Forecasts for heavy rains and flash-flood watches and warnings will probably last into next week.
We havent had a good monsoon season for a few years, said meteorologist Mike Chamberlain with the Grand Junction office of the National Weather Service. With the high-pressure system centered over Texas and Oklahoma bringing in a deep southerly flow and a low-pressure front over the West Coast, its a prime pattern for monsoons.
Chamberlain said New Mexico, Arizona, eastern Utah and Colorado are right under the center of the rains. Although monsoons generally occur primarily in the afternoon, the current storms often are continuing through the night.
Were in kind of a trough, he said. Within the trough, little waves can help keep rain activity happening through the night.
La Plata County resident Warren Holland, a spotter for the weather service, reported 0.93 inch of precipitation from the storm that began Sunday night and lasted into Monday.
There was an 80 percent chance of heavy rains Monday night, and there is a 60 percent chance for heavy rains today through Wednesday night. A flash-flood watch is in effect at least through Tuesday night. The weather service is predicting a 50 percent chance of rain Thursday and Thursday night.
It will get a bit drier over the weekend, but then the next surge is coming in Saturday night, Chamberlain said. Theres no indication this pattern is going to break.
There were no reports of major slides or floods Monday, but there was activity and heavy rain in southeastern Utah, Gunnison, Grand Mesa and along the Interstate 70 corridor. The Colorado Department of Transportation didnt report any major road closures.
Andrea Seid, marketing manager for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad said things have been fine since three major mud and rock slides on the tracks July 26 delayed trains for eight to nine hours and necessitated turning back about 1,000 passengers from Cascade.
We have had no problems, Seid said, weve been fortunate. Weve been going back and forth to Silverton without incident.
The weather service wants to remind people that flash floods are particularly likely when heavy rains fall on saturated soils, a situation which is forecasted to happen over the next several days.
People planning backcountry travel, whether in the mountains or the canyon country of Southeast Utah and Southwest Colorado, need to be especially conscious of the weather in their area, the weather service said in its Flash Flood Watch. This is especially true when passing through washes, arroyos or slot canyons. Remember, flash flooding may strike at any time, even many miles downstream from thunderstorms.
How long does the weather service think the heavy rains will continue?
I wish I could tell you, Chamberlain said, laughing. But we cant go that far out reliably. I can tell you the mid-range model looks like the high-pressure system might move up close to the Four Corners, and it would get drier then.
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