A man drowned in Dillon Reservoir after a microburst struck early in the afternoon. The strong winds produced large waves that separated a man from his paddle board.
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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 BOU wrote it up.
A man drowned in Dillon Reservoir after a microburst struck early in the afternoon. The strong winds produced large waves that separated a man from his paddle board. When the microburst hit, they saw the man get knocked off of his board. He was not wearing a personal flotation device and was unable to keep his head above the choppy water. Members of his group saw the incoming storm and tried to return to the safety of the Marina, but it arrived quicker than they could exit the lake.
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 Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 16, 11:07 AM MST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1207 PM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 .UPDATE... Issued at 950 AM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 Only minor adjustments planned for the grids for this afternoon. The best window for thunderstorms will be this afternoon, with drier northwesterly flow developing in the wake of a weak upper level disturbance. Precipitable water values will continue aoa one inch from the urban corridor eastward until early afternoon, then they will gradually decrease from northwest to southeast into this evening. There is still limited threat for flash flooding in the burn scars, as a stronger storm could still drop from 0.25 to 0.50 inch of rain in 30 minutes. The main concern will be for areas already saturated with yesterday's rainfall, which could produce a lower threshold for flash flooding in those locations. RAP forecast soundings show CAPE 400-800 j/kg for Denver, with values up to 1500 j/kg near Limon. Marginal risk of severe will be highest in this area. Main threat will be damaging wind gusts with DCAPE value around 1100 j/kg. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 332 AM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 Showers are coming to an end this morning after they produced healthy rainfall in Grand, Jackson, and Larimer Counties overnight. There are still lingering clouds over our forecast area with above normal low level moisture. This will lead to a slower warmup today than recent days but skies will eventually clear later this morning with sunshine raising temperatures to near seasonal normals. The high in Denver should be around 91 or 92 which would lengthen the 90 degree day streak to 5 days with plenty more to come in the week ahead. During the day today, a shortwave trough will move past our forecast area towards Nebraska and Kansas. This will leave our forecast area under weak subsidence. The abnormally high moisture that has been in our area will begin to depart with the trough. Precipitable water values will decrease towards 1 inch along the I-25 corridor this evening. Despite the subsidence and decreasing moisture, there will still be modest instability that builds in. Mixed-layer CAPE values will reach 1,000 j/kg across the far eastern part of our CWA. Soundings show the instability will likely be capped over the plains to the north and east of Denver which will limit storm coverage there. PoPs were decreased mainly in an area from DIA to Greeley to the Nebraska border. Across the mountains and along the Palmer Divide, the cap will not be as strong and convection should be able to overcome it. Therefore, the highest coverage of storms will be across those two locations and PoPs reflect that. The vast majority of storms will be weak today but a couple could get close to severe limits as they move over Lincoln County. Strong wind gusts and large hail are the primary concerns. The storms will come to an end quickly this evening as instability will decrease fast. .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 332 AM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 The outlook for next week is continued hot with only slight fluctuations in day to day temperatures. Moisture will be on the limited side with the main chances for late day storms over the mountains and higher terrain with only isolated showers and storms over the plains. Driest day looks to be on Sunday and the hottest day on Monday. The broad ridge of high pressure builds back over Colorado on Sunday under a weakly subsident airmass. Temperatures will also be warmer on Sunday as 700mb temperatures climb close to +19c. This will put afternoon readings into the upper 90s on the plains. The airmass will also be drier as precipitable water values drop to around 3/4 of an inch over the Front Range. Expect any showers or storms confined to the mountains, especially south of Interstate 70 corridor. Monday looks to be the hottest day of the week as thermal ridge shifts right over eastern Colorado with 700mb temperatures between 20-21c and another 2-4 degrees of warming. The record for Denver on Monday is 99, so could be a record setting day with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees. Will also need to consider a heat advisory for much of the plains on Monday with much of the plains from 97 to 105. With limited moisture, only expect isolated high based storms on Monday afternoon/evening. On Tuesday, there is an upper trof which will traverse the northern high plains which suppresses the thermal ridge a bit as the upper high shifts westward over northern Arizona. An associated weak cold front will slide southward over the plains. Temperatures will still be very warm,but readings back down into the mid and upper 90s. Bulk of moisture again will be in the mountains with only isolated showers/storms over the urban corridor. Very little change in the overall pattern through late next week as the upper ridge remains anchored across much of the southern United States. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1146 AM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 VFR conditions expected throughout the TAF period. There is the potental for one or two storms to impact the terminals mainly from 21-24z, so will go continue with vcts in the terminals. Main threat will be gusty outflow winds to 35 kts. Storms will taper off fairly quickly after 00z. Drainage winds and mostly clear skies tonight into Sunday morning. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 332 AM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 Precipitable water values and instability are lower today than yesterday. This will decrease the threat for burn area flash flooding but there still is a limited threat. The Cameron Peak burn area is likely the biggest concern today due to recent moisture. Sunday will be quite dry with no chance for flash flooding over the burn scars. There will be a slight increase in moisture on Monday and continuing through the week but overall threat looks limited. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && UPDATE...Cooper SHORT TERM...Danielson LONG TERM...Entrekin AVIATION...Cooper HYDROLOGY...Danielson/Entrekin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1101 AM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 COZ030>051-171715- Jackson County Below 9000 Feet- West Jackson and West Grand Counties Above 9000 Feet- Grand and Summit Counties Below 9000 Feet- South and East Jackson/Larimer/North and Northeast Grand/ Northwest Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet- South and Southeast Grand/West Central and Southwest Boulder/ Gilpin/Clear Creek/Summit/North and West Park Counties Above 9000 Feet-Larimer and Boulder Counties Between 6000 and 9000 Feet- Jefferson and West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/Gilpin/Clear Creek/Northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet- Central and Southeast Park County- Larimer County Below 6000 Feet/Northwest Weld County- Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/West Broomfield County- North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/Denver/West Adams and Arapahoe Counties/East Broomfield County- Elbert/Central and East Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet- Northeast Weld County-Central and South Weld County-Morgan County- Central and East Adams and Arapahoe Counties- North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln County- Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County- Logan County-Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County- 1101 AM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022 This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered storms are expected this afternoon into the evening. There is a limited burn area flash flood threat today with the Cameron Peak seeing the best chance of flooding. A couple of the thunderstorms could become strong to severe in and near Lincoln County. The primary threats from these storms are strong winds and hail up to quarter size. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Dry conditions are expected Sunday. Near-record breaking heat will occur this weekend through Monday afternoon for all areas. Monday will be the hottest day next week with the urban corridor and plains reaching the upper 90s to lower 100s. The mountains and valleys will reach the lower 70s to mid 80s. Starting Monday through late next week, scattered thunderstorm chances increase during the afternoon hours which will lead to a limited flash flood threat. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight. However, any heavy rainfall or flooding reports will be appreciated.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
151 PM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022
COZ047-162030-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County CO-
151 PM MDT Sat Jul 16 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Elbert
and west central Lincoln Counties through 230 PM MDT...
At 151 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Kutch, or 26 miles south of Limon, moving east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Kutch and Punkin Center.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3885 10396 3897 10397 3899 10363 3877 10361
TIME...MOT...LOC 1951Z 279DEG 17KT 3890 10382
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
RODRIGUEZThe Denver radar (KFTG), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:58 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A man drowned when strong microburst winds knocked him off his paddle board.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Summit | 2022-07-16 | 25 | Male | Boating | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, July 2022
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: 1029106.