Flood — Montezuma, Colorado

2023-03-14 to 2023-03-15 · near Lewis, Montezuma, Colorado

Event narrative

Rapid snowmelt and rain caused flooding and the closure of Colorado Highway 184 near its intersection with U.S. Highway 491. Heavy rain and rapid snowmelt overwhelmed a culvert which failed, contributing to the backup of the culvert and subsequent flooding.

Wider weather episode

Heavy rain on snow resulted in rapid runoff across portions of southwest Colorado. This led to flooding in portions of Montezuma County when the combination of snowmelt and rain led to the failure of a culvert. Portions of Highway 184 closed due to the flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.4795, -108.6643)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1078227. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.