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<br />16
<br />
<br />FLOODS IN COLORADO
<br />
<br />over Nevada, and an area of high pressure (30.1 inchcs) over northern
<br />Minnesota and the western edge of the Great Lakes. The following
<br />table shows the precipitation at stations in these basins, listed from
<br />north to south, for the period May 29 to June 1, 1894.
<br />
<br />Rainfall, in inches. along the foothills and Front Range, May flY to June 1, 1894
<br />
<br /> Station Altitude" May 29 May 30 May3! Juno 1 Total
<br /> (Ceot)
<br /> - - - - -
<br />South Platte River Basin: 0.77
<br />Lsporteu .__0 __ _. nO __ nh n_ __ u* .... II,Oli3 0.27 0.50 ---------- ----------
<br />Fort Collins___n.hhnnm.hn_._. ..... ... .lY1 .....__ou .u.__hn .11
<br />Lovcland.____________________________ 5,000 .17 .30 -----3:30- Uh_._n_ .47
<br />Momine._....__..._._.___._._....__._ 7,775 u___._n_ __unun un___n_ 3.30
<br />Sult8rloaL _ _ _ ___h_n_n_n_. __ ..uuo 9,300 _.__n._._ ----.4:00. '00 5.00
<br />Ward dlstricL____n_________ _u_n___ '.300 ------un '30 1.74 aM
<br />~~\WIiWI~=:::=::::::::::::::::::::::: ',300 ..__.uu_ '.65 1.06 .12 583
<br />'.630 .50 ." '00 Uh".h"' 6.75
<br />Dumont_______n_ __n_ __n_____n_d_ 7,955 hUhh"' ... >65 _n___*_h '.05
<br />})enver. _.hUh .Uhnn..un n..._. ~283 _nnn_n .92 .88 n_n_n._ 1.50
<br />Castle Rock_ _ nnUhUUuhuun__ ~201 nun_.h 'S< mni"ifi' .-.m:iJ4' 2.84
<br />Alma {South Park)._____.u_un.nn 10,228 _nnnn_ nnnn__ 2. 19
<br />Como (South Park)._.___n...___.___. " "" T'. 1.34 .65 n_n_nn 2.02
<br />Arkansas River Basin: 2.49
<br />Dividc Experimcnt Station________.u ~'50 .02 1.65 .83
<br />Pikes Peak_..._hnnh__n____hn._ 14,111 .7.'; 4.57 1.33 .01 6."
<br />llusted _ __._...._h______________ _._._ ~540 .09 1.17 .S< .32 '"
<br />Olen Eytie...__nnn.n.u_nn_nn ~500 n__nn__ 213 1.68 .15 ....
<br />l.ake Moralnc._nnn____un____nn 10,265 nnnn__ 5.00 '00 7.00
<br />Colorado SJlrlngs..__4......_____..._. ~OO. .09 2.95 1.44 .50 '.97
<br />Callon CitY_u_un_____._unn__nh 6,343 .75 4.31 -m-i~M- 5. Or.
<br />].ueblo__nu... ____ ___._____._u_..__. 4,G85 _u__..._+ 1.38 .19 3.18
<br />North Lakc_.nnnn_n_nnn_n_n_ 8,700 .00 .30 ... nn__nn 1.20
<br />
<br />'fhe only station at whieh precipitation was recorded farther west
<br />in the Arkansas River Basin wns Twin Lakes (altitude 9,200 feet),
<br />which had a total prccipitation of 1.44 inches for the period.
<br />In the storm of 1894 there were two areas of heavy precipitation-
<br />the Pikes Peak region and the eastern slope of the Front Range west
<br />of Boulder. The Front Range here forms the Continental Divide,
<br />and the area of heaviest recorded precipitation WllS about 10 miles
<br />east of the Divide, where the mountains rise more steeply both on
<br />their eastern and western slopes than elsewhere, and the topography
<br />is somewhat analogous to the abrupt slopes of the Pikes Peak region.
<br />West of the Front Rango the rainfall WllS very much less, being
<br />lcss than 1 inch nt every station except Climax, ncar the Continental
<br />Divide, which rises abruptly from the western end of South Pnrk,
<br />a comparatively levol expanse that extends eastward to the Front
<br />Range.
