH OF THE AREA AGAIN...ALONG WITH CONTINUED BELOW AVERAGE HIGH TEMPS. TUE GENERALLY LOOKS LIKE A DRIER DAY...BUT THERE SHOULD STILL BE DIURNAL SHOWERS AND TSTMS ACRS MUCH OF THE AREA. ON WED AN UPR TROF WL BE OVR THE WRN STATES WITH AN UPR RIDGE CENTERED OVR TX. ONCE AGAIN...DIURNAL SHOWERS AND TSTMS CAN BE EXPECTED ON WED. FOR THU AND FRI THE UPR RIDGE BUILD INTO CO AND IS EXPECTED TO BRING SOME DRIER WX TO THE AREA...ALONG WITH HIGH TEMPS WARMING TO ABOUT NORMAL. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1115 AM MDT FRI JUL 17 2015 TROUGHING OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL KEEP A PREDOMINANT WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. IF ISOLD -TSRA DEVELOP...THEN SOME GUSTY W-SW WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING. A WEAK COOL FRONT WILL CROSS KCOS AND KPUB TOMORROW MORNING A0A 13-14 UTC. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...77 LONG TERM...28 AVIATION...HODANISH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1123 AM MDT FRI JUL 17 2015 COZ058>089-093>099-181730- 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- 1123 AM MDT FRI JUL 17 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION FROM THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE FOR STORMS WILL BE OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...AND OVER THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS...MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM LAMAR TO KIM. THE PRIMARY STORM THREATS WILL BE LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...AS WELL AS POSSIBLY BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WITH ANY STRONGER STORMS. IN ADDITION..ONE OR TWO STORMS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG TO BRIEFLY SEVERE...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL AROUND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS...SPREADING EASTWARD OVER THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND EASTERN PLAINS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. SOME ISOLATED STORMS MAY CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY MORNING OVER THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS. ON SUNDAY...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS...WITH SCATTERED PRECIPITATION OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS AS A DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED THURSDAY...WITH MAYBE JUST SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE MAIN THREATS WITH THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WILL BE DEADLY LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL. HOWEVER...THERE COULD BE A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS...WITH HAIL APPROACHING THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND WIND GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF KIOWA...PROWERS AND BACA COUNTIES. HODANISH
The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 165 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:30 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
One woman perished and three were injured from the lightning strike.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Chaffee | 2015-07-17 | 31 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, July 2015
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: 579161.