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A record-setting day of rain makes September 2013 the wettest September on record
Overnight showers that lasted into the morning set a daily rainfall record in Denver. Even more notable, the rain added to the monthly total making this the wettest September ever recorded in the Mile High City.
As measured at Denver International Airport, Denver recorded 0.64 inches of rain today. This is a new daily record for September 23, beating the old record of 0.52 inches set in 2000.
Today’s rain, coupled with rainfall before midnight, brought Denver’s September monthly total to 5.47 inches. With that, September 2013 will go into the record books as the wettest September on record. The old monthly record was 4.67 inches set in 1961.
Denver’s rainfall total, while impressive, hardly compares to what has been seen in other locations. It also once again highlights how the station at DIA hardly represents the weather conditions seen in the metro area and makes historical comparisons somewhat invalid.
At the CO-OP station at Stapleton where Denver’s official weather measurements were taken from 1950 to 1995, the monthly total is at 9.08 inches. The difference in rainfall totals between the old location and DIA showcases how the station move to a different microclimate has skewed the Mile High City’s climate records.
Boulder, where some of the heaviest rains fell this month, was at 17.24 inches for the month before last night’s rain. Monthly rainfall totals in many locations across the Denver metro area are pushing the 10 inch mark.
There are of course still seven days left in the month and with showers in the forecast later this week, that record-setting total may increase.
Satellite imagery shows extent of flooding across northeastern Colorado
Colorado’s record-setting floods devastated the landscape from the mountains to the plains. From their perch thousands of miles above the Earth’s surface, NASA’s and DigitalGlobe’s satellites captured astonishing imagery of the devastation. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com
Before and after: NASA satellite imagery reveals flood damage in Colorado
Colorado’s September 2013 floods have been absolutely devastating with over 1,500 homes destroyed and a death toll yet to be finalized. NASA satellites flew over the area near Greeley in recent days and the before and after pictures provide a stunning view from above of the devastation.
Using the ‘sliders’ on the two image sets below you can compare how the area looks normally versus how it looked in the days immediately after the flooding.
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[wpw_ba_img src=”http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EHZnr2QxwDo/UjxBTiFTICI/AAAAAAAAArY/lN8SZl9OGLs/s600/greeley-before.jpg” data_second=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Afkp7QnthD8/UjxBTnDEMrI/AAAAAAAAArU/QsAh-2SWRkw/s600/greeley-after.jpg” title=”Satellite imagery comparison of the area near Greeley, Colorado before and after the September 2013 flooding. (NASA EO)” data_info=”Satellite imagery comparison of the area near Greeley, Colorado before and after the September 2013 flooding. (NASA EO)”]
[/wpw_ba_viewer]Satellite Imagery of Flooding Near Greeley, Colorado – “Though water levels on the South Platte River were receding, muddy brown waters were still out of the river’s banks near Greeley, Colorado, on September 17, 2013, when the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite acquired this image. At the time, the river was more than six feet above flood stage, down from more than eight feet above flood stage.” The before image was acquired on June 29, 2013 and shows the area as it normally appears. (NASA EO)
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[wpw_ba_img src=”http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4P17RwE0yJ4/UjxBUXq6AEI/AAAAAAAAArc/jf6eRTTMaeQ/s600/platte-before.jpg” data_second=”http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oFx1h0x653Y/UjxBTgBj2KI/AAAAAAAAArM/-rgcmbR2otk/s600/platte-after.jpg” title=”Satellite imagery comparison of the area near Greeley, Colorado before and after the September 2013 flooding. (NASA EO)” data_info=”Satellite imagery comparison of the area near Greeley, Colorado before and after the September 2013 flooding. (NASA EO)”]
[/wpw_ba_viewer]Infrared Satellite Imagery of Flooded South Platte River – “Intense rainfall in northern and eastern Colorado brought widespread, destructive flooding in mid-September 2013. Local citizens reported as much as 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain from September 9 to 15, with some of the heaviest accumulation along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. A break in the precipitation allowed the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite to acquire the top image of the floods on September 14. The second image, taken by Terra MODIS on September 7, 2013, shows the region before the rains began. The images were made from infrared light to increase the contrast between water and land.” (NASA EO)
Colorado floods extensively damage homes serving the developmentally disabled
The full toll from Colorado’s floods won’t be known for months but for one local Denver area non-profit, the devastation of the waters hit home – nine of them in fact.