<br />Melting snow was a less important faetor in causing high water in
<br />this flood than in 1921, as the suow cover was slightly less than normal.
<br />
<br />SEl'TEMBER 3-6, 1909
<br />
<br />The storm of September 3-6, 1909, like that of October 4-6, 1911,
<br />affocted ch.the southwestern part of the Stato and was similar in
<br />,character. llS less severe than the storm of October 1911 ill the
<br />
<br />
<br />METEOROLOGIC CONDITIONS
<br />
<br />17
<br />
<br />San Juan region but more severe in the other parts of the State, prob-
<br />ably as a result of a mass of moisture-laden air deflected upward by
<br />the Front Range, where the heaviest precipitation outside the San
<br />Juan region occurred. Depth of prccipitation at the four stations
<br />outside the San Juan region at whieh it WllS greatest was llS follows:
<br />lncfu,
<br />Boulder,__,__""____________,_"____,,,,,____________ 3.97
<br />lIa~thorne____________________________________________ 3.41
<br />Colorado Springs___n_,_,_____n_________,__n_______n 2.66
<br />Sants Clara",__,___________"".""",____________,__ ~25
<br />
<br />Rainfall was general throughout the State, but WllS much less in
<br />amount at other stations than at those just listed. The following table
<br />gives the amounts at stations in the San Juan region.
<br />
<br />Rainfall, in inche8, in the San Juan region, Sept. 9-6, 1909
<br />
<br />Station Altltude Sept. 3 Sept,4 Sept. 6 Sept. 6 ToW
<br />(feet)
<br /> - - - - -
<br />Mancoll._________._nn_____n_n_n_..._. 7,03/i 0.29 0." 0.'" 0.42 1.74
<br />}'ort Lewls..._._._._........~.......~____ 7,610 .1' .M 1.'" .67 2.85
<br />Durnngou.__ ______. .~........ ..._._____n 6,589 .M .37 1.64 .82 "7
<br />Tacoma._.._..___.. _'.h'''''_ _4U'.4.".. 7.200 .30 .15 ~52 .64 3.61
<br />{J9!>Cndfl_ __ ____________......... ...n.~..' 8,flOO .23 .3' 2.29 .85 4,32
<br />Terminal Dam~._nnn4_nnnn____u.. ~300 .10 .09 2.48 .S< 3.m
<br />f1i1vcrton___..........~__u_____n________ 9,400 .13 .17 2.00 .65 ~95
<br />-Gladstone_ __ _......_. ___. _____...._.._~__ 10,400 .35 .IS 1.81 .42 .76
<br />PagoAll Sprlnp_ __..___.. .___.._ __.._..... 7,108 .18 .30 I." .47 2.36
<br />Ignaalo..._______n_____nn_.___.u._._.. 8,425 Tr. ... .50 .37 .91
<br />Eureka__._....._._._____________n_n._._ 10,000 .13 .19 .n ,17 .60
<br />Dolorell__...__.__.~_.....__.._..__.n_____ 6,942 .10 .41 ... .90
<br />'CbromO.__...__.___._......___..____n_n 7,500 m"'~27- .18 .W .87 1.61
<br />
<br />OCTOBER 4-6, 1911
<br />
<br />The severest flood of record in the southwestern part of the State
<br />was caused by the storm of October 4--6, 1911, which followed a
<br />summer during which the precipitation was above normal. The daily
<br />weather maps show that on October 4 a low of 29.7 inches developed
<br />over western Nevada, and moved with increl)Sing intensity over
<br />central Arizona, reaching 29.45 inches on October 5. At that time a
<br />high of 30.3 inches had developed over the Great Lakes. As the season
<br />WllS early fall, the moist winds from the Pacific had high temperatures.
<br />These winds were deflected upward by the mountain masses in the
<br />southwestel"l part of the State, causing intense precipitation. By
<br />October 6 the low had moved northwestward over Iowa, passing over
<br />,
<br />the southellStern part of Colorado, and precipitation had practically
<br />ceased in Colorado.
<br />The following table indicates the influence of the mountains on
<br />precipitation in the San Juan region.
<br />
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