Flood — Archuleta, Colorado

2023-04-13 to 2023-04-15 · near Chimney Rock, Archuleta, Colorado

Event narrative

The Piedra River overran its banks due to rapid snowmelt. This led to portions of Colorado Highway 151, south of Chimney Rock National Monument, to be flooded and closed for an extended period of time.

Wider weather episode

Above normal temperatures accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack. This resulted in high and fast flows on several rivers and drainages across Western Colorado. The increased runoff and flooding compromised several county roads and bridges across Montezuma, Archuleta, Routt, Delta, Dolores, Montrose, and Moffat counties.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.1724, -107.3568)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1081494. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.