The flood waters from Colorado’s floods have destroyed homes and taken lives. In one case, nine homes crucial to serving the needs of the most vulnerable among us were part of the toll.
Interactive map: Rainfall totals from Colorado’s September 2013 flood event
By the numbers, the rainfall experienced across northeastern Colorado since Monday, September 9 has been nothing short of extraordinary. Over the span of a week, many locations received half of what they normally receive in an entire year. Some received more than what they expect annually.
We have created and interactive map (below) that shows precipitation totals from Monday, September 9, 2013 to Monday, September 16, 2013. The numbers are totals as reported by CoCoRaHS volunteers – the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network.
Looking at the map, it is clear that the Boulder area received the most with one station recording an astonishing 21.13” over the 7 day timespan. The official station in Boulder has recorded 16.69” inches this month and 29.65” for the year. These numbers break Boulder’s monthly record and its annual precipitation record.
Denver’s official station at Denver International Airport (DIA) has recorded 4.65 inches this month, enough to put September 2013 in the books as the 2nd wettest on record. However, that total hardly reflects what locations closer to the city’s center received with many recording over 7” this month.
Here in Thornton we have seen 8.85” of rain so far this month, an extraordinary total that brings our total for 2013 to 18.81”. This is clearly the biggest month and year for precipitation since ThorntonWeather.com came online in 2007 and likely the biggest month ever in Thornton.
If you have a hard time viewing the map in the window below, click here to launch a larger version.
Largest aerial rescue operation since Hurricane Katrina underway in Colorado
Extraordinary rain amounts over the past week have brought extensive flooding across northeastern Colorado from the mountains to the plains. In the waters’ wake, what is being called the largest helicopter evacuation since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is underway. Read the rest of this story and check out the photos and video on Examiner.com.
In pictures: Colorado’s record-setting September 2013 rains and flooding
September 2013 will forever be etched in the memory of all Coloradans as one which brought amazing destruction – and death. Images of the truly historical event tell the story of the damage in the aftermath but also show the indomitable human spirit and the willingness of Americans to come together and help in times of need.
Northeastern Colorado has a surprisingly arid climate but also is an environment ripe for extreme weather events like the rain and floods we experienced.
The cost and final death toll from the floods will be determined in the coming days, weeks and months but we know already this is one for the record books.
The September 2013 event lasted multiple days and effects were felt from the mountains and foothills to the flat eastern plains. Many locations saw rainfall totals over four days equal to half of what they normally receive in an entire year.
The images in the slideshow below were gathered from a variety of sources. If you have photos to share, please email them to info@thorntonweather.com and we will add them.
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Live updates: Thornton’s September 2013 heavy rain and flood event
The start of meteorological fall has been highly eventful with record-setting high temperatures followed by virtually unprecedented rainfall. Four days of steady, sometimes heavy, rain has created hazardous conditions in many places along the Colorado Front Range including Thornton.
We will be monitoring monitoring the storm very closely and posting regularly to our Facebook page and Twitter feed. You can follow along in real time below. We are also on Google+ here.
For comprehensive look at the storm, please monitor our Winter Weather Briefing page.
NOAA satellite image captures ‘biblical’ storm as it strikes Colorado
* Click the image above for a larger view
Five days of rain, one with absolutely torrential downpours, created dangerous and deadly flooding across much of the Colorado Front Range. At one point the National Weather Service warned of ‘biblical rainfall amounts’ and it became hard to argue with that terminology. The rainfall amounts were truly astounding.
Boulder, where some of the worst flooding was seen, recorded 9.08” on Thursday, September 12. Estes Park, where the Big Thompson River flooded its banks, saw 3.9” over the 24 hour period.
Officially Denver only saw 1.1” on the date but that was as measured at Denver International Airport which only saw the edge of the storms. At the previous historical location in Stapleton, 3.68” was measured.
Here in Thornton we seemed to be right in line for the storms and generated one of the higher totals in the metro area accumulating 4.76” on the date. Since the rain started five days ago, we have received an amazing 7.66” (as of this writing).