Debris Flow — Garfield, Colorado

2021-07-31 · near Douglas Pass, Garfield, Colorado

$100K

Property damage

Event narrative

Ten feet of water flowed on County Road 205 within the Pine Gulch Fire burn scar.

Wider weather episode

High pressure retrograted in response to a deepening mid-level trough over the center of the nation and parked over western Colorado. Even so, subtropical moisture remained entrenched over the area with precipitable water values exceeding an inch and trending over 150% of the climatological norm. As a result, widespread showers and thunderstorms erupted over western Colorado. Additionally, convergence along the Continental Divide enhanced storm coverage. Heavy rain and training was common with storms which led to numerous reports of flash flooding and debris flows, including over the Pine Gulch and Grizzly Creek Fire burn scars.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.4100, -108.7000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 965542. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.