Flash flood watches issued in areas of Colorado as rain moves across state

DENVER – Flash flooding is possible in some of Colorado’s burn scars from the 2020 fires and on parts of the Western Slope and southern Colorado Wednesday as rain and storms move across the state.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches for areas including the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar, portions of the Flat Tops, Colorado River Basin, and the Gore and Elk Mountains through 8 p.m. Wednesday because of possible heavy rain.

In the San Juan Mountains, a flash flood watch is in effect until midnight, with a half-inch to an inch of rain forecast. Flash flood watches are in effect through the evening for the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Wet Mountain Valley and the Huerfano River Basin.

And the flash flood watch is in effect for the La Garita Mountains and the La Garita Valley into this evening.

By 3 p.m. Wednesday, there were widespread showers and storms from Grand Junction up to Steamboat Springs, and precipitation was forming along the mountains that is expected to move onto the Front Range and plains Wednesday afternoon.

The National Weather Service said the showers and storms could bring locally heavy rainfall on the eastern slopes of the mountains and foothills, and that there was an elevated risk of flash flooding for the Cameron Peak and Calwood burn scars.

The showers could help some areas of western Colorado, which is still seeing extreme and exceptional drought conditions. But it also brings more risk of flash flooding to the burn scars, particularly the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar, which has seen mudslides close Interstate 70 several times over the past few weeks.

At 3:45 p.m., the Colorado Department of Transportation shut I-70 down again because of potential flash flooding.

They could also help the poor air quality along the Front Range, where an Air Quality Health Advisory and Ozone Action Day Alert are in effect until 4 p.m.

Click here to watch the Denver7 live weather stream.