Debris Flow in San Miguel County, Colorado

The Colorado Department of Transportation closed down both lanes of Colorado Highway 145 at mile marker 95 due to a mudslide around 1:35 PM MDT. This closure was lifted later that afternoon, once the road was cleared of mud. No reports of damages, fatalities, or injuries were received other than the temporary road closure.

With abundant moisture present, eastern Utah and western Colorado were primed to see widespread thunderstorm activity. A shortwave moved through the area in the afternoon, with a strong cold front associated with it. The cold air advecting in aloft helped to steepen lapse rates, and enough sunshine had gotten through during the morning to produce CAPE values of 500-1000 J/kg - more than enough to produce strong storms west of the Divide. As a result, a number of strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and produced severe hail and flash flooding across central western Colorado.